Roadgrip Motorsport has completed an extraordinary circuit painting project at Lusail International Circuit in Qatar, installing more than 120,000m² of intricate Sadu-inspired artwork ahead of MotoGP.
Working day and night in temperatures reaching 38°C, our team used traditional setting-out techniques and FIM-homologated anti-slip paint to reproduce the complex geometric patterns across the circuit’s run-off areas, edge lines and pit lane.
The result is a spectacular combination of traditional Qatari culture and modern motorsport engineering.
Sadu is a traditional Bedouin weaving technique with deep roots across the Arabian Peninsula. Its distinctive geometric patterns, including diamonds, triangles and repeated linear motifs, have historically decorated tents, furnishings and textiles.
At Lusail, these designs have been translated onto the circuit itself, using an extensive palette of colours to create patterns that reflect the region’s cultural heritage.
Despite the scale and complexity of the artwork, our team relied on traditional setting-out techniques to transfer the designs onto the track.
Using measured reference points, string lines and carefully marked boundaries, the crew established the position of each geometric element before applying the paint.
With repeated patterns, accuracy is particularly important. A slight deviation in one section can affect the alignment of everything that follows, especially where the designs continue around bends or meet other painted areas.
The work required close attention to angles, spacing and colour boundaries, ensuring the intricate artwork remained consistent across the run-offs, edge lines and pit lane.
At a motorcycle racing circuit, painted surfaces must satisfy strict safety requirements.
Roadgrip used FIM-homologated anti-slip paint throughout the project, providing the grip characteristics required for motorcycle racing while accommodating the full range of colours specified in the designs.
Painting more than 120,000m² is a substantial undertaking in any environment. At Lusail, temperatures reached 38°C, placing additional demands on both the crew and the application process.
Our team worked around the clock, with day and night shifts progressing through the extensive programme.
High temperatures required careful consideration of surface and coating conditions, while night working demanded accurate setting out and painting under artificial lighting.
The completed area is equivalent to almost 17 full-sized football pitches, much of it made up of individually defined shapes and multiple colours rather than straightforward blocks of paint.
Lusail International Circuit is famous for its floodlit racing, but its Sadu-inspired artwork gives the venue another defining feature.
For Roadgrip Motorsport, the project brought together skilled manual setting out, specialist motorcycle racing coatings and the ability to deliver a complex painting programme under challenging conditions.
Learn more about our track painting and track preparation at Roadgrip Motorsport
