Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal, chairman of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation, recently confirmed that the idea of Saudi Arabia owning an F1 team is very much on the table, describing it as something he would personally like to see happen in the near future.

Prince Khalid, quoted by Motorsport.com, said: “Personally, I would like to see a Saudi team. But if Saudi Arabia or one of the Saudi companies will be involved in one of the teams, I would like them to do it the right way and be successful. It’s a tricky question, but why not?”

The kingdom has already invested heavily in global motorsport, with major state-backed companies like Aramco and Ma’aden sponsoring teams such as Aston Martin, and the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) holding interests in Formula E.

Now, with one or two F1 teams possibly up for sale and a 12-team limit on the grid, the opportunity for Saudi involvement at team level is becoming increasingly realistic.

“There is a space available,” Prince Khalid noted. “There are only 11 out of 12, and also potentially one or two teams that might be for sale in the future. I mean, it could happen.”

He admitted that entering F1 isn’t a straightforward process. “If you’re going to buy a Formula 1 team, people will buy it to make money out of it, especially if it’s going to be bought by one of the PIF companies,” he told Reuters.

“We see F1 reaching new markets, sales are globally increasing. But it’s not easy to say which team to buy and how you’re going to manage it.”

Saudi Arabia has already made its presence felt on the F1 calendar, hosting its first Grand Prix in 2021 and now working on a brand-new circuit in Qiddiya, which is expected to eventually take over from Jeddah. Looking to the future, the kingdom is also hoping to host the season opener.

“This is something that we would like to have,” Prince Khalid said. “But I know that Formula 1 has commitments. Sometimes it’s easier for Bahrain to open the season because of testing. But ideally for us, next year, we would like to be race one or race two.”

He added that an early slot in the calendar suits both the weather and the local audience. “Even in terms of sales, for us here in Saudi, the beginning of the season is better,” he said. “People are more excited. The weather is perfect, and it brings more attention.”