The Birthplace of Middle Eastern Electric Racing
The Diriyah E-Prix occupies a singular position in the history of electric motorsport. When Antonio Felix da Costa crossed the finish line on December 15, 2018, he did not merely win a race — he inaugurated the first Formula E event ever held in the Middle East, the first race of the Gen2 era, and the opening round of Season 5. The 2.495-kilometer Riyadh Street Circuit, threading through the UNESCO World Heritage site of Ad Diriyah with its historic mud-brick walls and the At-Turaif district as backdrop, became Formula E’s most culturally distinctive venue overnight. Over six seasons and twelve individual races, the Diriyah E-Prix evolved from a bold experiment in electric racing to one of the championship’s most prestigious fixtures before the series relocated to Jeddah Corniche Circuit for Season 11 in 2025.
The decision to bring Formula E to Saudi Arabia was rooted in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 economic diversification strategy, which identified motorsport as a vehicle for tourism development, international brand positioning, and the promotion of sustainable technologies. Formula E, with its all-electric powertrain philosophy and emphasis on sustainability messaging, represented the ideal alignment between sporting spectacle and national ambition. The Saudi Motorsport Company, operating as the commercial arm of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation under the presidency of Prince Khaled bin Sultan Al-Faisal Al-Saud, secured hosting rights that would see the series race in Saudi Arabia for seven consecutive years at Diriyah before transitioning to Jeddah.
The Riyadh Street Circuit itself measured 2.495 kilometers in length with 21 turns, a technical layout that rewarded precise energy management and aggressive regenerative braking over raw straight-line speed. The circuit wound through narrow passages adjacent to ancient walls, creating an atmosphere that no purpose-built track could replicate. Barriers lined both sides of the track throughout its length, meaning that errors carried immediate consequences — a characteristic that produced some of Formula E’s most dramatic racing moments over the venue’s six-year tenure.
Season 5 (2018): The Inaugural Race
The opening chapter of the Diriyah E-Prix story was written on December 15, 2018, as the ABB FIA Formula E Championship launched its fifth season and the Gen2 era simultaneously. The Gen2 car represented a quantum leap over its predecessor: enough battery capacity to complete an entire race distance without the mid-race car swap that had defined Seasons 1 through 4, plus significantly more power and a design language that finally gave Formula E a machine worthy of its technological ambitions.
Antonio Felix da Costa, driving for BMW i Andretti Motorsport, mastered the inaugural race on the Riyadh Street Circuit. The Portuguese driver navigated the 21-turn layout with the precision required by a street circuit where walls punish even minor miscalculations. Jean-Eric Vergne, the reigning champion from Season 4, finished second — a result that confirmed his continued competitiveness in the new era. Jerome d’Ambrosio completed the podium in third position.
The significance of this single race extended beyond the competition itself. Saudi Arabia was making a public statement about its relationship with electric vehicle technology and sustainable mobility at a time when the Kingdom remained synonymous with petroleum production. The optics of staging an all-electric race in a country whose economy had been built on fossil fuel extraction were deliberate and unmistakable. Aramco’s growing interest in the energy transition, the Public Investment Fund’s stake in Lucid Motors, and the government’s Ceer electric vehicle brand announcement would all follow in subsequent years, but the Diriyah E-Prix was among the earliest and most visible signals of this strategic pivot.
Attendance figures for the inaugural event were never officially disclosed by the organizers, a pattern that would persist throughout the Diriyah E-Prix’s history. However, reports indicated strong interest from the local population and significant international media coverage, validating the decision to open the season in the Middle East rather than in one of Formula E’s established European or Asian markets, as detailed in the Diriyah racing venue.
Season 6 (2019): The First Double-Header
Season 6 brought the first significant format change to the Diriyah E-Prix. The November 22-23, 2019 weekend introduced the double-header format — two separate races staged on consecutive days at the same venue. This format would become the standard for the Diriyah E-Prix for the remainder of its existence, doubling the racing action and the commercial value of each event weekend.
Race 1 was claimed by Sam Bird, driving for Envision Virgin Racing. Bird, one of Formula E’s most consistent performers across multiple seasons, outpaced Andre Lotterer and Stoffel Vandoorne to take the top step of the podium. The British driver’s aggressive racing style and his ability to manage energy while maintaining pace through traffic made him ideally suited to the Diriyah circuit’s demands.
