RIRIYAH: Zak Brown, the CEO of McLaren Racing, has praised the Diriyah E-Prix as “first class” ahead of this weekend’s ABB FIA Formula E World Championship race.
The Californian, a professional racing driver before entering motorsport’s business and commercial worlds, is in Saudi Arabia supporting NEOM McLaren Formula E Team drivers Jake Hughes and Sam Bird at the Diriyah E-Prix.
Brown, 52, is relishing rounds two and three of the all-electric Formula E season in Diriyah on Friday and Saturday – where both races take place at night under the lights – and he lauded the Kingdom’s hosting of elite motorsports.
Describing the Diriyah E-Prix as “great” at a pre-race press conference, Brown said: “Everything out here is first class. It’s one of the drivers’ favorites.
“The facilities are great, and I always like when you land at an airport and as soon as you land you know that there’s a race going on. It means you know that the city and the country are fully behind the race.
“As soon as you land at the airport here, you’re seeing Formula E signs – and that’s a good, early indication of how much a territory is getting behind the races it is putting on.”
Brown noted that the Diriyah E-Prix, in its sixth edition this year after the inaugural outing in December 2018, was “very important” as part of Saudi Arabia’s wider ambitions of growing motorsport in the country.
“Just look at what Saudi Arabia has done through different races in different territories – there’s been lots of different fans exposed to different forms of motor racing.
“The race in Diriyah is really well attended, looks great under the lights and represents Saudi Arabia really well,” he added.
The 2024 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship race calendar consists of 16 races, with the opening race of the season having taken place in Mexico earlier this month.
Ian James, team principal of the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team, said: “We are absolutely committed to Formula E. It is very much going on an upward trajectory.
“If you look at the start of the season with the engagement figures we’ve got, that’s really going in the right direction. The calendar is looking strong both in terms of races we’ve had for some time now and some new venues as well. All of that is moving in the right direction.”
McLaren Racing CEO hails Diriyah E-Prix as ‘first class’
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McLaren Racing CEO hails Diriyah E-Prix as ‘first class’
- ‘I like when you land at an airport and as soon as you land you know there’s a race going on. It means the city and the country are fully behind the race’: Zak Brown
- The 2024 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship race calendar consists of 16 races
ABB FIA Formula E World Championship announces rookie free practice session at Jeddah E-Prix
- ‘It’s a crucial next step in fulfilling our commitment to nurturing the next generation of racing talent,’ says chief championship officer
- Teams must nominate driver, allocate race car number 7 days prior to event
JEDDAH: The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship announced on Tuesday a rookie free practice session designed for drivers who have never raced in the championship, as part of the Jeddah E-Prix.
Scheduled for Feb. 13, the 40-minute session will provide experienced racing talent from other motorsport championships valuable track time to discover the new, groundbreaking technology of the Formula E GEN3 Evo car.
Alberto Longo, Formula E’s co-founder and chief championship officer, said: “Following on from the success of our official women’s test in November, we’re thrilled to introduce this dedicated rookie free practice session at the Jeddah E-Prix.
“It’s a crucial next step in fulfilling our commitment to nurturing the next generation of racing talent, including young women.”
The opportunity to drive the cutting-edge GEN3 Evo car will, according to Longo, provide invaluable experience for young drivers, and “we believe it will significantly contribute to developing the future stars of Formula E and motorsport as a whole.”
Pablo Martino, the head of the Formula E Championship, said: “It’s crucial for the FIA to allow drivers to develop their careers through FIA world championships, and the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship has one of the most competitive grids around.”
Teams must nominate a driver and allocate a race car number seven days prior to the event, meaning the lineup will be revealed in the coming weeks.
The initiative follows the successful inaugural women’s test in Madrid, and further emphasizes the dedication of Formula E and the FIA to creating diverse and inclusive pathways for the next generation of racing drivers.
