Saudi Arabia’s upcoming F1 track wants to elevate racing, literally

Saudi Arabia’s Qiddiya racing circuit is all sorts of outrageous

The Middle East is home to one of the most impressive racing facilities ever built – the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. But now, it looks like Saudi Arabia is looking to elevate things literally, and figuratively, to the next level.

Saudi Arabia has released digital images of the upcoming Qiddiya racing circuit, and it’s indeed looking straight out of Mario Kart. The track was designed by renowned F1 designer Hermann Tilke, along with the inputs of former F1 driver Alex Wurz.

Located in the brand-new city that’s around 48 km from Riyadh, the F1 track forms part of a new urban complex that follows recent trends set by the Miami and Las Vegas F1 circuits that combine motorsport and entertainment venues in one facility.

Perhaps, the most striking feature of the F1 track is the opening corner called “The Blade” – which will see racers go up and down a 20-storey elevation. Meanwhile, another section sees the track positioned to give drivers a chance to test their speed against the world’s tallest rollercoaster called the Falcon’s Flight.

The rest of the track blends a street circuit-style section that runs through the city's contemporary architecture, while there’s also a fast and open circuit section that runs past entertainment, hospitality, and leisure destinations of the Qiddiya mega city. Along with these unique track features, the track has a total elevation change of 108 meters, promising a wide range of viewpoints in its entirety for motorsports fans to enjoy.

According to the official website of Qiddiya City, the Speed Park Track is ready to host the world’s largest motorsports events, comes with features 80 garages, 21 corners, and 3 possible DRS detection zones for Formula 1 use.

Currently, the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is being held at the Jeddah Corniche Street Circuit, with a contract to host an F1 race until 2027. However, talks are now being made to move to the purpose-built track in Qiddiya as part of the Saudi Vision 2030 initiative.