Saudi Arabia wants its own Formula 1 team, says country’s motorsport chief
Saudi Arabia’s motorsport chief has entertained the idea of a Formula 1 team owned by the Middle Eastern Kingdom in the future.
Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal, chairman Saudi Motorsport Company, said the commercial history between the country and Formula 1 lends itself to the country owning a team.
“We have a lot of history with motorsport as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was the first Middle East country to be involved in Formula 1,” he said.
Saudi Arabia influence
“It dates back to the sponsorship deal with Williams in 1978. I was really proud to see my country and the name of a company from Saudi Arabia in such a prestigious, international event such as Formula 1.
“This legacy that has taken us to hosting a race may one day expand to us having our own Saudi F1 team.
“Today we see many more Saudi companies partnering with F1 and teams such as Aramco and Aston Martin and NEOM and McLaren so I expect our relationship to grow and play a bigger role in the future.”
This year’s season begins next month in the Middle Eastern island nation of Bahrain and the calendar will return to the region a further three times on the 2023 calendar – Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
“We would also like a Saudi champion, a driver who is capable of winning an international racing competition,” his royal highness added. “We are really enthusiastic about motorsport and have big plans and we want to contribute by having a big role in the future of the sport.
“Hopefully in 10 to 20 years from now you will see Saudi Arabia and Saudi companies and more people engaged globally with Formula 1.”