Foreign
Saudi Arabia open to hosting two F1 races per season
Two tracks under construction
The Saudi Automobile & Motorcycle Federation has said that Saudi Arabia is open to the possibility of hosting two Formula One races per season in the future. Saudi Arabia is currently preparing for its third running of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and work is already underway on the country’s second F1 circuit in Qiddiya. The Qiddiya circuit is not expected to be ready for racing until 2027, but with two F1 circuits in Saudi Arabia in the future, Prince Khalid said there was the potential for two races per year.
Feasibility factors
The Chairman of the Saudi Automobile & Motorcycle Federation, Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al Faisal, said that having two races in Saudi is “doable” due to the growing popularity of F1 and demand in the country. However, he acknowledged that there are practical and feasible factors that would need to be considered, including if it is practical and feasible for FOM and the teams. Prince Khalid said that despite the challenges, he wouldn’t be surprised if Saudi ended up hosting two races in the near future, as the sport is growing and the demand is increasing.
Two unique venues
Prince Khalid explained that even if Saudi Arabia hosts two races a year, the races will be unique as they will be held at two different venues, Jeddah and Qiddiya, which are in different regions of the country. He also said that discussions were not currently underway with F1 about a second race, but he believes the people in Saudi Arabia would be happy to have a race in both Qiddiya and Jeddah.
Slotting in before Ramadan
Prince Khalid said that due to the religious month of Ramadan, which will run from March 10 to April 8 in 2024, it is likely that either Bahrain or Saudi Arabia will host the opening race of the 2024 season. March is the last time the weather is suitable for races before the hot weather sets in. Prince Khalid said that discussions would need to take place with FOM and the teams before any final decision is made.
Credit: https://www.espn.com/f1/story/_/id/35880663/saudi-arabia-open-idea-hosting-two-f1-races
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