Saudi Arabia promises “Qiddiya will not be just a race track but an entire city, a huge theme park”. The new circuit that will host Formula 1 in Saudi Arabia in a few years was unveiled.

Last week, the project for the new circuit that will host Formula 1 in Saudi Arabia in a few years was unveiled. Saudi Motorsport CEO Martin Whitaker assured that the country’s proposed new half-billion-dollar circuit will not become another Formula 1 circuit that is never used for racing.

Construction of the Qiddiya Speed Park has not yet begun, but it will be one of the flagship features of a massive city project destined to become a global entertainment attraction under the country’s “Vision 2030” initiative. The track will feature a 108-meter elevation change, 21 corners, and three DRS zones. Particularly, there will be a 70-meter slope leading to the first corner, known as the “Blade,” which will be illuminated with LED lights.

Formula 1 Moves to Qiddiya

As reported by racingnews365, Saudi Motorsport CEO Martin Whitaker stated: “It’s difficult at this point to say exactly when racing will happen there. One of the main considerations to make is that Qiddiya is not just a racetrack but an entire city, like a huge theme park, in a way. There are many other sports, golf, soccer, motorsports, and all the entertainment that comes with it, and then there are residences, shops, hotels. It’s a spectacular facility. When we talked about it, we always thought of Qiddiya as a place where a Formula 1 race will take place in the future, but it’s actually much more than that.”

“It’s also important to consider that when it comes to hosting a Formula 1 race at Qiddiya, everything must be perfect. You can’t race on a circuit that might be finished but the infrastructure around it isn’t. Essentially, everything has to come together at the same time, and I’m confident it will.”

In the past, the Korean Grand Prix was held in Mokpo, a city located at the southern end of the country, a four-hour train ride from the capital Seoul. At the time, there was a promise to develop infrastructure around the circuit, but it never materialized due to proposed costs. “The difference in this case will be the commitment of the Saudis,” Whitaker added. “Once they commit to doing something, it’s done. It happens. You can’t go back. They will do it. That’s why Qiddiya is one of these mega-projects being realized in Saudi Arabia.” – he concluded.