Saudi Arabia would welcome the idea of hosting two Formula 1 grands prix. Over the last few days, the local government’s sports minister, Abdulaziz Bin Turki Al-Faisal, has explicitly made it known that the intention would be to host two Formula 1 races in the same season.
The Middle Eastern country currently hosts the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at the Jeddah city track, but is considered an interim measure pending completion of the new state-of-the-art facility in Qiddiya, which is located near Riyadh.
However, the Qiddiya megaproject will be ready in 2026, so Jeddah will continue to host Formula 1 for another three seasons. The minister of sport, however, has made no secret of having the intention of also keeping Jeddah once the new permanent track is ready.
“If we had the opportunity, we certainly wouldn’t say no. We see the benefits of these events for our country, and that’s why we invest so much. We could certainly host two races already for this reason, but I believe it is something we need to discuss with Formula 1 and see how it goes. But I can say that we would certainly love to have two Grands Prix in one season.” – the former Saudi racing driver and businessman explained.
Over the past few years, the Jeddah circuit has been improved thanks to large investments. Precisely for this reason the owners want to be able to keep it running. If the hopes of having an F1 GP were to be rejected, the solution could lead to alternating the venue for the grand prix: “It has already happened in Germany, between Nurburgring and Hockenheim. So it could be an option for us too,” said Abdulaziz Bin Turki Al-Faisal.
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Regarding the new Qiddiya circuit, minister of sports added: “It will be an iconic venue for an F1 race, there will also be an adjacent theme park. Qiddiya is a huge project, we hope they can finish it on time. The track should be finished according to the team’s expectations. If so, the idea is to transfer the grand prix to the new venue. What is certain is that MotoGP will race in Qiddiya. In Jeddah the motorcycles could not run for sure. It [Qaddiya] will be an iconic place to have an F1 race, with a theme park that’s next to it. We think it’s a good transition [from Jeddah], because it’s a totally different environment. So you won’t have two races that are the same in one region: in Jeddah, it’s by the sea. But when you go to the other, it is the desert, it’s more of a different vibe to it” – Abdulaziz Bin Turki Al-Faisal concluded.
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