Duplantis and Biles win Laureus World Sports Awards

Jeddah: While Oscar Piestri de McLaren lifted the winner’s trophy on Sunday night, the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix marked a milestone that goes far beyond the checkered flag.

With its fifth edition concluded, Jeddah is now not just another Grand Prize for racing fans; It is the fastest and most long street circuit in the world in the history of Formula 1.

In just five years, the kingdom has turned its coastal circuit into one of the most commented stops in the Formula 1 calendar.

This anniversary is not only a celebration of fast cars and exciting races, but also a will to search for the kingdom or global sports recognition.

As the roar of the engines vanished in silence and the stands emptied, the importance of this career in the sports history of the kingdom just begins to sink.

Few know the background history and how a series of movements outside the track, quiet negotiations and long -term ambitions brought the sport to the land of Saudi Arabias.

Before the first engine accelerated in 2021, the wheels had already been launched.

Secret thrust behind the Grand Prize

Long before the first roar of the cars of Formula 1 resonated along the Jeddah’s Red Sea coast, the idea of ​​bringing the fastest sport in the world to Saudi Arabia was gaining traction in several Riad joint rooms.

It was not only motoring, it was a calculated movement linked to Vision 2030: diversifying the economy of the kingdom, raising its global image and placing Saudi Arabia as a serious player in international sports.

The agreement was not public at the beginning. The whispers began to be heard in early 2018, shortly after Saudi Arabia obtained rights to organize the fully electrical formula in Diriyah.

That event was seen as a trial, a soft launch to the Global Motorsport. Behind the scene, the Saudi Cars and Motorcycles Federation and the Ministry of Sports Begen the mapping of a larger ambition: ensure formula 1.

The official announcement occurred in November 2020, duration of the Covid-19 pandemic, a bold movement that even surprised some experts in the world of careers.

The critics questioned the moment, but for the kingdom, this was the perfect moment.

Strategic movement to choose Jeddah

The decision to organize the career in Jeddah, and not the capital, raised his eyebrows. But the logic was simple. Jeddah, a historic port, was experiencing a visual transformation.

Placing the circuit along the cornica, with the bright red sea as a backdrop, created a visual show that less formula 1 circuits could coincide.

But there were more at stake. Jeddah is the commercial heart of Saudi Arabia, a cosmopolitan city and a symbol of the new identity of Saudi Arabia.

The kingdom was not only throwing a career, but changed the name of the world, and Jeddah became the face of that campaign.

And then the design came: the fastest street circuit in the history of Formula 1.

Designed by Carsten Tilke, son of the renowned circuit designer Hermann Tilke, Jeddah presented 27 shifts and high -speed lines, challenging the pilots so that no other urban race has had.

5 years of speed, statistics, surprises, highlights

Since its debut in December 2021, the Grandbia de Saudi Grand Prix has forged its own identity.

The fastest street race: it is one of the fastest in the calendar, with cars with an average of more than 250 kph. In 2021, Lewis Hamilton recorded the fastest average qualification return in the circuit.

The second longest: 6,174 km, is one of the longest circuits in the world.

Most shifts at age 27: most of the tracks of the Grand Prix have from 14 to 20, but Jeddah has 27 corners, with blind curves and apex, which makes it technically demanding.

Built in less than eight months: it was designed and built in less than a year, an incredible feat for a circuit approved by grade FIA ​​1. More than 30,000 tons of asphalt, 600,000 hours of work and thousands of workers were involved.

Historical debuts: The 2021 race was the first Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia, which marked the kingdom as the 34th country in organizing a formula 1 contest.

Dramatic Finises: From the Max Verstappen-Hamilton Showdown in 2021 to the chaotic safety cars and the rebootes of the late race of jaws, the Jeddah circuit never delivered a boring contest.

Global Spotlight: around 140,000 fans attended the race weekend in 2023, with millions more looking worldwide.

But perhaps the most surprising statistics is that it has become one of the five most viewed races worldwide, according to the monitoring of F1 media.

Looking to the future, the futuristic Qiddiya circuit is on the horizon. The new city of entertainment and tourism will become one of the most advanced motoring facilities in the region.

It is a project that promises to combine adrenaline, innovation and entertainment in a way that sport had never seen before.