09/02/2015
NEWS STORY
Qatar official claims that a deal to host a Grand Prix by 2016 or 2017 is close to being agreed.
Qatar, which is spending billions on various sporting events - including Moto GP, World Superbikes, the 2019 World Athletics Championships and the (infamous) 2022 World Cup - in its determination to take its place at the forefront of global sport, is determined to add Formula One to its prestigious roster.
Indeed, such is the desire to claim a place on the F1 calendar it is understood Qatar is willing to pay around £50m annually for the race, topping the current record of £46.3m paid by Abu Dhabi. Thereby bringing the total fee to around £500m as contracts typically run for ten years.
However, it was revealed late last year that Bahrain can veto the event
"It was an idea I thought would work," Bernie Ecclestone told Christian Sylt. "I've got a bit of a problem which nobody knows about really but I'm sure they soon will.
"I made a deal with the people in Bahrain and they said, 'If we are going to be something new in this area, which we are, will you give us a guarantee you won't put another race on in the area, in the Gulf?" he revealed. "I said yes. Typical Ecclestone handshake deal with the Crown Prince."
He then revealed that when Abu Dhabi asked for a race, permission had to be sought from the Bahrainis. "I explained the position that I was in and said you'd better ask the people in Bahrain if they are happy," he admitted. "If they are happy, I'm happy. If not, we won't. So they got together and that's what happened.
"Then this other race (Qatar) has been proposed and I put the people together and said 'Can you sort this out between you?' and they haven't managed to do it."
Well, according to Nasser bin Khalifa Al Attiyah, president of the Qatar Motor Sport Federation and vice-president of the FIA, a Grand Prix looks likely to be held in 2016 or 2017.
"We are about to sign contracts to organise a Formula One race," he told the Gulf Daily News. "We have completed all the steps and there are only a few details before the official signature."
Qatar's 3.4-mile Losail circuit has hosted GP2, Moto GP and World Superbikes, but Ecclestone isn't ruling out an F1 street race in Doha which would differentiate the Grand Prix from the others in the Middle East.
"We are looking at all possibilities," said Ecclestone.
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.
Chris Balfe