The inaugural Saudi Arabia Grand Prix will be held on a 27-corner circuit that organisers say will make it the fastest street track in Formula 1.
F1 announced last year that a street race in Jeddah would be added to the 2021 calendar as the penultimate round on December 5.
Welcome to the fastest street circuit in #F1.
📈 Average speeds of 250km/h+
↪️ 27 corners
🌊 Stunning Red Sea backdropThis is Jeddah. This is the #SaudiArabianGP. pic.twitter.com/6jD37ZkEkp
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 18, 2021
The Saudi GP is a deal that will last for a decade, if not longer, starting with the newly-unveiled temporary circuit before a new purpose-built venue is readied in the coming years.
Jeddah’s track will be based in the Corniche area on the Red Sea and is 3.837 miles in length, making it the longest street circuit in F1 and the second-longest on the calendar, behind only Spa in Belgium.
Organisers say it will result in average speeds of over 155mph, with clear inspiration taken from the Baku street track that holds the Azerbaijan Grand Prix – which has hosted some dramatic F1 races since making its debut in 2016.
F1 has worked closely with its favoured track design company – Herman Tilke’s – and F1 managing director of motorsport Ross Brawn says the Jeddah design “brings out the best of a modern street circuit but also has fast paced free flowing areas that will create fast speeds and overtaking opportunities”.
SAUDI’S HUMAN RIGHTS FOCUS
Despite F1 doing deals with various countries with poor human rights records, Saudi’s grand prix has faced a greater backlash than ever before.
The Saudi race is the latest major event in the country to be accused of being organised to ‘sportswash’ its terrible human rights record.
F1 has referred to the Vision 2030 initiative from the Saudi government, which is a wide-ranging economic and social reform programme that wants to use sport to help create a “vibrant society”.
Vision 2030 is being pursued under the leadership of the Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.
But he is a controversial figure who has implemented various reforms already, including lifting the ban on female drivers, allowing women to attend sporting events, and reducing the state’s male-guardianship system.
The 35-year-old, described as Saudi’s real power behind the throne rather than his father, the king, has also been widely criticised for being an autocratic leader who has not taken his reforms far enough and continues to be strongly linked to the assassination of US journalist Jamal Khashoggi among many other controversies.
Various human rights activists also remain detained after alleged unfair arrests and trials.
So F1 remains under great pressure to prove it is taking the issue seriously – something it is so far yet to do convincingly.
Its own commitment to human rights includes a pledge to “focus our efforts in relation to those areas which are within our own direct influence” but the championship has been urged by human rights groups to recognise that countries hosting grands prix fall within that responsibility.
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch remain extremely critical of MBS, as he is globally referred to, and the Saudi regime, and have warned F1 and governing body the FIA that without the proper action they risk enabling a cynical strategy to distract from major problems with high-profile events.
Drivers and teams have been urged to brief themselves on the country’s record and speak out in support of jailed activists.
F1 said in a statement last year: “For decades F1 has worked hard to be a positive force everywhere it races, including economic, social and cultural benefits.
“Sports like F1 are uniquely positioned to cross borders and cultures to bring countries and communities together to share the passion and excitement of incredible competition and achievement.
“We take our responsibilities very seriously and have made our position on human rights and other issues clear to all our partners and host countries who commit to respect human rights in the way their events are hosted and delivered.”
