Qatar’s Lusail International Circuit will become the 14th different venue in a 13th different country to host an FIA World Endurance Championship race as it hosts the Prologue and opening 6 hour race race for the 2024 World Championship.
The Qatari circuit is set to become a regular part of the Championship after the FIA World Endurance Championship signed a six-year contract, revealed at a ceremony in Doha this evening.
The event’s date, along with the complete 2024 FIA WEC calendar, will be submitted for approval to FIA World Motor Sport Council next year.
The announcement could be the first of a potential number of changes as the World Championship recovers to an eight-race calendar in 2024 after contraction during the COVID-affected seasons.
The WEC’s current contract with Sebring International Raceway expires after 2023, and negotiations are also known to have begun with other venues too, Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Roger Penske is keen to attract the WEC and a senior representative from Silverstone was present in Bahrain for the final round of the 2022 season, though the UK venue is currently unwilling to publicly discuss progress towards a return for the WEC.
The Lusail circuit is currently undergoing extensive renovation and remodeling to the paddock area and facilities with the latest renders revealed at tonight’s announcement ceremony. First built in 2004, the Lusail International Circuit is the only circuit in the region to have both FIA and FIM homologation licenses. It has been home to MotoGP for several years, and hosted Formula 1 for the first time last year.
Also present in Doha were four Hypercars that will race in the WEC’s headline category in 2024: the Ferrari 499P, the Peugeot 9×8, the Porsche 963 and Toyota’s Championship-winning GR010 HYBRID Hypercar.
It marked the first time these four Hypercars have been seen together, with the 6 Hours of Qatar set to be a defining moment in endurance racing history as all four manufacturers will go head-to-head in the WEC’s increasingly-popular Hypercar category which now has a minimum of eight manufacturers committed for 2024.
The event was attended by many notable and high-profile Qatari personalities including H.E Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdul Aziz Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, H.E. Mr. Salah bin Ghanim Al-Ali, Minister of Sports and Youth, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, Chairman of Qatar Tourism and Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Airways Group– the event’s sponsor, and Mr. Abdulrahman bin Abdullatif Al Mannai, President of Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF). The event was also attended by representatives of the FIA WEC including ACO President Pierre Fillon, FIA Endurance Commission President Richard Mille, FIA WEC CEO Frédéric Lequien, as well as top FIA WEC drivers such as Kamui Kobayashi (Toyota), Laurens Vanthoor (Porsche) and Alessandro Pier Guidi (Ferrari).
Kobayashi already has race experience at the circuit, competing there in 2009 in GP2 Asia!
Pierre Fillon, ACO President: We are delighted to extend the FIA World Endurance championship to include such a fabulous circuit. From 2024, Lusail will open the championship, offering competitors top-class surroundings. My heartfelt thanks to Abdulrahman Al-Mannai and everyone at the circuit for this superb opportunity for endurance racing.”
Richard Mille, President of the Endurance Commission: “Lusail International Circuit is a modern venue that is well accustomed to the demands of world-level motor sport events. Therefore, having it joining FIA World Endurance Championship is a positive and logical development. Enhancing regional diversity is something very important to the FIA. At the same time, promoting motorsport and promoting FIA WEC at new markets is something that will be beneficial for the fans, the manufacturers involved and the promoter. It’s good to see the FIA WEC ecosystem growing in a controlled manner and expanding through addition of events located outside Europe.”
Frédéric Lequien, FIA WEC CEO, said: “We are delighted to have signed a minimum six-year contract with Lusail International Circuit to bring the WEC to Qatar for the very first time. The extensive renovations that are currently underway at Lusail will make it one of the most prestigious race circuits in the world. 2024 will be a very memorable year – not only will we have several global manufacturers competing in the Hypercar category, but we’ll be taking endurance racing to another new territory.”
Abdulrahman bin Abdullatif al-Mannai, President of Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation: “We are proud to have established a solid position in the local, regional and international sports scene. The WEC is widely followed and it is currently one of the most globally recognised racing championships. For what the event represents worldwide, Qatar is immensely honored to host the opening round in the 12th season of WEC in 2024. Undoubtedly, hosting this much-anticipated edition of WEC is yet another major milestone and another Qatari dream fulfilled. We’ve already made the necessary circuit renovations and upgrades to deliver a world-class state-of-the-art experience to both spectating fans and participating drivers, implementing all the changes that are needed for us to conform with the FIA’s technical standards and bringing in advanced technologies that are fitting for one of its sporting events, but we’re certain that this six-year journey we’ve embarked on will motivate us to push the boundaries of what we previously thought to be achievable even further, allowing us to make tremendous improvements to the venue come 2030.”
Mr Akbar Al Baker, Qatar Airways Group CEO and The Chairman of Qatar Tourism: “We are excited to see another premier motorsport category; the FIA World Endurance Championship coming to Qatar in 2024. Like Formula 1 – that will race again at Lusail Circuit in 2023 – these Hypercars use best-in-class technology to push the boundaries of engineering. The series involves the most prestigious manufacturers from around the world and draws a global audience. These attributes of advanced technology and global appeal are pivotal to the ongoing development of tourism in The State of Qatar. We congratulate the QMMF on securing the race annually until 2029 and look forward to more world class motorsports events to come.”
Built in 2004, the Lusail Circuit Sports Club (LCSC) is situated 20km away from the center of Doha, and it is the only circuit in the region to host both the FIA F1 and the FIM MotoGP international championships. LCSC is one of the largest permanently lit venues of any kind in the world with a mix of high and medium speed bends, 5.4 km long with a 1km straight.
