“Jeddah not ready in time?”: Concerns arise over the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix as officials are in a race against time to get the circuit ready for Formula 1

Formula 1 is set to make its debut in Saudi Arabia this December, but the construction of the Jeddah Street circuit is far from over.

The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is just five weeks away. However, it seems unlikely that the circuit will be fully completed when the lights go out. Officials from Saudi Arabia said a month ago that they are already ‘working around the clock’ to ensure the race takes place. 

Formula 1 journalist Rosanna Tennant paid a visit to the under-construction circuit recently. Pictures posted on her Instagram story show us that there are still tons of work to do before FP1  on 3rd December.

“It will be a race against the clock to get the track finished in time. They are now working day and night,” a Saudi official said.

silverstone 5 weeks before an f1 race vs jeddah 5 weeks before an f1 race pic.twitter.com/8GdqPuB2zc

— John Warren (@britstappen) October 28, 2021

The circuit in Jeddah is going to be the 2nd longest one in the calendar after Spa-Francorchamps. It’s also expected to be the fastest street circuit in Formula 1.

Saudi officials expect a lot of Formula 1 fans to come from Europe and USA

Khalid bin Faisal Al Saud, the governor of the Makkah province, is very excited about the race. He spoke to the media about what he expected and also defended the high ticketing prices for the event.

Welcome to the fastest street circuit in #F1.

📈 Average speeds of 250km/h+
↪️ 27 corners
🌊 Stunning Red Sea backdrop

This is Jeddah. This is the #SaudiArabianGP. pic.twitter.com/6jD37ZkEkp

— Formula 1 (@F1) March 18, 2021

“We expect a huge turnout, especially from Europe and the United States,” he said. “The Formula 1 project has cost a lot.” “It is standard that the costs should be compensated by ticket sales and other sources. Including advertisements and local sponsors.”

The FIA carries out a track inspection 90 days before a Grand Prix weekend. FP1 in Jeddah is, however, just 36 days away. The governing body of F1 has a big decision to make regarding the Saudi Arabian GP. With the 2021 season coming to a close, they cannot afford to postpone or cancel any more races on the calendar.

Also read: Teams will have to follow a dress code to maintain ‘decency’ during Saudi Arabian GP