The fourth running of the Qatar Grand Prix attracted a weekend attendance of 162,972 according to local media reports. It is the highest figure in the event’s history.
The 2025 Qatar Grand Prix attracted a weekend attendance of 162,972, according to The Peninsula. It’s a new record for the best-attended race at Lusail International Circuit, which made its debut on the Formula 1 calendar in 2021. Attendance grew by almost 8,000 compared to last year’s figure.
Max Verstappen claimed his 70th Grand Prix victory on Sunday at the Qatar Grand Prix, keeping his chances of clinching a fifth consecutive title very much alive. Although Oscar Piastri won Saturday’s Sprint, a strategy error by McLaren in the Grand Prix means that the Dutchman has now overtaken the Australian in the standings and sits only 12 points behind leader Lando Norris. All three drivers have a mathematical chance of claiming the title at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which marks the first time that more than two drivers could be crowned champion at the final race of the season since 2010.
In addition to the F1 action in Qatar, Leonardo Fornaroli was crowned Formula 2 champion in the series’ penultimate round of the season, while Seal and Metallica were among the headline music acts entertaining fans after each day’s racing action concluded.
Attendance Growth Continues in Qatar
Attendance figures at the Qatar Grand Prix have grown in every season since the event first appeared on the Formula 1 calendar. The inaugural race had a weekend attendance of only 80,000. At the time, it was a record for the biggest sporting event ever held in the country. The race was not on the calendar in 2022 due to Qatar hosting the FIFA World Cup.
When the event returned in 2023, attendance grew to 120,000 before rising further to almost 155,000 in 2024. The latest figure for the 2025 race continues the trend of attendance growth at the event, which holds a contract to remain on the F1 calendar until at least 2031.
The 2026 Qatar Grand Prix is scheduled to take place on November 27-29, once again hosting the penultimate round of the season. For the first time since 2021, the Qatar Grand Prix will not host Formula 1’s sprint race format next year.
Based on previous years, we expect tickets for the 2026 Qatar Grand Prix to be available in mid-February. Subscribe to our mailing list (and tick the box for Qatar) to receive event news and ticket updates.
F1 Attendance Could Total 7 Million in 2025
The 2025 Qatar Grand Prix has one of the lowest attendance figures of the season. Based on our estimations, there are only four races on the calendar which have weekend attendances of under 200,000. The 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix had a confirmed combined weekend attendance of 105,000. Although figures have not been announced for races in Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan, it is believed that both will be under 200,000. The Baku race is the lowest-attended of the year, having attracted only 76,000 spectators over three days in 2024.
It remains to be seen how many fans will attend next week’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. 192,000 attended last year, while the record high for the Yas Marina event is 195,000, recorded in both 2016 and 2017. The fact that the event will be a three-way title decider will undoubtedly boost ticket sales in the final days before the race.
Formula 1 is on track to better its record annual attendance of 6.5 million from 2024. Based on official figures released so far and estimates for other races, we expect the total attendance across the 24 rounds this year to total around 6.9 million. Formula 1 usually announces official total attendance in its annual end of year report.
