Step behind the scenes of Formula 1: our reporters were at every Grand Prix in 2025, including Qatar. Not just online, but in our magazine, we share our experiences. Part 23 of 24: André Venema on a so-called fly by.
As a journalist, you sometimes receive invitations in Formula 1 that make you think: interesting. Recently, one such invitation landed in my inbox. Qatar Airways, a partner of Formula 1 and the title sponsor of the Qatari GP, wanted to globally unveil the new F1 livery of a Boeing 777 through a fly by for the sprint race on Saturday, with guests on board.
Since I find airplanes to be powerful machines and wanted to see the grid from above, I signed up. The plan was to board, fly to the circuit, and then return to Losail. Or so I thought. The invitation stated the event would last three hours. What turned out? We first circled above Doha for 45 minutes before executing the fly by just two minutes at 125 meters above the circuit.
Wifi
That would have been fine, but unfortunately, from the plane (“everyone sit on the right side for the best view,” the captain said), we couldn’t see the grid. All I saw was a lot of colorful asphalt, artificial lights, and a packed parking lot. Sky Sports reporter Craig Slater was live from the 777 with a cameraman for millions of viewers. “The wifi on board is fantastic,” he laughed.
I must admit: the livery of the aircraft is spectacular. In my opinion, it’s the most beautiful from the series of one-offs that Qatar Airways launches each year. With a bottle of water and a gift (“would you like to take a pajama?”), I headed back to the circuit. I heard from colleagues that the fly by looked impressive from the grid.
