Can you overtake at Qatar (Lusail)?
Only in a few places. Lusail is a fast, flowing circuit with medium-to-high downforce and long, sweeping corners that make following hard, so it is not a natural overtaking track. The main chance is into the heavy braking at Turn 1 at the end of the main straight, helped by DRS; elsewhere the flowing sequences keep the field strung out, and tyre and physical management often shape the race more than track-position battles.
The short answer
Not easily. Lusail is a fast, flowing circuit of long, sweeping corners where cars lose downforce in dirty air, so following closely and passing are both hard.[1] The clearest chance is the heavy braking into Turn 1 at the end of the main straight with DRS; through the flowing middle sector the field tends to stay strung out, so tyre and physical management often matter more.[2]
Where to overtake at Lusail
- Turn 1. The end of the main straight and the DRS zone, the best braking-zone overtaking spot.[1]
- Turn 6. A secondary chance under braking after the following straight.
- The flowing sweeps. Fast, committed corners where dirty air makes following hard, so gaps rarely close here.
Why Qatar is a management race
Related reading
- [1]Lusail International Circuit (Wikipedia) (wikipedia-en). Accessed 2026-08-27.
- [2]Qatar Grand Prix (Wikipedia) (wikipedia-en). Accessed 2026-08-27.