Dutch Claire Dubbelman was deputy race director in Formula 1 until last year. Since 2026, however, she has been working for the national motorsport federation of Saudi Arabia. As a result, Dubbelman has also become involved in the construction of the impressive new Qiddiya Speed Park Track near Riyadh. In the FORMULE 1 Paddockpraat podcast, she explains that the Saudis are making the ‘unimaginable’ possible in the desert.
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The main attraction in Qiddiya is set to be the first corner. Impression images show how the asphalt here extends over a building. “The special thing about Qiddiya is actually mainly turn one,” Dubbelman explains. “They call it the Blade corner, because from above it has the shape of a Saudi sword. After all, that is a traditional symbol within Saudi culture. And yes, that corner goes seventy meters into the air. A building will be placed underneath it, the purpose of which is not yet entirely clear.” Dubbelman mentions that it might be used as a shopping mall.
But that’s not all: “A music park is also being built around the first corner,” she explains. “The circuit has a number of aspects that make it very special; the world has never seen anything like it.” For example, the Six Flags theme park in Qiddiya opened its doors in December. The park, which features the fastest roller coaster in the world, is located right next to the circuit.
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Unimaginable
Video impressions of what the Qiddiya Speed Park Track should eventually look like sometimes look more like a video game than an actual race track. This led to many skeptical reactions. Nevertheless, Dubbelman assures that the Saudis are determined to deliver an unimaginable circuit. “They only want the best of the best,” she emphasizes. “Everything that initially seems unimaginable, that’s exactly what they go for. It results in a circuit with a number of unique aspects, and for the sport, that is extremely interesting.”
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