New images of construction work on the Qiddiya Speed Park Track in Saudi Arabia have been released. In them, the unique “Blade” corner is starting to take shape. The track will host the Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in 2028.
According to the track’s website, “The 70-meter-high Blade, designed by former F1 driver Alex Wurz and circuit designer Hermann Tilke, is the world’s first elevated racetrack corner, serving as both a striking visual element and a functional apparatus that allows more spectators to see more of the action.”
That’s right. The “Blade” corner will be 20 stories above the ground and will even have a concert hall underneath it.
The designers plan for the track to feature 21 corners running counter-clockwise. The “Blade” will serve as the race course’s first turn. Overall, Qiddiya Speed Park Track will have a total of 108 meters of elevation changes.
The engineers and architects on the project, Tilke, says F1 drivers will reach top speeds of up to 320 km/h (200 mph) during nighttime races in the dark. They also report that the track’s total distance will surpass the current longest F1 track, Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium, making it the longest circuit on the F1 calendar.
Qiddiya Speed Park Track will also boast the world’s largest grandstand and additional observation terraces that “will provide a panoramic view of the race action.”
“I’ve seen the video and the preview, and it looks pretty crazy,” F1 World Champion Lando Norris said about the track in 2024. “It’s what Saudis do, so full respect to them for coming up with some crazy things and trying to make it as cool as what it looks.”