FORMULA 1 STC SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX 2021: The Drive to A Sustainable Future
Inaugural F1® race in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia sets out actions and goals designed to make it one of the most sustainable events on the calendar
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia – The Saudi Automobile & Motorcycle Federation (SAMF) – Promoter of the FORMULA 1 STC SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX 2021 – today outlined the steps it has taken to date, alongside its future plans, to ensure that the Jeddah Corniche Circuit becomes one of the most sustainable venues on the Formula 1® calendar.
In doing so, it echoes the ambitious sustainability strategy Formula 1® announced in 2019, which aims to ensure all F1® events are sustainable by 2025.
The 6.175km, 27-Turn Jeddah Corniche Circuit is already set to become the world’s newest, fastest and longest street circuit when it makes its official F1® debut this December 3rd -5th. Over and above its spectacular racing potential, the circuit is also proving itself to be an entire sustainability project in its own right.
Regenerating the Lagoon
Before the construction of the circuit and its adjacent infrastructure could even begin, an extensive clean-up and regeneration of the whole lagoon – on which large parts of the track are situated – had to be instigated.
The lagoon regeneration project was divided into two stages. The first started in May 2021, covering a land reclamation area of 20,025 m2, while the second stage covering an area of 3,000 m2 was completed in late October.
The process included the removal of algae and waste and the subsequent installation of a system to purify and treat the water to prevent the future formation and accumulation of algae.
Furthermore, a staggering 162.814 tons of sludge and debris were dredged from the lagoon and divided into separate stocks, with the former treated and recycled while the latter was safely and responsibly disposed of.
The final stage of cleaning involved a process called Bioremediation, which uses micro-organisms or other forms of life to reduce pollution through the biological degradation of pollutants into non-toxic substances.
The project – which covers points 11,14,15,16, and 17 of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals – will be an ongoing concern that will continue well beyond the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
The Race to a Better Tomorrow
During the FORMULA 1 STC SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX 2021 itself, the race promoter has partnered with Etaam, the Saudi Food Bank Association.
All unconsumed food & beverages from the Premium Hospitality, Paddock Club, Premium Suites, the Hospitality Villas as well as the Media Island and Race Control will go to the Saudi Food Bank charity for distribution to those in need.
To avoid further waste, recycling bins will be provided in the fan zones, where waste can be separated. A number of additional sustainability activations and initiatives for the race are in their final planning stages.
A New Circuit for A Brighter Future
Positioned right in the heart of Jeddah’s magnificent Waterfront, the Jeddah Corniche Circuit has been designed and built to serve the city of Jeddah well beyond the F1 race weekend. Indeed, it is a central element of the city’s grand Corniche renovation project.
The brand-new circuit’s infrastructure and design have been built specifically to develop an environmentally friendly space for the city that will add lasting value to the general public. To this end, the aforementioned lagoon regeneration has seen the establishment of a welcome place of respite along the city’s magnificent coastline for locals and tourists alike, in an area where once there was none.
Moreover, an extensive recreational area is being developed along the banks of the Red Sea, extending the popular Corniche walkway even further and populating it with a series of outdoor recreational opportunities for children and adults including new walkways and cycling paths, children’s playgrounds as well as the establishment of family-friendly restaurants, public restrooms, increased parking spaces and much more.
In all elements of this regeneration project, the primary goal is to preserve and enhance the surrounding soil conditions and the local environment to ensure that via the use of sustainable earthworks and landscaping methods, flourishing and biodiverse vegetation is sustained alongside the extensive redevelopment in the area.
In expanding and improving the facilities along the Jeddah Corniche, the FORMULA 1 STC SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX 2021 is proving itself to be a catalyst for positive change for the whole community, helping to build a better city, a better community, a better lifestyle.
