According to the chairman of the country’s Motorsports Federation, teams owned by Saudi Arabians can quickly be on the card based on the growth that Formula 1 shows.
The impact of Saudi Arabia in Formula 1 has increased significantly in recent years, with the Jeddah Grand Prix taking part in the calendar in 2021, and a new Qiddiya truck is currently under construction. Aramco is also a global partner of F1, the title partner of Aston Martin. This is because Aston Martin Lagonda is about to offload the stock, so the ownership shares currently on sale are on sale.
Given the fact that the latest Concorde agreement allows 12 teams and that Cadillac entries in 2026 will get a maximum of 11 numbers, there will be slots in the grid for the acquisition of new teams or existing constructors.
“I mean, that could happen,” Prince Khalid bin Sultan al-Abdullah al-Faisal said. “First of all, if you see growth, it can happen quickly. If you’re buying a Formula 1 team, especially if it’s purchased by one of the PIF (public investment fund) companies, you’ll buy it to buy it.
“So we see there are a lot of things, but now F1 is reaching a new market and sales are rising globally. We saw the partnership between Aramco and Aston Martin. So, all directions are, if Saudi Arabia is capable of doing it, why doesn’t it make sense, or not?
“No one makes money, so if you can make money from Formula 1, I think it’s very tricky. You need to know exactly which team you buy, who you partner with, and who will manage this.
“It’s very difficult because I think Formula 1 is going to be very competitive and there will be a lot of changes in regulations. In 2026, it will be very difficult to discuss Formula 1’s return to a V10 engine (a naturally aspirated engine).
“It’s not easy to say which teams to buy and how to manage them. But we have a lot of interest. They are sponsoring. They are holding Formula 1 races.
“And personally I would like to meet a Saudi team, but if Saudi Arabia or one of the Saudi companies is involved in one of the teams, I want them to do it the right way and succeed.
Prince Khalid also hopes that the future Qiddiya circuit will become an additional race alongside existing events in Jeddah, but says that there is no discussion with Formula 1 on that front with its first plan to move the Saudi race to a new venue outside of Riyadh.
“As a country, Saudi Arabia would like to hold two races. Jeddah and Riyadh, they are two different regions and two different markets. And Saudi Arabia is a very large market. But is it viable?
“I know there is a market in Saudi Arabia, but that was something I didn’t think about. Let’s see what demand will be when we move to Riyadh and discuss it if we move to Riyadh.
“But personally I would like to see two races in Saudi Arabia. I know that the US has three races after Las Vegas is introduced. Saudi Arabia is a very big country. So it happens, but it’s too early on about this.”