Race 2 produced a remarkable result for BMW i Andretti Motorsport. Alexander Sims took the victory, but the headline narrative involved his teammate Maximilian Gunther, who initially crossed the line in second position to give BMW a one-two finish. However, a post-race penalty was applied to Gunther, reshuffling the podium order and denying the German manufacturer its perfect weekend result. The penalty underscored the tight margins of Formula E competition, where regulatory compliance and sporting regulations can alter results long after the chequered flag has fallen.
The double-header format proved successful both commercially and competitively. Two races meant two sets of qualifying sessions, two energy management strategies to execute, and two opportunities for teams to recover from poor results or capitalize on strong form. For the host city, the format meant an extended event weekend that justified the infrastructure investment and logistical complexity of staging a major international motorsport event in the streets of a residential and historic district.
Season 7 (2021): Racing Under the Lights
The Season 7 edition of the Diriyah E-Prix, held on February 26-27, 2021, achieved a landmark that resonated throughout the Formula E world: the first ever Formula E night race. The installation of floodlighting around the 2.495-kilometer circuit transformed the event’s atmosphere entirely, casting the ancient walls of Diriyah in dramatic shadows while illuminating the racing surface to FIA-required standards.
Nyck de Vries, driving for Mercedes-EQ, won Race 1 of the night-race double-header. The Dutch driver, who would later graduate to Formula 1 before his career took various turns, demonstrated the pace and consistency that made him a championship contender, as detailed in the origins of Formula E in the Kingdom. Edoardo Mortara finished second for ROKiT Venturi Racing, with Mitch Evans completing the podium in third for Jaguar Racing.
Race 2 saw Sam Bird return to the top step of the Diriyah podium, this time wearing Jaguar Racing colors after his off-season team switch from Envision Virgin Racing. Bird’s victory confirmed his status as a Diriyah specialist, making him one of only three drivers to win multiple races at the venue alongside de Vries and Pascal Wehrlein. Robin Frijns took second place, with Antonio Felix da Costa — the inaugural Diriyah race winner — completing the podium in third.
The night racing format added an entirely new dimension to the event’s appeal. Television audiences were presented with images of illuminated Gen2 cars threading through ancient architecture under a desert sky — a visual combination that no other motorsport event could offer. The contrast between cutting-edge electric racing technology and centuries-old heritage buildings created the kind of compelling visual narrative that broadcast producers and marketing departments dream about. The night format also addressed a practical concern: Saudi Arabia’s daytime temperatures, particularly in the pre-summer months when the race was scheduled, could create uncomfortable conditions for spectators, teams, and broadcast personnel alike.
The COVID-19 pandemic had reshaped the 2020-21 sporting calendar globally, and the Diriyah E-Prix’s February date reflected the compressed and reshuffled schedule that Formula E operated under during this period. Despite pandemic-related restrictions affecting spectator capacity and operational protocols, the event proceeded successfully and reinforced Diriyah’s status as a marquee Formula E venue.
Season 8 (2022): Mercedes-EQ Dominance Continues
The January 28-29, 2022 double-header maintained the night racing format that had proven so successful the previous year. Once again, Nyck de Vries proved to be the master of the Diriyah circuit in Race 1, leading a Mercedes-EQ one-two with teammate Stoffel Vandoorne. Jake Dennis, who had emerged as one of the championship’s most potent competitors with Andretti, completed the podium in third position.
Race 2 produced a different winner as Edoardo Mortara, driving for ROKiT Venturi Racing, claimed victory. The Swiss-Italian driver, who had finished second in Race 1 the previous year, demonstrated his growing mastery of the Diriyah circuit. Robin Frijns finished second for the second time at the venue, while Lucas di Grassi — a former champion and one of Formula E’s founding figures — secured third place.
The Season 8 races were notable for the level of competition among the manufacturer teams. Mercedes-EQ, Porsche, Jaguar Racing, and DS Techeetah all fielded cars capable of winning on any given day. The Gen2 car was in its final seasons of competition, and teams had extracted extraordinary performance from the platform through years of powertrain development, as detailed in the financial returns of Formula E in Saudi Arabia. The Diriyah circuit, with its emphasis on energy management and regenerative braking efficiency, rewarded the teams with the most sophisticated software strategies as much as those with the most powerful motors.
