Saudi's Qiddiya F1's Future Racing Marvel

Qiddiya aims to redefine F1’s landscape with an innovative track, marrying leisure and racing in Saudi’s desert.

Since the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was added to the F1 calendar, it has been understood that Jeddah was only a temporary venue, with plans to move to Qiddiya, a permanent circuit being built in a new tourist region.

The location, a natural amphitheater in the desert, was already known. Saudi Arabia is investing in transforming it into a leisure destination, including a Six Flags amusement park and the Qiddiya Speed Park racing circuit.

This initiative is part of the Saudi Vision 2030 project, and previous visuals provided a vague idea of a track winding through this area. Now, the circuit’s layout, designed by former driver and GPDA president Alex Wurz, in collaboration with Hermann Tilke, is clearer.

The exact length of the track is still unknown, but it is revealed to feature 21 turns and offer a dramatic elevation change, with over 100 meters difference between its lowest and highest points.

It will weave through numerous hospitality and hotel structures, offering unique viewing points over the track, such as transparent pools, rather than traditional grandstands, which appear to be limited in number.

However, the circuit’s highlight will be its first turn, a hairpin situated on a 70-meter-high elevated platform surrounded by neon lights, overlooking part of the tourist complex.

This ambitious project, with a promising track design, aims to cast a magical image of Saudi Arabia, potentially reigniting accusations of sportswashing, where the country seeks to enhance its image while distracting from its authoritarian deviations against fundamental freedoms.

No official opening date has been announced, but the arrival of this impressive new circuit is expected between 2027 and 2030.