A 'science fiction' circuit
On the eve of the last Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, the country was at the center of attention not only for the weekend that still had to take place in Jeddah, but also for a future mega-project linked to the presentation of the new permanent Qiddiya circuit. Unveiled by the CEO of Saudi Motorsport, Martin Whitakertogether with designer Hermann Tilke and former F1 driver Alexander Wurz, the track includes a height difference of 108 meters and 21 curvesthe last of which with slope of up to 70 metres (the equivalent of a 20-storey building), also illuminated with LED lights.
The project will be completed
The construction works on what should become the longest track in the world (with a double layout where MotoGP can also race and with the largest central grandstand in the world) have not yet begun, but the Qiddiya Speed Park is preparing to become the flagship of Saudi Arabia's 'Vision 2030' initiative, replacing Jeddah as the home of the national GP. In an interview with racingnews365.com, Whitaker added an important promise: the circuit, which will involve an expense calculated in half a billion dollarswill not end up forgotten as happened to other circuits such as Greater Noida (India) and Yeongam (South Korea), built at very high costs but quickly forgotten.
“It's definitely happening – Whitaker declared – it's hard right now to say exactly when we will run there. One of the main considerations to remember is that Qiddiya is not just a track, but it's an entire city, like a huge theme park. There are many other sports such as golf, football, motor sports and all the entertainment that goes with it, and then there are residences, shops, hotels. It's all nine yards, a spectacular place. When we talked about it, we always thought of Qiddiya simply as the place where we will host Formula 1 in the future, but in reality it is much more than that. It is also important to consider that when it comes to organizing a Formula 1 race in Qiddiya, everything has to be perfect. You cannot race on a circuit that may be finished but where the surrounding infrastructure is not. Basically, everything has to come together at the same time, which I'm sure will happen.”
Whitaker therefore indicated the project for the circuit and the infrastructure around it, similar to the one presented in the past in South Korea, then abandoned due to excessive costs: “The difference here is Saudi commitment – he added – once they commit to doing something, they follow through. It's happening. There's no going back, they'll make it happen. I came here six years ago and it was a completely different country to what it is today. One of the main objectives of what is called 'Vision 2030' is tourism. Obviously, any country wants to attract tourism. Of course, very few people have had any real exposure to Saudi Arabia. People weren't traveling to Saudi Arabia like they do today, and like they will in four or five years. It is evolving rapidly. Qiddiya is great because we will have another circuit that we can race on. In some ways, we did all the high-level stuff pretty well. We did Formula 1 quite well, as well as Extreme E, Formula E and Dakar Rally. Now we're starting to focus on growing the foundation of the sport here in the Kingdom, and to me that's exciting because we're now starting to produce new race tracks, new karting tracks, new cycle paths, new off-road facilities and we're starting to build academies where young people can come and compete. It's not just about competing – he concluded – it's about acquiring engineers and technicians. We work closely with local universities to ensure these individuals have a potential career path. So that's what we're focusing on as well, and to have another circuit is great and will only help that cause.”
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