De Vries’ second Diriyah victory extended his record at the venue to two wins from four races, a remarkable strike rate at a circuit where consistency was extremely difficult to maintain across a double-header weekend. The narrow track, proximity of barriers, and variable grip levels caused by sand ingress meant that even the most competitive cars could find themselves out of contention following a single error in qualifying or the opening laps of the race.
Season 9 (2023): The Gen3 Arrives and Porsche Dominates
Season 9 marked the debut of the Gen3 car in competition, and the Diriyah E-Prix served as Rounds 2 and 3 of the championship calendar. The Gen3 represented the most significant technological leap in Formula E history: lighter, faster, and equipped with both front and rear powertrains for the first time, enabling regenerative braking on all four wheels. The car’s theoretical ability to recover up to 40 percent of its energy through regeneration fundamentally altered racing strategies.
Pascal Wehrlein delivered one of the most dominant double-header performances in Diriyah history for Porsche. In Race 1, the German driver started ninth on the grid and carved through the field to take a stunning victory, demonstrating both his personal skill and the Porsche powertrain’s superiority in the early Gen3 era. Jake Dennis finished second, while Sebastien Buemi — who had taken pole position — slipped back during the race in a pattern that would become familiar with the new car’s different energy and tire characteristics.
Race 2 was even more emphatic. Wehrlein won again, becoming the fifth driver in Formula E history to win two races at the same venue on the same weekend. Jake Dennis once again finished as runner-up, while Jake Hughes — who had claimed pole position for McLaren — saw his race develop differently from qualifying. Wehrlein’s double victory established Porsche as the team to beat in the early Gen3 era and demonstrated that the Diriyah circuit rewarded racecraft and energy management above raw qualifying pace.
The Gen3 car’s characteristics — faster acceleration, more aggressive regeneration, and different tire compound requirements — created a new racing spectacle at Diriyah. Cars were visibly faster through the corners, the braking zones were shorter, and the sound profile had changed as the front motor added its distinctive whine to the powertrain symphony. The Diriyah crowd experienced a fundamentally different form of Formula E racing compared to the Gen2 events of previous years, though the circuit’s inherent challenges of narrow passages, barrier proximity, and surface variation remained constant.
Season 10 (2024): The Final Diriyah Chapter
The January 26-27, 2024 double-header was announced in advance as the final Diriyah E-Prix, adding emotional weight to the competitive action. After six seasons and twelve individual races, the Riyadh Street Circuit was set to host its last Formula E event before the series relocated to the Jeddah Corniche Circuit for Season 11, as detailed in the E-Prix fan experience.
The final weekend produced racing that honored the venue’s legacy. Nick Cassidy, driving for Jaguar Racing, won Race 2 in what became the last competitive event at the historic Diriyah location. Jaguar’s victory in the finale was fitting for a team that had been consistently competitive at the venue, with Sam Bird having previously won for the team in Season 7.
The decision to move from Diriyah to Jeddah was driven by multiple factors. The Jeddah Corniche Circuit, already hosting Formula 1 since 2021, offered superior permanent infrastructure including a four-story pit building, grandstand seating for 70,000 spectators, and a 3.001-kilometer layout with 19 turns that could accommodate Formula E’s competitive requirements. The move consolidated Saudi Arabia’s major circuit racing events at a single world-class venue while potentially freeing the Diriyah site for other cultural and tourism development aligned with its UNESCO World Heritage status.
The 12 races held at Diriyah between 2018 and 2024 produced six different winners: Antonio Felix da Costa, Sam Bird, Alexander Sims, Nyck de Vries, Pascal Wehrlein, Edoardo Mortara, and Nick Cassidy. Three drivers — de Vries, Bird, and Wehrlein — each won two races at the venue, confirming that Diriyah rewarded specialists who could master its unique combination of narrow track widths, barrier-lined passages, and the energy management demands of the Gen2 and Gen3 eras. Mercedes-EQ, Porsche, and BMW i Andretti each accumulated two victories at the venue, while Jaguar Racing, Envision Virgin Racing, and ROKiT Venturi Racing each claimed single wins.
