Update: Saudi Arabia‘s Grand Prix has been confirmed for November 2021. It will be the first event in what promises to be a fruitful partnership between Formula 1 organizeers and The Kingdom.
Saudi Arabia’s Grand Prix will be joining the tail-end of the 2021 F1 calendar.
Much like the Monaco and Singapore Grand Prix, The Kingdom’s first Formula One event will be a street race. And will take place in Saudi Arabia’s second-biggest city Jeddah. Ther ace will start and finish on the corniche.
His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz Bin Turki AlFaisal Al Saud, the Minister of Sport added: “Saudi Arabia is accelerating forward and the speed, energy, excitement of Formula 1 perfectly reflects the transformational journey the country is on.”
“As we’ve witnessed in recent years our people want to be at the very heart of the biggest moments in live sport and entertainment. And they don’t come any bigger than Formula 1. No matter where in the world it’s held, Formula 1 is an event that brings people together to celebrate an occasion that goes far beyond sport. We look forward to sharing this unique experience and sharing Jeddah with the world. For many Saudis this will be a dream come true.”
The city was previously thought to host the one-off race (with an aim to make it a regular thing) using a purpose-built facility inside the entertainment area of Qiddiya. However, thanks to delays with the project, it make sense to move the course within the city.
“We are excited to welcome Saudi Arabia to Formula 1 for the 2021 season and welcome their announcement following speculation in recent day, ” said Chase Carey, Chairman and CEO of Formula 1.
“The region is hugely important to us and with 70% of the population of Saudi being under thirty we are excited about the potential to reach new fans and bring our existing fans around the world exciting racing from an incredible and historic location.”
This year Saudi Arabia’s Aramco became a chief sponsor of the event, and had naming rights for the Hungarian, Spanish and Eifel grand prix events.
Saudi Arabia currently plays host to a variety of motorsport events, including Formula E – which is held outside of Riyadh. It also hosted this year’s Dakar rally.
Motorsport is already the second most popular sport in Saudi Arabia, behind football.
His Royal Highness Prince Khalid Bin Sultan Al Faisal, President of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation said: “Today is groundbreaking in every sense. I firmly believe the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix will be the biggest sports event hosted in our country’s history and has the potential to change lives, perceptions and reach new audiences and communities like never before. To have the icons of the sport and historic teams race in Saudi in front of young fans and families is truly game-changing.
“We have a rich motorsport heritage but in a short space of time as a federation we’ve earned a strong reputation of delivering world-class international events such as Formula E and the Dakar Rally. As a result, Saudi Arabia is home to literally millions of passionate young fans of motorsport.”
In case you missed it, the Formula 1 in Abu Dhabi this year has been confirmed for Sunday the 13th of December.
The final chapter in what has been a tumultuous Formula 1 season will take place two weeks later than expected due to the coronavirus pandemic. It will be closed to spectators.
Yas Island will host the teams in a safe zone, which is being dubbed the ‘F1 biosphere’. That will make the island in Abu Dhabi one of the largest safe zones in the region.
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