Out in Saudi Arabia’s Tuwaiq mountains, the place jagged cliffs rise from the desert skyline, one thing actually outstanding is quietly taking form. Often known as the Qiddiya Pace Park, the venue is situated 40 miles southwest of the capital metropolis of Riyadh and, owing to a number of headline-defining options, is about to develop into considered one of Method 1’s most spectacular night time races on the calendar. Designed by former F1 racing driver Alexander Wurz in collaboration with Hermann Tilke, the person accountable for almost each trendy Grand Prix structure, from Yas Marina in Abu Dhabi to the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Houston, the Las Vegas Strip circuit, and lots of extra.
Coming to Qiddiya Metropolis, the $8 billion mega-project is being pitched because the “world’s first metropolis constructed for play.” As soon as completed, it is going to span an space half the scale of Singapore and comprise every little thing from theme parks to live performance halls, sports activities arenas, and a state-of-the-art racing circuit, with claims of quickly changing into the longest within the F1 world. That’s proper, it may quickly be longer than Spa-Francochamps in Belgium, which, for context, has a size of 4.35 miles. With 21 excessive and low-speed corners, banked corners, and 108 meters in elevation adjustments, Qiddiya attracts cues from different iconic venues like Monaco and Suzuka.
However what actually units this circuit aside is its 70-meter-high cantilevered opening nook, aptly dubbed “The Blade”. The monitor will run counterclockwise, and this centerpiece characteristic will twist round curler coasters and stadiums. The trailers and idea footage pack a superb dose of neon-lit, high-octane motion and provides an nearly arcade-racer vibe to the entire setting. With the circuit scheduled for completion in 2027, Method 1 will land right here no sooner than 2028, with quite a bit relying on how quickly the encircling infrastructure comes up. Till then, the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix will keep on the Jeddah Corniche circuit. Past F1, the circuit may also host MotoGP and Method E.
Qiddiya is a key part of Saudi Arabia’s Grand Imaginative and prescient 2030 program, which goals to diversify the native economic system and enhance tourism. The Gulf has already develop into a motorsport stronghold with 4 races within the Center East: Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. Might the dominion host two Grand Prix? Jeddah on the Pink Sea and Qiddiya within the desert? Perhaps. Jeddah’s contract is legitimate till the top of 2030, whereas the desert race is shaping as much as be fairly a spectacle: sooner, flashier, and extra immersive than ever. Watch this house.
Supply: Tilke, Qiddiya