It’s superb what you are able to do when your nation is dwelling to the third most precious pure useful resource reserve on the planet. Simply this 12 months, Saudi Arabia has tried to coax F1 groups out to the Center East, confirmed it’ll be a fixture on the F1 calendar for at the very least the remainder of the last decade and now teased a plan to attempt to purchase all the rattling sport.
The newest growth in Saudi Arabia’s gradual takeover of top-tier motorsport got here to gentle in a brand new report from Bloomberg. In keeping with the positioning, the nation’s sovereign wealth fund tried to purchase Method 1 from its present house owners, Liberty Media, for “nicely above $20 billion.”
Saudi Arabia has reportedly spent greater than $1.5 billion investing in varied sports activities franchises lately. In keeping with a report from human rights group Grant Liberty, the nation has backed every thing from chess and golf to tennis and horse racing in an try and “wash over” its poor human rights document.
To this point, the nation has additionally plowed greater than $600 million into top-tier motorsport, with the Method 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix being a fixture on the game’s calendar till 2030. To this point, this has seen F1 host two occasions within the nation with a 3rd on the Jeddah Corniche circuit on the calendar for 2023.
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Now, the nation is looking to up its ties to motorsport. According to Bloomberg, Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund “considered an attempt” to purchase F1 outright from its current owners, Liberty Media. The deal valued the sport at “well above $20 billion,” which is more than four times the $4.6bn Liberty purchased the game for in 2017. Bloomberg stories:
“A possible deal faltered within the early levels final 12 months as F1’s proprietor Liberty Media Corp. was not fascinated with promoting the high-profile franchise, which Saudi Arabia’s Public Funding Fund (PIF) valued at nicely above $20 billion together with debt, the individuals stated.
“The PIF stays within the asset and can be a critical bidder ought to Liberty Media change its thoughts and determine to promote, the individuals stated, asking to not be recognized discussing confidential data.”
The deal is the newest try from Saudi Arabia to attempt to entice F1 out east. Final week, we reported on a transfer from the nation to attempt to persuade groups like McLaren and Aston Martin to maneuver to Saudi Arabia’s new Neom metropolis, which is at the moment underneath building.
However F1 isn’t the one top-tier sport that’s attracting the eye of Saudi Arabia, the nation has additionally plowed funds into English Premier League soccer membership Newcastle United FC and hosted main boxing meets.