Dozens of Formula 1 personnel and fans travelling to the Qatar Grand Prix have been told, in some cases just 48 hours before arrival, that their hotel bookings in Doha will not be honoured, after several properties were reportedly commandeered for a “high-level government event”.
Guests booked into the 5-star Fairmont Doha are among those being informed that their reservations have been cancelled and that they will be moved to alternative accommodation further from Lusail International Circuit. A number of teams, journalists and travelling supporters have been notified with little explanation and no opportunity to contest the change.
Several guests say they were advised that the hotel could “no longer accommodate” them and that the decision was final. With flights booked and the race weekend imminent, many have expressed frustration at being relocated at such short notice.
A spokesperson for the Aston Martin F1 team’s media department said the situation was unacceptable: “Having to change hotels this close to a race weekend, and just hours before we board our plane, is a simply unacceptable situation to be finding ourselves in.”
The disruption comes as Doha prepares for one of its busiest sporting weekends of the year. The late reassignments are likely to cause logistical headaches for teams and fans already facing high travel and accommodation costs during the peak event period.
Qatar has not yet commented publicly on which government event has prompted the reallocation of hotel capacity.