Bernie Ecclestone has revealed that Qatar is planning to host a Grand Prix in a bid to build up its sporting legacy according to an article in the Independent by Christian Sylt.

Qatar controversially won the right to stage the 2022 World Cup and an F1 race there would be create just as many waves. This is because it would bring F1's tally of races in the Middle East to three which is more than there are in North America. It would join Grands Prix in Bahrain (pictured) and Abu Dhabi which hosted Sunday's season-ender.

There is a premium price for becoming a member of this exclusive club and sources suggest that Qatar would have to pay around £50m annually for a race. It would tip the current record of £46.3m paid by Abu Dhabi and would bring the total fee to around £500m as contracts typically run for ten years.

Qatar's 3.4-mile Losail circuit has hosted GP2 and is home to MotoGP but Ecclestone isn't ruling out an F1 street race which would differentiate the Grand Prix from the others in the Middle East.

"We are looking at all possibilities there. Qatar is not signed but they are ready to go," says Ecclestone adding that he doesn't think three races is too many in the Middle East. Losail is fully floodlit, as the MotoGP race takes place at night, so an F1 race there could follow Abu Dhabi's format of starting in twilight.

Ecclestone could not disclose further information, as the details of the negotiations are confidential, but it is thought that if the race gets the green light it would take place by 2017 at the latest. Last year Qatar was reportedly under consideration as a venue for pre-season testing but its ambitions have grown since then.

There are currently 19 races on the F1 calendar and next year it will hit 20 - equalling the record set in 2012 - with the addition of a Grand Prix in Mexico followed by Azerbaijan in 2016. For years 20 races was the limit because team staff refused to spend more time at the track away from their families. However that changed last year when the teams signed new contracts which require majority consent from Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull Racing if the calendar exceeds 20 races or if more than 17 are held with the number outside Europe, the US or Canada exceeding 60%.

Ecclestone recently said "if I want more than 20 races I don't need consent from the teams. I don't think so. I don't care about the consent from them which is more to the point." If Qatar puts pen to paper that could soon be put to the test.

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by gturner38, 27/11/2014 15:23

"Before we get carried away, Bahrain's contract conveniently runs out just as the Qatar race would come on board. I seem to recall a race being announced to start just as a popular event a 6 hour drive away was nearing the end of its contract. Now that Montreal has a new deal, how much are we hearing about New Jersey? I expect the grand prix on the motorcycle course to go the same way if Bahrain renews."

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2. Posted by F One, 26/11/2014 19:06

"They've bought the World Cup from the corrupt scum at FIFA, they're probably going to buy the 2020 Olympic Games from the corrupt scum at the IOC and now they're buying an F1 race from the corrupt scumbag Bernie Ecclestone.
Qatar can sod off!!!"

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3. Posted by Sennapod, 26/11/2014 18:12

"Ajerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, China, Korea, India and now Qatar - where will it end ?

all seemingly suffering from a lack of genuine local interest (and empty grandstands) once the initial novelty has worn off - they'll all be off the calendar soon enough once they realise the actual economics of what they've signed up to
"

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4. Posted by GordonW, 25/11/2014 21:43

"So brown envelope manufacturers must be rubbing their hands if the football World Cup fiasco is anything to go by....."

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5. Posted by Hondawho?, 25/11/2014 9:31

"Considering Mr E said a few weeks ago "Slowly but surely what I predicted about Europe is happening. What I said ten years ago is that it would soon become a third world economy." You can understand that he likes to do business with those who can do business, be able to say yes or no, and not to work with those who have to justify their every move to a committee.

IMHO I agree with him, doing business in Europe, or in fact the USA and Australia (which is worse than the UK) is a becoming a chore.

Many Countries in the World need to wake up or should I say the people in the Countries need to wake up, to what is happening in the World and be able to allow their "rulers" to make decisions based on good management and having the trust of the citizens than rather by committee. IMHO of course.

As for Mr E, who recently said "if I want more than 20 races I don't need consent from the teams. I don't think so. I don't care about the consent from them which is more to the point.". Assuming he said that, and lets face it we do not know what he actually said, only what is printed above, would surely have been based on the contracts he has with the teams, so he knows what he can and cannot do so why the need to ask? Its possibly not that he "does not care" but the fact he does not need to re ask them perhaps?

It would be good to see Mr E working with someone else in the management of the sport though who may be able to balance Mr E's words and how he says them with those who must listen to him.......... Not an easy task, obviously he does not think anyone is up to his standards or abilities."

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Qatar revs up record £500 million Grand Prix bid

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