Qiddiya City partnered with the legendary Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend to showcase its plans to place automotive and motorsport culture at the centre of a brand new Saudi Arabian entertainment, sports and culture hub.
The ambitious Qiddiya City project, which is currently under construction, aims to build on the passion for all-things automotive in the Middle East. It will offer a range of motorsport offerings including the Speed Park Track and the Mercedes-AMG World of Performance.
As part of its partnership with Goodwood, Qiddiya City has been welcoming motorsport legends to the Drivers’ Club Lounge, putting it at the heart of an event that includes the latest road cars and more than 500 vehicles from the past, present and future of motorsport.
There are few better places in the world to explore car culture than Goodwood, with F1 machinery in the Ballroom Paddock, millionaire machines in the Supercar Paddock, the latest prototypes in the First Glance Paddock and timeless classics in the Cartier style et Luxe.
The driver entry list includes a ‘Who’s Who’ of motorsport including seven F1 World Champions – Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell, Mario Andretti, Emerson Fittipaldi, Mika Hakkinen, Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve – set to get behind the wheel.
The famous Hillclimb also welcomes F1 drivers Esteban Ocon, Ollie Bearman and Gabriel Bortoletto as well as former racers from the eras, including Jacky Ickx, Ricardo Patrese, David Coulthard, Karun Chandhok, Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas, among many others.
Qiddiya City at Goodwood Festival of Speed
Photo by: Qiddiya Media
Meanwhile, in front of the legendary Goodwood House, the popular Central Feature this year showcases one of the greatest ever car culture icons, Gordon Murray, with the most amazing F1 and road car creations from his incredible career on display.
The best of motorsport
This year is arguably one of the biggest ever at Goodwood and as an event partner, Qiddiya City is part of the F1 75 celebrations. These feature 28 title-winning F1 cars in action or on static display – including some of F1’s most successful, memorable and interesting machines.
Starting with an Alfa Romeo 158 of the type Giuseppe Farina used to win the first F1 title, it will include cars from famed designers including Colin Chapman’s Lotuses, Gordon Murray’s Brabhams and McLarens and Adrian Newey’s Williams, Leyton House and McLarens.
Beyond the F1 machinery, the range of vehicles on show at Goodwood could not be richer and more eclectic – from some of the legendary pre-war Grand Prix cars right up to Land Rover’s new Rally Raid Defender, which will be in the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia next year.
There will also be a celebration of the late 1995 World Rally Champion Colin McRae, including a run for his title-winning Subaru Impreza 555 amongst a field of WRC cars that covers every era of the sport, all the way up to the Championship’s latest machines.
Touring Cars are represented across the eras too, from John Cleland’s 1995 BTCC-winning Vauxhall Cavalier to a modern Aussie V8 Supercar, while even some of the world’s biggest drifting stars and cars will be hitting the Hill, including ‘Mad Mike’ Whiddett’s Mazda RX-7.
Qiddiya City at Goodwood Festival of Speed
Photo by: Qiddiya Media
When it comes to road cars, the leading marques in the automotive world are all on show, including Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, Aston Martin, Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Bugatti, Lotus and McLaren. Plenty of food for thought, then, if you’re planning a new motorsport city.
Modern marvel in the desert
The valuable car culture insight Qiddiya City has gained through its involvement with Goodwood will feed into the new city project in a modern, high-tech way, creating a unique new motorsport destination with a range of exciting attractions.
F1 is a big part of Qiddiya City’s future plans, but the development is not solely focused on the pinnacle of track racing. Far from it. It aims to encompass all things automotive, including rallying, karting, road cars and all things in between.
Saudi Arabia is already recognised as the modern home of the legendary Dakar Rally and Qiddiya City’s presence at Goodwood aims to gain a deeper understanding of how different forms of motorsport and automotive design drive the passion of the public.
The new city’s attractions will include Mercedes-AMG World of Performance, announced in February, which promises an incredible nine floors of immersive experiences, exhibits and simulators covering the past, present and future of Mercedes-AMG and its F1 team.
Speaking at the launch of the project, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team CEO Toto Wolff said: “Qiddiya City is a cornerstone of the ambitious Vision 2030 plans, and it’s set to become a unique motorsport destination like no other.”
Qiddiya City at Goodwood Festival of Speed
Photo by: Qiddiya Media
The state-of-the-art Mercedes-AMG venue will sit alongside the Qiddiya Speed Park Track, a 21-turn circuit that will combine some of the most iconic corners from tracks around the world and is being developed by ex-F1 driver Alex Wurz and circuit designer Hermann Tilke.
From the ground up
The most incredible thing about Qiddiya City is that it started from a blank sheet of paper and a desert escarpment. At its heart is a desire to take motorsport and automotive culture from around the world and step it up to another level.
Visitors to Goodwood will be introduced to the pioneering project through information and displays and Managing Director Abdullah Aldawood described its attendance as “a unique opportunity to engage with leading global automotive brands and motorsport communities.”
The entire philosophy of Qiddiya City project is based on the ‘Power of Play’ which promises to use entertainment, sports and culture to enhance the quality of life for visitors and residents in the region.
The game-changing destination, which also sponsors the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and the Autosport Awards, is currently under construction in the heart of the Tuwaiq Mountains, just 40 minutes from the capital of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh.
Once complete, it aims to house over half a million people, with an urban plan that includes distinct, fully serviced districts, spanning the spectrum from healthcare to education offerings alongside the entertainment, sports and culture areas.
In all, the first city built for play will include 27 attractions and 12 theme parks, with 275 rides and 43 international sports and Esports facilities and venues. If the motorsport world thought F1 in Las Vegas was another level, just wait until it arrives in Qiddiya City.
Qiddiya City at Goodwood Festival of Speed
Photo by: Qiddiya Media
In this article
Be the first to know and subscribe for real-time news email updates on these topics
Subscribe to news alerts
Read the full article here
