Sir David Beckham led a heavyweight Manchester presence at the Qatar Grand Prix as the paddock filled with sporting royalty on a decisive Formula One weekend.
The former England captain has been pictured at the illuminated Lusail International Circuit alongside Rio Ferdinand and Gary Neville, with the trio part of a wider celebrity turnout that also included Steven Gerrard, Maya Jama and Novak Djokovic.
Beckham, who continues to hold commercial links in the region, has travelled to Qatar ahead of the penultimate race of the season, which is expected to attract more than 150,000 spectators across three days, according to reports.
Ferdinand and Neville, long-time visitors to major global sporting events, were seen meeting guests in the paddock as organisers highlighted the Grand Prix’s expanded entertainment footprint across the weekend.
Gerrard, who previously managed in the Gulf, was photographed in the Red Bull garage, adding further Premier League presence to a growing list of high-profile visitors around the circuit.
Djokovic is also in attendance during his off-season break, with social media clips showing the 24-time Grand Slam champion participating in activities around the venue earlier in the week.
Sir David Beckham is one of a number of celebrities to descend on Qatar ahead of the penultimate race of the season
Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand was also spotted at the Lusail International Circuit
The former Red Devils part of a wider celebrity turnout that also included Steven Gerrard, Maya Jama (pictured) and Novak Djokovic
The celebrity arrivals frame a critical moment in the title race, with Oscar Piastri taking pole after Lando Norris made a costly Turn Two mistake during a tense, red flag-disrupted Q3.
Norris admitted he aborted his final effort because of understeer, and he reflected that the error proved decisive as Piastri delivered a clean and composed lap when pressure peaked late in the session.
Piastri then won Saturday’s sprint, tightening the margins and leaving Norris needing to outscore both Piastri and Max Verstappen by narrow amounts to seal a first world championship on Sunday.
Norris leads the standings by 22 points, yet the Briton enters the race amid rising tension following the dramatic double disqualification in Las Vegas, which reshaped the championship picture and renewed pressure on McLaren.
The Norris family travelled to Qatar and watched qualifying with clear anxiety, with father Adam observing that repeated track-limit deletions in Q2 intensified the stress as the session unfolded.
Mother Cisca focused on a book during the closing stages, and the family stressed afterwards that they remained confident the mathematics continued to support Norris despite the pressure surrounding the title run-in.
Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard was pictured in the Red Bull garage ahead of Sunday’s race
Novak Djokovic is also in attendance during his off-season break, with social media clips showing the 24-time Grand Slam champion participating in activities around the venue
McLaren team principal Zak Brown was seen in discussion with Gordon Ramsey on Sunday
Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, endured another difficult qualifying, placing eighteenth after struggling to match Charles Leclerc, extending a challenging stretch during one of his most inconsistent campaigns.
The Grand Prix weekend concludes with a post-race Metallica concert at Lusail Live, according to organisers, who have positioned the show as part of an expanded entertainment programme for race-day spectators.
The championship will then conclude in Abu Dhabi next weekend.
