JONATHAN McEVOY: One Saudi race on the F1 calendar is quite enough for now,

Are the Saudi Arabians about to buy Formula One, a subject given fresh impetus by their effective takeover of golf?

My inquiries tell me that the US-based media conglomerate Liberty Media who own grand prix racing are not ready to sell, and that they wouldn’t want to cast the sport off to that region even for many billions. Never say never, mind.

Another roadblock is that FIA president Mohammed bin Sulayem is from the United Arab Emirates and such a move would encounter opposition on that front. He was certainly very exercised when the idea was mooted a few months back.

In January, Bin Sulayem said: ‘As the custodians of motorsport, the FIA, as a non-profit organisation, is cautious about alleged inflated price tags of $20billion being put on F1.

‘Any potential buyer is advised to apply common sense, consider the greater good of the sport and come with a clear, sustainable plan — not just a lot of money.

The Saudi Arabians would love to host two F1 races – one in Jeddah and one in Qiddiya

A Saudi takeover could face opposition from FIA president Mohammed bin Sulayem (right) 

‘It is our duty to consider what the future impact will be for promoters in terms of increased hosting fees and other commercial costs, and any adverse impact it could have on fans.’

Those comments met with an immediate stamping of feet at the HQ of F1 Group, the people led by Stefano Domenicali, who run the sport for Liberty Media, saying it was for them to conduct commercial talks, not the head of the governing body, who are ‘merely’ the rule-makers.

Does all this back and forth leave a door ajar?

Well, the Saudi Arabians would love to host a second race, one in Jeddah and one in Qiddiya. At the moment such a notion is not under consideration in F1 circles, I am told.

My own long-held view is that sport can help advance changes in what we consider to be despotic regimes. It takes time, but sport can be a force for good.

Whatever Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel think, you cannot wave a magic wand and have western-style democracy imposed on states that are unsuited to such outlooks.

Democracy is not about holding elections alone. It is about institutions, and checks and balances. About open universities, freedom of speech, a challenging press. These wonderful things take years to develop.

If rushed through in some idealised world, you end up with sectarianism and instability. And perhaps we should respect the cultures, predominantly born of religion, that exist elsewhere, however hang ’em and flog ’em their ways appear to our more liberal eyes. But all that said, I wouldn’t want Formula One in Saudi Arabian hands. Or a second race that made the locality a hub of Formula One.

A single race there is both financially advantageous to Liberty, and serves to nudge hard-line Muslims in the direction of the sort of modernising that most of us in this part of the world would want.

Vocal Steiner needs to stick to his guns 

Guenther Steiner…