FIA WTCC DHL Race of Qatar is unique in terms of other World Touring Car Championship events with both races taking place under floodlights. Leading privateer Tom Coronel is your guide to the 5.380-kilometre Losail International Circuit.
“We’re doing 245kph when we approach Turn 1, a third-gear corner with two points. Firstly it has a very soft banking but it’s also a good point for out-braking because you can run very deep into the corner and I am the type of guy that likes to do that.
“From Turn 1 you change up to fourth gear for a very short straight to Turn 2, which is taken in third gear at 110kph. Apart from being a left-hander, Turn 2 is nearly the same as Turn 1. If you go deep into Turn 1, there’s a possibility you can out-brake the car in front into Turn 2, especially in the opening laps when there is a lot of defending going on.
“The exit of Turn 3 is important because Turn 3 is easy-flat and then you have a straight before Turn 4. However, if you don’t line the car up enough you get very light wheelspin in Turn 3 and you work the tyres more.
“You approach Turn 4 at 220kph in fourth gear and basically you try to make Turn 4 and 5 in one swing. If your car doesn’t have good balance there then you are in deep trouble but if you brake a little too late into Turn 4 you destroy completely the exit of Turn 4 and also the entry of Turn 5. There’s also a big run-off area between Turn 4 and 5 and I remember a lot of people went wide there last year.
“Turn 6 is a very tight left-hander taken in second gear where it’s possible to get a lot of wheelspin. It’s the opposite case for Turn 7, which is taken in fourth gear. After Turn 8, which is not really a corner, you a very fast through Turn 9, fifth gear at 190kph before the hard-braking for Turn 10.
“It’s important not to go over the kerb exiting Turn 9 because you’ll also destroy your exit from Turn 10, which is one of the most important corners for avoiding wheelspin on the exit. It’s quite a slow corner, third gear at 110kph.
“Turn 11 is easy-flat in fifth gear. You enter at 230 and the mid-corner speed is 180 so it’s really, really fast. You accelerate a little bit between T12 and T13 and you go back to fourth gear all the way through Turn 15 where I remember having a few oversteer moments on the kerbs at T15, which is taken at 160kph. This was eating up the power and traction and generally upsetting the car. If you get a little wobble here then it’s very easy for somebody to overtake you on the inside of Turn 16, which you approach at 210kph, where it’s really important to get a nice, clean exit with no wheelspin. And if you get a good exit then there is a possibility to make a pass at Turn 1 by diving down the inside.”