Qiddiya’s F1 circuit is starting to look real
Fresh images have surfaced showing construction progress at the Qiddiya Speed Park Track, the Saudi Arabian circuit that is expected to join the Formula 1 calendar from 2028. The project is part of the wider Qiddiya megaproject backed by the Saudi Arabian government, and yes, it is still very much under construction.
Plans for the circuit were unveiled two years ago. While Jeddah has hosted Formula 1 in Saudi Arabia since 2021, Qiddiya is aiming to take over as the country’s headline F1 venue in the near future.
A long circuit with an even more dramatic first corner
The track has been designed by Herman Tilke and Alexander Wurz and will feature 21 corners. When it is finished, it will replace Spa-Francorchamps as the longest circuit on the Formula 1 calendar.
Construction on the circuit began in 2024 and is expected to cost around $480 million. But the detail grabbing most of the attention is not the price tag. It is the first corner.
Called The Blade, the opening turn is planned to sit above a concert hall and is expected to rise more than 70 metres, or around 20 stories, with a 10-degree gradient. Because apparently a standard first corner was not nearly dramatic enough.
More of the track is now visible
The newly shared photos show how far along work has progressed on The Blade, along with an aerial view of the Hotel Section, the narrow, winding stretch that runs between hotel complexes, as the name rather helpfully suggests.
The circuit is still a work in progress, but it is already clear that Qiddiya is building a track designed to stand out, even in a sport that is not exactly short on spectacle.
