Venue upgrades and record crowds help Qatar Airways Grand Prix secure win as Best Grand Prix 2023

March 8, 2024

Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar has secured the win as the Best Grand Prix of 2023. The award considers every detail of each Grand Prix to decide who takes home the trophy each year, with the teams’ association (IRTA) voting across a number of categories to select the winner. The result is then ratified by the Grand Prix Commission. After a decisive vote in 2023, it’s the Qatar GP that comes out on top.

Lusail has the highest possible standards of safety paired with a layout that delivers incredible racing year after year, with some of the most memorable battles in recent history staged around its now-iconic layout. After the entire venue underwent full renovation before MotoGP™ returned in 2023, the overall level of the facility is now truly world leading.

The 2023 Qatar GP also welcomed a record crowd for MotoGP™ at the venue as the new-look track was unveiled, with fans flocking to see the Championship fight hit boiling point under the floodlights.

In recognition of all that and more, Qatar takes home the award for Best Grand Prix of 2023.

President of the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) and Lusail International Circuit (LIC), Mr. Abdulrahman bin Abdullatif Al Mannai, expressed his gratitude toward receiving this prestigious award and shared "MotoGP has been a fixed event on our calendars for at least two decades now and since the inception of the Lusail Circuit, so this award is truly dear to our hearts, and we are extremely proud to have received it from our friends at MotoGP.

“The 2023 event was perceived positively by local and international fans alike, the event was completely sold out for the first time, and this is a testament to the increasingly growing sporting culture and interest in the region.

"We aim to continue contributing to Qatar’s achievement of its 2030 vision by bringing world-class motorsports to the country. Events like the MotoGP further cements LIC’s position as one of the worlds’ foremost motorsports hubs and Qatar’s growing role as a global sports destination in the Middle East."

Carmelo Ezpeleta, Chief Executive of Dorna Sports added "when we returned to Qatar last season, I think the reaction from everyone in the paddock was simply ‘wow’. The work they have put in to make the circuit facilities what they are is truly impressive, and that alone deserves its own recognition. But that’s only one part of the story as we present Qatar with the award for Best Grand Prix, with so many more reasons why they are a deserving winner this year.

"There is a lot to celebrate at this event, and if we thought we couldn’t be more impressed after we saw the circuit’s new look last year, we then enjoyed a weekend of incredible racing in front of the biggest crowd we’ve ever welcomed at Lusail. Congratulations to everyone who made the event possible and contributed to Qatar winning best Grand Prix of 2023."

Hervé Poncharal, President of IRTA enthused "we’re delighted to present the 2023 Best Grand Prix trophy to Qatar, it’s truly deserved. As everyone can see, both here at the track and watching from around the world, they’ve done an amazing job with the new facilities and the renovations. Lusail is a new benchmark for the MotoGP calendar.

"That said, as well as being a beautiful place to work, it’s also a fantastic, professional place to work for all the teams. We have amazing hospitalities, offices and garages, with everything truly top level. And more than the physical facilities, the detail is amazing. Everything we ask for, the answer is always yes, and they always deliver above and beyond what we request. The unique schedule, creating the incredible night race, is another thing that makes the weekend stand out for us, and for fans. Congratulations to Qatar on this truly deserved award."

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