Image credit: Vamos
This is my review of the General Admission area at the Qatar Grand Prix, which is calld Lusail Hill. It’s the cheapest ticket you can get to watch the Formula 1 at Qatar, and actually one of the cheapest tickets on the whole F1 calendar. But it’s well worth it.
In this guide I’ll include some videos showing the view from here, tips on getting the most out of your experience and info on where to get tickets even when they’re sold out elsewhere.
Contents
Qatar GP General Admission - Lusail Hill
The cheapest ticket you can get at the Qatar Grand Prix is a General Admission ticket, which is called the Lusail Hill ticket. This does not get you seats in a grandstand, instead you get access to the Lusail Hill viewing zone which is on the outside of Turn 1.
You can see the location of this viewing area on the map below:
As a General Admission ticket holder, that’s the only place you can actually view the circuit from. You do still get access to all of the Fan Zones, entertainment and concert areas, some of which will have big screens showing the track action.
If you have grandstand tickets you also get access to this viewing area. But not the other way round.
This viewing zone is a grassy banked area with a number of different levels, so the further up you go the higher your viewpoint. Some of the levels are concrete, but most of the places you’ll be able to sit will be grass. One note – there seemed to be quite a few bugs in the grass, so bring a blanket or something to sit on. You are not allowed to bring folding chairs.
There’s no cover over this area, but it’s not going to rain and the sun will be starting to set by the time most of the racing gets going, so that’s not an issue either. It can actually get a bit chilly at night so bring some extra layers to keep warm. Check out my guide on what to wear to the Qatar GP for more info.
As you can see in the image below, there are massive TV screens around this area so it’s easy to keep up with the action, wherever you’re sitting.
General Admission tickets Lusail Circuit
The General Admission tickets are the cheapest way to see the Qatar Grand Prix, so sell out very fast. If that’s the case but you still want tickets, what I do is to buy tickets through ViaGoGo instead. There will be tickets for sale there up until race day, even when they are sold out everywhere else.
Plus, you can choose one-day ticket options through ViaGoGo which you can’t do elsewhere. I usually go for this as they are cheaper, plus it gives you the flexibility to try different grandstands on different days.
I’ve purchased Formula 1 tickets through ViaGoGo loads of times over the last few year. That includes my recent trips to the Canadian, British and Las Vegas Grand Prix, and I’ve always had a good experience.
View
A lot of the General Admission areas at F1 circuits I’ve been to give you very limited views. The Canadian GP I recently went to was one of the worst.
But the view from the Lusail Hill at the Qatar F1 race is a different story. The view from here is fantastic. The view you get of the first corner is better than from any of the grandstands at the track.
To give you an idea of how much of the circuit you can see, on the map below I’ve highlighted the visibile parts of the track in green:
As the GA viewing area curves around the outside of Turn 1, you view will change depending on where you sit. But if you can get a spot directly in line with the start / finish straight, then you can see all the way down to the exit of the final corner Turn 16 in the distance.
So you’ll be able to see the cars starting the race when the lights go out, and then whatever chaos ensues at the first corner you’ll have a great view of. You can see the cars as they head towards Turn 2, and that’s where you lose them out of sight.
This is an example of the fantastic view looking back down the main straight, taken from higher up at the back of the viewing area:
One thing to bear in mind is that the gravel trap on the outside of Turn 1, between the GA viewing area and the circuit, is huge. That means you are actually quite a long way from the circuit:
The videos below show you the view from this area, to give you a bit more of a feel for what you’re likely to see.
This first video was taken from further to the left in the GA area, so you don’t have a view down the main straight, but you can see the cars going towards Turn 2:
This next one is further to the right, directly in line with the main straight, low down at the front:
And this is one also in line with the main straight but higher up, and as you can see from here you have the best view – the whole of the start / finish straight, Turn 1, and of the cars heading in to Turn 2:
Getting to the General Admission area
I’v written a whole seperate guide on getting to the Qatar GP. But if like most of us visiting F1 fans you decide to use the free Metro & shuttle buses, bear in mind that the drop off point for the buses is on the complete other side of the track. From getting off the shuttle bus it’s at least a 35 minute walk to get to the Lusail Hill, so make sure you factor that in to your journey time.
If you are driving and parking, it can still be quite a walk depending on which carpark you end up in.
What time to arrive
As with all General Admission areas at F1 circuits, there’s no reserved seating in this zone. So getting the best view relies on you getting there early and then holding on to your spot all day long.
I’d suggest you aim to get to the track about 30 minutes before gates open on the Sunday of the race weekend, then make a run for the GA area and try and get a spot high up looking directly back down the straight.
If you arrive an hour or two after gates open, expect most of the good spots to be taken on race day. But I’ll be honest, even the ‘bad’ spot aren’t bad, you just don’t get an optimal view.
Is it worth it?
100% yes. General Admission tickets are Qatar are very cheap and although the gravel trap means you’re a little further from the track, the view you get of Turn 1 where the majority of action and overtaking happens at the circuit is arguably better than the view from any grandstand.
