It's going to be tough in Qatar: 'A lot of G powers'

For all drivers the circuit in Qatar is a big question mark. Formula 1 has never raced there before. Of course every driver has driven some laps in the simulator. That is not completely comparable to reality, but it is an indication of what it will be like this weekend. And it is going to be tough.

High G-forces

One thing that can already be said is that it will be a tough race, several drivers think. "It will probably be quite physical in terms of G-forces and the minimum speed in the corners is quite high," says Pierre Gasly in conversation with Motorsport.com. "Sao Paulo is also always very difficult and also against the clock. Then when you have a triple-header, the neck is still stiff from the first race and the trips."

George Russell is also looking forward to the fast nature of the circuit. "To be honest, it's quite an enjoyable track," says the Williams driver, who already got to know Qatar in the simulator. "Very fast, high downforce, also a long straight. So I think there will be some good racing."

Seeking the limits

Lando Norris particularly notices that there are not many big braking zones. "So it will probably be a pretty physical race indeed. I don't know what the racing is going to be like. No idea. But I think it could be a fun race, looking at what the circuit looks like. I think it's good for us as drivers to adjust a little bit to something new. And it's always exciting that when you have a new circuit to try to get up to speed and try different things," said the McLaren driver.