Saudi Arabia to host Formula 1 race in 2021

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Saudi Arabia announced Thursday that it will host the Formula 1 Grand Prix in its Red Sea coastal city of Jeddah in Nov. 2021. (Ministry of Sport)
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Minister of Sport Prince Abdul Aziz bin Turki Al-Faisal announces the race on Thursday. (Supplied)
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Minister of Sport Prince Abdul Aziz bin Turki Al-Faisal announced the race on Thursday. (Supplied)
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Minister of Sport Prince Abdul Aziz bin Turki Al-Faisal announced the race on Thursday. (Supplied)
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Minister of Sport Prince Abdul Aziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, Formula 1 Group CEO Chase Carey and the chairman of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Faisal pose for a photo. (Supplied)
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Updated 12 July 2021
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Saudi Arabia to host Formula 1 race in 2021

  • Prestige event puts Kingdom in driving seat as global sports center, minister says
  • Prince Abdul Aziz: Welcome to Formula 1 and welcome to the champions

LONDON: Saudi Arabia announced on Thursday that it will host a Formula 1 Grand Prix in its Red Sea coastal city of Jeddah in November, 2021.

Announcing the race in a ceremony on the Jeddah waterfront, Minister of Sport Prince Abdul Aziz bin Turki Al-Faisal said that the high-profile event will increase tourist numbers to the Kingdom. 

“Welcome to Formula 1 and welcome to the champions,” Prince Abdul Aziz said.

He said that the race will help the Kingdom become a center for international sporting events. 

“We realize the extent to which the people of Saudi Arabia are keen to always be at the center of the most important sporting and international events, especially that this is the first opportunity to follow Formula 1 races on Saudi land,” the minister said.

“Formula 1 races will be a great opportunity in the future to further promote positive developments in society, provide more options to enrich the life of our community and encourage it to test new experiences,” Prince Abdul Aziz added.

The race will be held in the Kingdom as part of a 15-year partnership between the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation and Formula 1.

The Jeddah Corniche will be the start and end point of the race, and a variety of recreational and cultural events will add to spectators’ enjoyment. 

Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Faisal, chairman of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation, said that the Kingdom is well qualified to host events such as the Formula 1 race.

Saudi Arabia has “learned a lot from hosting the Dakar Rally, the electric Formula E series,” and other sporting events during the past two years, he said.  

The CEO and executive chairman of the Formula 1 Group, Chase Carey, welcomed the announcement. 

“Saudi Arabia is growing tremendously to become a major center for sport in the world, and this is evident through the many international events it had held in past years, and now it will host one of the Formula 1 tours,” Carey said. 

He said the Kingdom “is a very important region for us,” adding that about 70 percent of the Saudi population is under 30.

“That is why we are excited to communicate and interact with them, and enhance their great passion for Formula 1,” the CEO added. 

The Saudi Grand Prix appears on the provisional F1 calendar for 2021 that has been distributed to race teams. It is expected to be the penultimate race of the 2021 season, which will end with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina circuit.

Jeddah will host the Saudi race until a new purpose-built track at Qiddiyah is completed in 2023.

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Man City held by Solanke stunner, Sesko delivers ‘best feeling’ for Man Utd

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Man City held by Solanke stunner, Sesko delivers ‘best feeling’ for Man Utd

  • Solanke’s absence for most of the season due to injury has played a major part in Spurs’ struggles

ONDON: Manchester City’s Premier League title challenge hit a fresh stumbling block as Dominic Solanke’s acrobatic strike salvaged a 2-2 draw for struggling Tottenham on Sunday, while Benjamin Sesko secured another thrilling 3-2 win for Manchester United over Fulham.
City were cruising toward what would have been another damaging defeat for Spurs boss Thomas Frank as they led 2-0 at half-time.
But Solanke scored twice in the second half to leave Pep Guardiola’s men six points adrift of leaders Arsenal.
City have won just one of their six league games in 2026 to allow the Gunners to move closer to a first title in 22 years.
“We haven’t had the consistency to win the games when others were able to do it,” said Guardiola.
Rayan Cherki fired the visitors into an early lead and was only denied a spectacular second by a brilliant Guglielmo Vicario save.
Antoine Semenyo did double City’s advantage before the break to spark uproar from the furious Spurs support at half-time.
However, Tottenham flipped the script in the second period to give Frank some breathing space.
Solanke’s absence for most of the season due to injury has played a major part in Spurs’ struggles.
The England international’s finish from close range halved the deficit before he produced a stunning moment of athleticism to hook the ball past Gianluigi Donnarumma with a scorpion kick.

Sesko rides to Man Utd rescue

A third consecutive win since Michael Carrick took the reins at Old Trafford propelled United back into the top four at the expense of Chelsea and Liverpool.
A week on from a 3-2 win at Arsenal, it was another throwback to United’s glory days during Carrick’s playing career as they snatched victory in dramatic fashion after a Fulham fightback.
Goals from Casemiro and Matheus Cunha either side of half-time put United in command.
Just a second defeat in nine league games dealt a blow to Fulham’s own hopes of European football next season.
The visitors showed plenty of fight as Raul Jimenez’s penalty five minutes from time began a frantic finale before Kevin’s spectacular strike looked to have salvaged a point.
But United went straight down the other end and Sesko spun onto Bruno Fernandes’ pass before blasting into the top corner.
“It’s the best feeling I have to say,” Carrick said.
“Some of the best moments I’ve been part of here, you can dissect performances and there are plusses and not, and then you get a moment of elation and excitement like that.”

Villa’s title dreams fade

To cap a fine day for Arsenal, third-placed Aston Villa were beaten 1-0 at home by 10-man Brentford to remain seven points off the top.
Kevin Schade was sent off for kicking out at Matty Cash on 42 minutes.
But in first-half stoppage time, the Bees took the lead when Dango Ouattara blasted in from a narrow angle.
Villa laid seige to the Brentford goal after the break but lacked the invention to break the visitors down.
Tammy Abraham did have the ball in the net but was denied a debut goal on his return to Villa after a VAR review found the ball had gone out of play in the build-up.
Crystal Palace also failed to make the most of a man advantage in a 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest.
Morgan Gibbs-White’s early strike put Forest in front, but Neco Williams’ decision to punch the ball clear off his own goal-line just before half-time was the break the visitors needed.
Ismaila Sarr netted from the penalty spot after Williams was shown a red card.
However, Palace failed to end their 12-game wait for a win and remain just three points above Forest and nine clear of the bottom three.