F1 champion Max Verstappen the brightest star missing from stacked field at Rolex 24 of Daytona
- The race that begins Saturday at Daytona International Speedway features 235 of the best drivers in the world representing 31 countries
- Kevin Magnussen, who in December closed his 10-year F1 career for good, has the most recent series experience out of the 14 former F1 drivers entered
DAYTONA BEACH, Florida: The notorious tune “Du du du duh ... Max Verstappen ...” is likely loathed by every racing driver other than the reigning four-time Formula 1 champion.
But if many of those same drivers had their way, the Dutchman would be in Daytona this weekend racing the Rolex 24 and the song that honors his dominance would be blared throughout the infield during his driving stints.
The race that begins Saturday at Daytona International Speedway features 235 of the best drivers in the world representing 31 countries, and while that count includes former F1 drivers, none are currently active in the global series. Kevin Magnussen, who in December closed his 10-year F1 career for good, has the most recent series experience out of the 14 former F1 drivers entered.
He’s joined in Daytona by former Haas F1 teammates Romain Grosjean and Pietro Fittipaldi, Daniil Kvyat, Kamui Kobayashi, Felipe Nasr, Felipe Massa, Sebastien Bourdais, Paul Di Resta, Will Stevens, Brendon Hartley, Jack Aitken, Gianmaria Bruni and Pascal Wehrlein. Current F1 reserve drivers Felipe Drugovich and Frederik Vesti, and Ferrari development driver Arthur Leclerc are also entered.
The field, simply put, is stacked. But when Australian V8 Supercars champion and NASCAR Cup Series rookie Shane van Gisbergen was asked what driver is missing from the race, his answer was a single name: “Max.”
No one even had to ask which Max he was referring to as he echoed the sentiment of Ben Keating, a co-driver on van Gisbergen’s team.
“I’d like to see Max Verstappen come out here and play around with us,” Keating said.
Van Gisbergen said he’d been messaging with Verstappen during Rolex preparation and, “I think he’d be good here.”
Verstappen drove an Acura sports car at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in November ahead of the F1 race there, and has previously indicated he’d someday like to move to endurance racing. He’s an avid SIM racer and the live streams of his sessions draw hundreds of thousands of viewers.
Magnussen predicted Verstappen will eventually make his way to Daytona, in part because “I don’t see him continuing 10 years in F1.”
“He’s a proper racer, so he would do Daytona. Based on all the SIM racing he does and he already has a GT team,” Magnussen added.
Verstappen has previously said his family is planning to form a two-car GT3 team that could compete in series like the GT World Challenge (GTWC) and the idea came from his SIM racing, from 2025 onwards.
“The first step is our own GT3 team and then we’ll see where we end up,” Verstappen previously told Dutch magazine Formule 1. “It would be nice to be able to grow to the highest level in endurance racing.”
GCC rally legends set for iconic reunion in Hail
- Part of 20th anniversary of Hail Toyota International Rally
- Retired drivers from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman will race
JEDDAH: Several retired drivers from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman will participate in a “Legends Rally” as a part of the 20th anniversary celebrations of the Hail Toyota International Rally, which takes place from Jan. 30 to Feb. 1.
The drivers include Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal, chairman of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation and former member of Al-Faisal Racing Team, Qatari champion Saeed Al-Hajri, and Saudi rally champion Abdullah Bakhashab.
Other participants include Saudi rally champion Ahmed Al-Sabban, Omani rally champion Hamad Al-Wahaibi, and Saudi rally driver Farhan Al-Shamri, winner of the first edition of the Hail International Rally.
The event is sponsored by the Saudi motor federation and Jameel Motorsports.
The Hail Toyota International Rally covers the first rounds of several contests including the FIA World Cup for Baja Cross-Country Rallies, Middle East Baja Cup, Saudi Toyota Desert Rally Championship, and FIA World Cup for Baja Cross-Country Rallies for motorcycles.
