JEDDAH — The Saudi Automobile & Motorcycle Federation (SAMF) — promoter of the 2021 Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix — has officially begun its official attempt at assembling the world’s largest LEGO brick build of a Formula 1 car Thursday. Prince Saud Bin Abdullah bin Jalawi, advisor to the governor of the Makkah Region and acting governor of Jeddah and Prince Khalid Bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal, chairman of Saudi Automobile & Motorcycle Federation (SAMF), laid the first brick at the downtown activation site located by Jeddah’s Red Sea Mall. The official attempt is being carried out as part of the Kingdom’s celebration of Formula 1’s imminent arrival on the streets of Jeddah in December and to raise vital funds for Ehsan — Saudi Arabia’s focal national charity. Founded in April 2020, Ehsan works across various charitable giving areas in Saudi Arabia to provide social, educational, healthcare, relief, environmental, economic, and technical care. This innovative fundraising initiative also merges perfectly with the Kingdom’s ground-breaking Vision 2030, with the goal of creating a brighter future for everyone living in Saudi Arabia. Today marks the official start date of the construction which is expected to take one week to complete before it can be officially certified as the world’s largest LEGO brick build of a Formula 1 car on the Sept. 23 — Saudi Arabia’s 91st National Day. The construction itself will be carried out by LEGO certified professionals. Guinness World Record representatives will record and certify the record via livestream on the final day, confirming the newest race in F1 as an official record holder once the final brick has been placed by Prince Khalid. It is estimated that over 500,000 LEGO bricks will be used to construct the car and SAMF is offering the people of Saudi Arabia the opportunity to personally participate in this World Record attempt. By visiting and registering at saudiarabiangp.com/en/lego Formula 1 fans in the Kingdom can ‘purchase’ a brick that will be used to construct the record-breaking LEGO brick build of an F1 car, with each donation going directly — and in full — to Ehsan. Once registered, and with their donation completed, participants’ names will be displayed on a digital screen, enshrining their contribution to this great cause and writing their names in history. The assembly site is located by the Red Sea Mall in downtown Jeddah and SAMF is encouraging everyone to come and support the Official Attempt in person. The site will feature display boards depicting a live percentage bar of the car’s completion status as well as historic F1 race statistics, videos of driver interviews and general Formula 1 content to help educate, engage and excite the people of Jeddah in advance of the pinnacle of motorsport arriving in Saudi Arabia in a few short months. Prince Khalid, chairman of the SAMF, shared his delight at Thursday’s start of the world record attempt, commenting “It is with great satisfaction and pride that we are today launching the construction of the world’s largest LEGO brick build of a Formula 1 car here in beautiful Jeddah! “With the 2021 Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix drawing ever closer, I am overjoyed to launch this activity to build and showcase the largest ever LEGO brick build of an F1 car to the world in anticipation of hosting the pinnacle of motorsport for the first time in December. “It is essential that we leverage the power of this moment to raise vital funds for the Ehsan charity and continue our efforts to create a better future for everyone living in Saudi Arabia. “By laying the first brick I am delighted to set in motion this world record attempt and invite all of Saudi Arabia to join us in building history together — brick by brick! If you have not done so already, please get involved and join us in becoming a part of history!” Tickets for the 2021 Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix are on sale now! Scheduled to make its F1debut on Dec. 3-5, 2021, the 2021 Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix will mark its arrival in style with the newest circuit in the sport estimated to see drivers reach average speeds of 250km/h, making it the fastest street circuit in the world — and in the top five fastest F1 circuits altogether! Indeed, the superstars of F1 are projected to reach top speeds of up to 322km/h as they race towards Turn 27. Featuring no less than 27 corners, the Jeddah Corniche Circuit stretches to 6.175km in length, making it the second longest circuit on the current F1 calendar behind the legendary Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps and the longest street circuit in the sport. Additionally, three consecutive sections of the circuit have been marked out as potential DRS Zones, ensuring plenty of overtaking opportunities for the drivers throughout the race. The fact the race will take place at night under the lights will only add to the amazing atmosphere F1 fans can expect to experience in December. To purchase your ticket to the 2021 Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, visit www.saudiarabiangp.com. — SG