Saudi Arabia aims high: founding a team and hosting the first race on the Formula 1 calendar

Saudi Arabia aims high: founding a team and hosting the first race on the Formula 1 calendar. Saudi Arabia plans for the future: national team and opening race ambitions.

Saudi Arabia is thinking about its future in F1: the possibility of buying (or founding) a team is being evaluated, as well as its position on the calendar

Between the calendar and a national team: Saudi Arabia wants a future increasingly tied to F1. The country, which will host the fifth round of the 2025 championship this week, is becoming more involved in global tourism and commerce. And while a new circuit is under construction—the Qiddiya City track—Prince Khaled bin Sultan Al Faisal is going even further: “Why not have a team of our own?”

Formula 1 continues to grow and attract new investments. The arrival of Audi and Cadillac in 2026 is strengthening a sport that is increasingly global and popular, despite uncertainties surrounding the power units. The goal appears to be continued expansion, with the grid, currently made up of ten teams, already prepared to accommodate an eleventh, and potentially a twelfth.

And while the FIA and Liberty Media might welcome a new constructor, perhaps from China, the solution could also come from Saudi Arabia. On the eve of the fourth Grand Prix in Jeddah, scheduled for Sunday, April 20, Prince Khaled bin Sultan Al Faisal, President of the Saudi Motorsport Federation, is opening up to a future increasingly at the center of the Circus.

A Saudi team and the opening race of the calendar
He was asked the question directly during a recent interview, as reported by SoyMotor.com: could it be possible, in the future, for Saudi Arabia to buy or found its own Formula 1 team? The response was clear: “Why not?”

“I mean, there’s space on the grid,” he then commented to motorsport.com. “There are only eleven out of a possible twelve teams… And one or two of those might be up for sale in the future. It could happen. In any case, it’s very complex: you need to know exactly what to invest in, who to make deals with, who to put in charge. The decision won’t be easy.”

“In any case, we are certainly interested. We already have a Grand Prix and sponsor some teams. I wouldn’t be surprised if a Saudi team was announced; I’d like that. We’d also like to be the opening race of the season. Ideally, starting next year, we’d be at the beginning of the championship. Maybe the first or second race, when people are really excited.”