Saudi Arabia 'doesn't say no' to two races
F1 News
- GPblog.com
Saudi Arabia is keeping open the possibility of delivering two races in the future. The Saudi sports minister confirmed this. A second circuit is currently being built in the Arab country.
Currently, the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix is held at the Jeddah circuit. This was always intended to be a temporary circuit, which should facilitate the race until the new Qiddiya circuit was ready. The intended time for this was initially 2023, but that has since been pushed forward to 2026.
A logical question then is: what should happen to the Jeddah circuit when the new circuit is finished? Saudi sports minister Prince Abdulaziz Bin Turki Al-Faisal has indicated that Saudi Arabia is always open to facilitating two races in a season. "We wouldn't say no!" he responded enthusiastically.
Not the only option for the circuit
Of course, that does not mean it is all in the bag yet, the minister also acknowledged. "I think that is something we need to discuss with Formula 1. But we would certainly like to do that."
It is not the only option for the circuit. Another possibility would be to see which of the two tracks is raced on a season-by-season basis. With an already crowded calendar for next season, there does not seem to be room for a second Grand Prix in the oil state.