DIRIYAH, SAUDI ARABIA: The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship makes its highly anticipated return to Saudi Arabia with the Diriyah E-Prix next week, and motorsport fans across the Kingdom are gearing up for an epic weekend of electrifying entertainment.
Riyadh’s biggest motorsport event of the year, the Diriyah E-Prix has ignited remarkable nationwide interest in Formula E since 2018 with five successful editions introducing audiences to non-stop action, high-speed thrills, and unmissable excitement.
The event has become a standout fixture in the country’s sporting landscape and its popularity has been a catalyst for improving lives, inspiring communities, and driving progress in line with the Ministry of Sport’s ambitions.
This time around, the Diriyah E-Prix promises a thrilling clash of speed, skill, and strategy as part of its record-extending sixth edition. Back-to-back night races on Jan. 26-27 will provide the ultimate all-electric racing spectacle at the Riyadh Street Circuit with the world’s best drivers all featuring in this supercharged double-header in the dark.
22 drivers aiming for glory in Riyadh with world-class field. (SUPPLIED)
Following on from the 2023/24 season opener in Mexico City last weekend, 22 drivers and 11 teams are making their way to Saudi Arabia with hopes of Diriyah E-Prix success. The stars lining up on the grid and reaching speeds up to 322 kph include defending world champion Jake Dennis. The Englishman finished second in both rounds of the 2023 Diriyah E-Prix and is aiming to go one better with Andretti Global in the early stages of his world title defense.
Another appearing is Pascal Wehrlein. The German won both races in Diriyah last season and returns to the scene of one of greatest triumphs alongside TAG Heuer Porsche teammate Antonio Felix da Costa, the 2019/20 world champion who won the first-ever Diriyah E-Prix in 2018/19.
The Portuguese is one of six former world champions racing next week alongside Sebastien Buemi, Lucas di Grassi, Nick de Vries, Stoffel Vandoorne, and two-time champion Jean-Eric Vergne. Last season’s world championship runner-up Nick Cassidy will also be in action as part of Jaguar TCS Racing alongside fellow New Zealander Mitch Evans who finished third in the 2022/23 standings.
Elsewhere on the grid, former Diriyah E-Prix winners Sam Bird and Edoardo Mortara are competing along with Maserati MSG Racing debutant Jehan Daruvala and previous Formula E race winners including Maximilian Gunther, Norman Nato, Oliver Rowland, and Robin Frijns.
With a weekend of supercharged action and electrifying entertainment fast approaching, fans can secure their seats through the FIA Formula E website where grandstand and general admission tickets are available from SAR 100 ($27).
The Diriyah E-Prix races are part of Saudi Arabia’s investment in sport, which aims to inspire its people to pursue active and healthy lifestyles as part of the country’s Vision 2030 cultural transformation.
From its investments in grassroots infrastructure to hosting international events — including motorsport, football, tennis, and boxing — the country’s Ministry of Sport has helped inspire a 48 percent increase in weekly sports participation among the local population. The number of Saudi-based sports federations is also up from 32 in 2015 to 97.
