This weekend is the inaugural Saudi Arabia Grand Prix at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit and its motorsport chief has said that the country’s Formula One debut will showcase the country and will be a “signal to the world”.
The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was announced back in April 2020. It is the only circuit to be completed in this short amount of time and despite fears that it had yet to be fully constructed, the track is ready for Sunday’s night race.
Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Faisal, president of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation, has said that when the race takes place on time (17:30 GMT on Sunday) it will show the world “who the Saudis are and what the capabilities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are”.
The Jeddah circuit has a coastal backdrop and is the world’s fastest street circuit. Prince Khalid said that they “are comfortable and in a very good situation” as “95 percent” of the circuit is complete.
“The five percent left are simple things, from branding to tree planting and decorations. The circuit is done, the infrastructure is done… everything related to the race is done.”
The Gulf country has faced accusations of sportswashing in the past with claims that they are trying to detract the focus from its human rights record.
The latest is that the fiancée of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was murdered inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, has called for Justin Bieber to not perform at the closing ceremony of the race.
Hatice Cengiz urged Bieber to not perform, saying “Do not sing for the murderers of my beloved Jamal”.
Prince Khalid said the “The one that (polishes) the image of the kingdom is not a singer, but its leadership and people”. The country have undergone reforms in recent years, including lifting the ban on women driving which saw Reema Juffali become the first Saudi female racer.
The debut into Formula One will show a friendlier face of Saudi Arabia. Prince Khalid is expecting 40,000 people to attend this weekend, including 8,000 fans from abroad.
Despite the country’s strict social codes, Prince Khalid has said that “there are no restrictions on dress” but they expect everybody to “respect the place to which they are coming”.
This season has seen an almighty fight for the title with some battles off-track between constructors as well. But this weekend fans could see Max Verstappen win the championship if he comes out on top.
Hamilton is set to reuse his engine that saw him win the Sao Paulo Grand Prix and with the track looking to suit Mercedes better, Verstappen will need to give it his all to finish ahead of the Brit to maintain his lead.
If Hamilton wins the race, and gets the fastest lap, and Verstappen finishes in P2, the championship will all be decided at the last race in Abu Dhabi.
Feature Image Credit: formula1.com