Saudi Arabia has officially announced the new Qiddiya race track, which will feature a 20-story-high first turn and will host the country’s Formula 1 Grand Prix in the future. The new race track aims to elevate Saudi Arabia to become one of the world’s leading motorsport venues. Situated in the heart of Qiddiya City, the Spead Park design blends functionality, state-of-the-art technology, and a unique customer experience while aiming to host various world’s most prestigious racing events.
Qiddiya City is 45 km from Riyadh and is one of the mega-city development projects of Saudi Vision 2030. Among the Speed Park, the city includes ongoing projects such as the neighboring Six Flags Qiddiya City, Qiddiya Water Theme Park, and Dragon Ball Theme Park. The city plan includes 27 entertainment attractions, 43 sports facilities, and 40 cultural offerings for 160,000 residents. Together, the mega-city plan aims to become one of the world’s leading clusters of tourist attractions inside the natural landscapes of Qiddiya.
The new Speed Park is designed by race drivers for race drives: Formula 1 driver Alex Wurz and German circuit designer Hermann Tilke. The design pushed boundaries for the extreme sport, including 21 corners and offer dramatic views of Qiddiya City while achieving elevation gains of more than 108 meters per lap.
The Speed Park Track has different configurations with two main distinctive sections: a street circuit and a fast open track section that is integrated into the city’s neighboring attractions, combining entertainment, sports, and culture. The circuit aims to blend the strengths of city and stadium racing. Racers will compete on a street section that will pass around many city buildings. At the center of the circuit, there will be the Blade at turn one, an elevated section that dramatically rises more than 20 stories.
The project site will be an attraction point for adrenaline lovers, and different experiences and events will surround the circuit. Some sections of the track will run alongside a water theme park in the city while also the Blade will turn rising above the music venue below, and at the main track on that highest point, the drivers will be racing alongside Falcon’s Flight, the world’s tallest, fastest rollercoaster at the neighboring Six Flags Qiddiya City.
“The Speed Park Track will be a true embodiment of Qiddiya’s power of play philosophy and position Qiddiya City as the home of Saudi motorsport and one of the world’s leading motorsport venues.”
Abdullah Aldawood, Managing Director of Qiddiya Investment Company
The Qiddiya mega city project concept is based on the power of play philosophy, which shows that play is essential for human development, emotional expression, social skills, creativity, and physical health. Based on studies that show the positive effects of recreational activities on society, the city aims to bridge differences between individuals and increase empathy.
