FIA Make Last Minute Change to Qatar GP Circuit Ahead of F1 Title Decider

The FIA have made an alteration to the Lusail International Circuit ahead of this weekend's F1 Qatar Grand Prix.

Lando Norris heads into the penultimate round of the Formula 1 season knowing if he finishes ahead of Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri in the weekend's races he will become world champion.

This comes after the McLaren star suffered a blow to his title hopes after being disqualified from the Las Vegas Grand Prix alongside his papaya teammate for excessive plank wear.

Verstappen sits 24 point behind Norris in the title fight meaning another pointless weekend for the Brit could put him behind the reigning world champion heading into Abu Dhabi.

Despite cars hitting the track in less than 24 hours, the FIA have made some late alterations to the circuit that will have a major impact on the drivers.

Extra gravel traps have been added at the exit of Turns six and 16, as well as an extra gravel trap on the right hand side of Turn 10.

A map of the Lusail International Circuit

This comes after drivers consistently ran over the exit kerbs at these corners in previous years, allowing them to carry more speed throughout their lap.

The gravel traps are designed are extremely treacherous for drivers who can easily lose control and beach their car if they misjudge the corner by meer millimetres.

It could also increase the likelihood of safety cars and yellow flags if gravel ends up on the racing line, adding to the overall jeopardy of the grand prix.

Speaking ahead of the race, Norris insisted the team have not changed their approach to Verstappen following last week's setback.

“We’ve treated him as a threat the whole year even when he was a few more points behind,” he said.

“We treat him as a threat because we know what he’s capable of, we know what Red Bull is capable of so therefore nothing changes now because he’s still the threat he’s always been through the whole year," he added.