The local and international drivers competing in the two-day event for cars and motorcycles include world champion Yazeed Al-Rajhi, world champion Juan Cruze Yacopini, Dania Aqeel, Saleh Al-Saif, Maha Al-Hamli, Hamza Bakhashab, Miroslav Zapletal and Abdullah Al-Shaqawi.
Pit Boost to debut at inaugural Jeddah E-Prix on Feb. 14-15
- Feature will showcase EV ultra-fast charging technology, add thrilling new dimension to select Formula E races
- Formula E co-founder says Pit Boost will challenge teams, drivers to make high-stakes decisions under intense pressure
JEDDAH: The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship is set to revolutionize the race-day experience with the launch of Pit Boost, a new feature debuting at the inaugural Jeddah E-Prix at Jeddah Corniche Circuit on Feb. 14-15.
Designed to enhance strategy, unpredictability and fan engagement, Pit Boost will showcase EV ultra-fast charging technology while adding a thrilling new dimension to select Formula E races across Season 11.
Alberto Longo, co-founder and chief championship officer, Formula E, said: “After an extensive testing and simulation process, we’re pleased to finally present this game-changing technology to the world. It marks one of the most ambitious and impactful additions not just to our series, but also to modern-day motorsport.”
Pit Boost will challenge teams and drivers alike to make high-stakes decisions under intense pressure, he added.
“The potential for dramatic overtakes, unexpected twists and human ingenuity will elevate the excitement for our fans, and showcase Formula E and the FIA’s relentless commitment to innovation,” Longo said in a statement on Thursday.
Marek Nawarecki, senior circuit sport director, FIA, said: “This pioneering new feature will add another strategic element to the sport.”
What is Pit Boost?
Pit Boost is an innovative mid-race feature that provides a 10 percent energy increase (3.85 kilowatt-hours) to race cars through a 30-second, 600kW rapid recharge in the pitlane. The mandatory sporting feature — deploying more than double the power of current consumer superchargers — adds another strategic element during select races, with the potential to dramatically alter race outcomes and tactics.
Strategic racing impact
Pit Boost is set to redefine race strategies in Formula E. Drivers and teams will have to weigh the benefits of an energy boost against the risk of losing track position during the pit stop. Choosing the optimal moment for their Pit Boost will be pivotal, introducing heightened stakes and an extra layer of drama to every race.
As the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship continues to lead the charge in advancing electric mobility, Pit Boost highlights the rapid progress in EV charging technology. The innovation addresses one of the key challenges in EV adoption — charging speed and time — and demonstrates Formula E’s unique position as a “race-to-road” technology platform.
F1 drivers could be suspended for swearing or political statements under new rules
- Similar punishments also apply for “political, religious and personal statements or comments notably in violation of the general principle of neutrality promoted by the FIA“
- The standard fine is 10,000 euros but punishments for F1 drivers are multiplied by four
PARIS: Formula 1 drivers could be suspended from racing or lose championship points for swearing or making political statements under new rules from the series’ governing body, the FIA.
That could deepen a rift with the drivers, who criticized the FIA last year after Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc were punished for swearing in FIA news conferences.
These measures published by the FIA on Wednesday apply to “misconduct,” which is defined by the FIA as including both offensive language and physical assault, or for acts deemed to cause “moral injury or loss” to the FIA and auto racing in general.
Similar punishments also apply for “political, religious and personal statements or comments notably in violation of the general principle of neutrality promoted by the FIA” without written approval in advance.
The new regulations are labeled as a “guideline to assist stewards” on punishments and fines starting from 40,000 euros ($41,600) for an F1 driver’s first offense. The standard fine is 10,000 euros but punishments for F1 drivers are multiplied by four.
The suggested fine doubles for a second offense, along with a suspended one-month ban. A third offense within a two-year period carries a proposed fine of 120,000 euros ($125,000) for an F1 driver, a one-month ban and the loss of an unspecified number of championship points.
In cases involving political, religious or personal statements, the FIA regulations also specify the stewards should demand a “public apology and repudiation of comments.”
