F1 heads to Qatar this weekend, trading the neon lights of Vegas for the desert heat of the Middle East. It’s the second stop in F1’s final triple-header of the season.
The night racing continues, but drivers will need to adjust to much warmer conditions. They’re looking at temperatures about 5-10 degrees Celsius higher than what they dealt with in Las Vegas.
Saturday’s packed with action. The Sprint kicks off at 21 degrees Celsius, while qualifying later that night will be just a touch cooler at 20 degrees.
The wind could play a tricky role too. It’ll die down a bit between the Sprint and qualifying, dropping by about 5 km/h. That might not sound like much, but in F1, every little change matters.
Rain? Don’t count on it. There’s barely a 1% chance of any wet weather showing up to shake things up.
Sunday’s main event starts at 7 PM local time under clear skies. Drivers will face temperatures around 20 degrees Celsius, with winds gusting up to 15 MPH.
The humidity’s going to be higher than Vegas – something teams will need to factor into their cooling strategies. But at least they won’t need their wet weather tires this weekend.
It’s the kind of weather that could make tire management really interesting, especially during those long night stints around Losail International Circuit.
