Qiddiya’s most absurd piece of racetrack is starting to look less like a rendering and more like a very large and successful construction project. New images taken this month and posted to X by motorsport analyst, presenter and commentator Ahmed Baokbah show the elevated Turn 1 structure, nicknamed the Blade, taking shape above the Saudi Arabian desert.
The structure looks well on the way to being finished, something the construction will be very pleased with considering the disbelief in the project by fans. Qiddiya and contractor UNIMAC describe the project as active, but neither had confirmed their total progress.
Qiddiya’s Speed Park Track materials credit former Formula 1racer Alexander Wurz and designer Hermann Tilke with creating the Blade, a 70-metre structure exceeding 20 storeys. Qiddiya describes it as the first cantilevered racetrack section of its kind, while the company’s Abdullah Aldawood says, “The Speed Park Track will be a true embodiment of Qiddiya’s power of play philosophy.”
Also posted was a hazy daytime aerial construction photograph beside a night rendering of the finished structure. The concept shows a huge projecting canopy, colorful lighting beneath it, fireworks, and the words “Qiddiya Music Festival.”
Qiddiya lists 21 corners, 80 garages, an elevation change of 108 metres per lap, and a projected top speed above 325 km/h. UNIMAC says the SAR2 billion, 7.7-km circuit is due to be finished in 2026, with 70,000 seats.
UNIMAC also lists more than 130,000 cubic metres of concrete, 20,000 tonnes of reinforcement steel, more than 5.6 km of retaining walls, nine pedestrian tunnels totaling 559 metres, more than 2.3 km of box culverts, over 20 km of stormwater pipe, and more than 3.2 km of sewage pipework. Its route will mix permanent racing surfaces with public-road portions, weaving among and surrounding Qiddiya’s entertainment venues.
Focus Design Partners says its February 2026 appointment covers construction supervision for a 150,000-square-metre spectator landscape overlooking the circuit and Blade. Construction Review Online reported a four-floor Exclusive Viewing Lounge contract on July 3, 2026, within a wider project estimated at US$500 million.
Qiddiya presents Speed Park as a future Formula 1 and international motorsport venue. Motorsport.com reported a 2028 F1 debut and described the circuit as a long-term replacement for Jeddah Corniche Circuit. Lando Norris said, “It’s what Saudi do, so full respect to them for coming up with some crazy things.” Fernando Alonso added on X: “The proposed new circuit at Qiddiya City looks set to be one of the most impressive facilities for motorsports worldwide.”
The project is still a construction site, but the latest steelwork is a big moment because it now resembles the spectacular concept that made the Blade famous in the first place. Saudi Arabia did not merely draw a racetrack with a dramatic corner. It appears to be building one.
