Initial glances at the future of Formula One in Saudi Arabia look like something out of another galaxy.
In fact, fans online have likened the renderings of Qiddiya Speed Park, due for completion in 2027 at a cost of $480m (£360m), to Rainbow Road in the video game Mario Kart. And with a 70m incline at turn one, nicknamed “The Blade”, it’s not actually as outlandish a comparison as it might seem.
Yet as the sport returns to Jeddah Corniche Circuit, the world’s quickest street track, for round five of the 2025 F1 season this weekend, the future of Saudi investment in the pinnacle of world motorsport looks somewhat limitless.
In a recent press call, Saudi Motorsport Company chair Prince Khalid bin Sultan al-Faisal talked in depth about the Qiddiya “megaproject”, currently under construction 30 miles from the capital city of Riyadh. He spoke of Saudi desires to host the first race of the season, even though The Independent understands Australia is the frontrunner to once again stage the season opener in 2026.
And he even mooted the prospect of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) buying an F1 team in the future. “There is a space available,” he said. “There are only 11 out of 12 [possible teams], and also potentially one or two teams that might be for sale in the future.
“I mean, it could happen.”
If Saudi’s pursuits in other sports – most prominently, football, boxing and golf – have taught us anything, the mega-rich Gulf country usually sets out to achieve what it strives for, despite a constant background of sportswashing accusations, given the country’s poor human rights record.
Lewis Hamilton, on the eve of winning the first Saudi race in 2021 while wearing a rainbow helmet, was a vocal critic, insisting he was “not comfortable” racing in a country where a ban on women driving was only lifted in 2018.
Yet another multiple world champion, Sebastian Vettel, was present in Jeddah this week championing his Race4Women event, in which 20 young women competed at a karting track in the city. Saudi are eyeing an uptake in grassroots karting, from a place of near-nothingness a decade ago. It is also noteworthy that the all-women racing series, F1 Academy, is in town this weekend for round two of their 2025 calendar.
One thing is clear: Saudi Arabia has now long maintained a relationship with F1 and the sport’s owners, Liberty Media. It is a partnership which is not going anywhere.
There is a 10-year sponsorship agreement in place with Aramco worth around $450m, which allows the country’s petroleum giant to sponsor billboards and barriers throughout the season. Aramco is also a title sponsor for Aston Martin’s F1 team.
Grand Prix Drivers’ Association chair Alex Wurz has a stake in designing the new 21-turn Qiddiya track and, rather comically on a small laptop prior to last year’s Jeddah race, gave all 20 drivers a sneak preview of a lap around the futuristic circuit.
The holograms for Qiddya are indeed staggering. Yet the current track in Jeddah, an F1 host since 2021 and currently the third longest track on the calendar after Spa and Las Vegas, has raised the obvious prospect of Saudi hosting two races a year. So, could it happen? Rather surprisingly, Prince Khalid was pessimistic, given the calendar’s current congestion.
“I don't think with the [24-race] calendar now it's something possible and we haven't actually discussed this idea between us,” he said.
“We would like to host two races. Jeddah and Riyadh are two different regions and two different markets, and Saudi Arabia is a very big market.
“But is it feasible, given the complicated calendar? We know that we have a market in Saudi Arabia, but it's something that we haven't thought about.”
Customer is King ! Sneak preview for the drivers of the Qiddiya City track - fast, flowing and challenging it is 😍 pic.twitter.com/Qm6H08r2zI
— alex wurz (@alex_wurz) March 9, 2024
Given a swathe of interest from countries such as South Africa, Thailand, Rwanda, Argentina and South Korea in hosting an F1 race, many would argue that another Saudi race should not be top of the sport’s priorities. Appropriately, at this stage, it does not seem to be on the mind of F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali.
Yet Qiddiya will make waves when it first hosts a Saudi race, whether that be in two years or – as seems more likely – in 2029, when surrounding projects such as a state-of-the-art theme park and glass-bottomed swimming pool are completed. In seeing F1 hosting three races in the United States (Miami, Austin and Vegas), it would be unsurprising if Saudi suddenly lets the money do the talking in an attempt to host two races a year in the near future.
On the track, in Jeddah, McLaren have the quickest car, as illustrated by three wins out of four so far this season, and their Australian driver Oscar Piastri is in a terrific run of form, following two grand prix victories in three.
Piastri trails teammate and championship leader Lando Norris by three points heading into this weekend, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen – who refused to entertain speculation about his future on Thursday – in third. Hamilton is currently seventh in the standings, 52 points behind Norris already, but is optimistic that an upturn in results is around the corner, especially in an upgraded Ferrari car.
F1 chief gives update on African GP – with South Africa and Rwanda bidding to host race
Saudi Arabia GP 2025: Start time and how to watch F1 race
Lewis Hamilton in F1 fashion rebuke: ‘Black men have always had to be more excellent’
George Russell would have no issues with Mercedes signing Max Verstappen
F1 2025: Full race schedule for the new season
Lando Norris planning to try new things to get ‘comfortable’ with his McLaren
