Following a memorable season opener with the 2023 Mexico City E-Prix on 14 January, the all-new GEN3 will compete in the Middle East for the first time giving fans the opportunity to see a race car performing at the very limit of innovation and pushing the boundaries of EV technology.
The 2.495km Diriyah Street Circuit is on the outskirts of the Saudi capital, Riyadh, and follows the historic city walls of the UNESCO World Heritage site.
With 21 twists and turns, the technical first sector leads to a snaking Bobsleigh Run at turn six with a series of fast changes and quick turns in succession.
Diriyah is a firm favourite for drivers as one of the most demanding circuits on the calendar for balancing energy management and outright pace.
Avalanche Andretti Formula E team driver Jake Dennis tops the Drivers' World Championship after winning the first race of the third generation of Formula E with a dominant drive in Mexico City, having earned front row in qualifying.
Pascal Wehrlein (TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team) followed home in second - the pair 11 seconds clear of third-placed Lucas di Grassi for Mahindra Racing in a hard-fought first race for the Anglo-Indian team.
Dennis and Wehrlein were among four of the top seven cars across the line to feature the Porsche 99X Electric Gen3 power train, putting Avalanche Andretti and TAG Heuer Porsche at the top of the Teams’ Championship.
Early-season favourites DS PENSKE finished unexpectedly in mid-pack, something not many predicted after Maserati MSG Racing posted the benchmark time of the week and had topped five of seven timed sessions in pre-season testing in Valencia, with both DS PENSKE drivers Stoffel Vandoorne and Jean-Éric Vergne also in the top three.
As it happened, reigning champion Vandoorne and double champion JEV qualified outside the top 10 ahead of Round 1, and Vandoorne recovered only four spots to take a point with 10th at the chequered flag. Vergne ran in mid-pack too before he misjudged an overtake and clipped Sacha Fenestraz to finish 12th.
NEOM McLaren Formula E Team driver Jake Hughes may be a rookie but his eye-catching testing performances were backed up by a strong first race outing in Mexico City. He wound up fifth but had challenged for a podium throughout. His team, formerly Mercedes-EQ, can count the joint-most wins in Diriyah via Season 7 champion Nyck de Vries. Brit Hughes has the tools at his disposal to go well again on weekend number two in Formula E.
Jaguar TCS Racing sit sixth in the Teams' table as technical teething troubles saw Sam Bird retire from Round 1 with a broken driveshaft after stopping on track in free practice with a fault. But nobody has won more races in Saudi Arabia than Bird - his two victories are tied with de Vries - and nobody has gone quicker around the Diriyah Street Circuit.
The track will again be illuminated by the latest low-power LED technology. These reduce energy consumption by up to 50 per cent compared to non-LED units, and they will be powered by sustainably-sourced biofuel generators.
"I love racing in Saudi – the track is amazing," said Season 6 champion António Félix da Costa, of TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team. "I was the first winner there in Season 5 and I’ve got great memories. We go well every time we go there. With it being a night race, your practice and qualifying happen during the day and then you race at night."
"Temperatures change, along with the track surface with the sand getting brushed away. Your perceptions also change with the shadows changing. It takes a little bit of adaptation and training to the eye but I love the different variables and it definitely creates a better show for the fans. It’s very cool to race there, and great to watch – especially at night."
Free practice 1 for the 2023 Diriyah E-Prix gets underway at 16:00 CET on Thursday 26 January.
Free practice 2 follows at 11:30 CET on Friday with qualifying from 13:40 CET. The first race of the 2023 Diriyah City E-Prix gets underway from 18:00 CET.
Free practice 3 is at 11:30 CET on Saturday with qualifying for Round 3 at 13:40 CET and the race follows at 18:00 CET.
WHERE TO WATCH
EUROPE
Germany: in Germany, both races will be live on Formula E’s home, ProSieben. Fans will also be able to catch free practice sessions and qualifying live on Ran.de.
UK: watch the action live on the Channel 4 Sport YouTube page and catch up on all the racing via All4. Viewers will be able to watch highlights of the race on Sunday morning on Channel 4. Eurosport 1 will also be covering both rounds live, whilst Eurosport Playerwill also bring UK based fans dedicated coverage from all sessions.
France: catch Friday’s race action on La Chaine L’Equipe on Saturday before watching the second race live immediately after. Eurosport 1 will show both races live whilst Eurosport Player will be showing all sessions live.
Italy: both races will be live on Mediaset’s Channel 20, with all sessions available live on SportMediaset.it. Sky Sports will also show race sessions live across Sky Sports platforms, with dedicated news coverage across the weekend.
Netherlands: both races on Ziggo Sport Motorsport and ZiggoGO. Eurosport 1 will also be providing live coverage across the weekend on linear and digital channels.
Rest of Europe: across the remainder of Europe (excl. Italy), all sessions will be live across Eurosport’s linear and digital platforms. Eurosport will provide bespoke, live coverage of the opening race on Eurosport 1, whilst all sessions will be live on Eurosport Player. ES Player will also provide a one-stop destination for all Formula E fans’ catch-up needs.
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