The Move to Jeddah: Season 11 (2025)
The Jeddah ePrix debuted on February 14-15, 2025, as part of Formula E Season 11. The move brought Formula E to the 3.001-kilometer Jeddah Corniche Circuit, a venue that had been purpose-built for Formula 1 in less than 12 months before the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in December 2021 and subsequently hosted Formula 1 annually through 2025.
The transition coincided with the introduction of the Gen3 Evo car, the most extreme evolution of Formula E machinery to date. The Gen3 Evo’s headline specification was staggering: its acceleration from 0 to 60 miles per hour was 30 percent faster than a current Formula 1 car and 36 percent faster than the standard Gen3 machine it replaced. This made it the fastest-accelerating single-seater race car in the world, a claim that fundamentally repositioned Formula E’s performance credentials relative to other open-wheel championships.
Season 11 featured 22 drivers across 11 teams with six manufacturers — Porsche, Jaguar, DS, Nissan, Maserati, and Mahindra — providing powertrains. The depth of manufacturer involvement reflected Formula E’s continued relevance as a technology development platform for the automotive industry, even as the broader electric vehicle market had evolved significantly since the championship’s inception in 2014, as detailed in Gen3 powertrain technology.
The Jeddah Corniche Circuit’s characteristics differed markedly from the Diriyah layout. At 3.001 kilometers, it was roughly 500 meters longer than the Diriyah circuit. Its 19 corners included higher-speed passages that were absent from the tighter Diriyah layout, and the circuit’s location on the Red Sea waterfront provided a different visual and atmospheric setting compared to the historic district of Diriyah. The wider track width at certain points also created more overtaking opportunities, addressing one of the occasional criticisms of the Diriyah venue where the narrow passages could make passing difficult.
Statistical Legacy of the Diriyah E-Prix
The 12 races held at the Diriyah venue between December 2018 and January 2024 generated a rich statistical legacy that illuminates both the competitive dynamics of Formula E and the evolution of the championship during its most transformative years.
In terms of driver victories at Diriyah, Nyck de Vries led with two wins (Season 7 Race 1, Season 8 Race 1), followed by Sam Bird with two wins (Season 6 Race 1, Season 7 Race 2), and Pascal Wehrlein with two wins (Season 9 Race 1, Season 9 Race 2). The distribution of wins among six different drivers across 12 races underscored the competitive parity that defined Formula E competition — unlike Formula 1, where a single dominant team could monopolize victories for seasons at a time, Formula E’s sporting regulations and energy management complexities ensured that multiple drivers and teams remained competitive at every event.
Team performance at Diriyah reflected the shifting competitive landscape across the Gen2 and Gen3 eras. Mercedes-EQ’s two victories through de Vries aligned with the team’s championship-winning form during Seasons 7 and 8, while Porsche’s double through Wehrlein signaled the German manufacturer’s ascendancy in the Gen3 era. BMW i Andretti’s victories in Seasons 5 and 6 demonstrated the team’s early competitiveness before its withdrawal from the championship at the end of Season 7.
The format evolution from a single daytime race in 2018 to night-time double-headers from 2021 onward reflected both the championship’s commercial maturation and the host city’s ambition. Night racing doubled the sporting content of each event weekend while creating broadcast-friendly scheduling for European and Asian television audiences. The atmospheric transformation of the Diriyah venue under floodlights — with the illuminated walls of the At-Turaif district visible beyond the circuit barriers — produced television imagery that distinguished the event from every other race on the Formula E calendar.
Circuit Architecture and Engineering
The Riyadh Street Circuit at Diriyah was designed to balance competitive racing requirements with the preservation obligations inherent in staging a motorsport event adjacent to a UNESCO World Heritage site. The circuit’s 2.495-kilometer layout with 21 turns was predominantly anti-clockwise, threading through streets that served normal traffic functions outside of race weekends, as detailed in where Formula E heads next in the Kingdom.
Track surface quality varied significantly around the circuit, a characteristic common to street tracks but particularly pronounced at Diriyah, where sand ingress from the surrounding desert environment created additional variables for tire management and grip assessment. Teams devoted considerable practice time to understanding track evolution — the process by which rubber deposits from successive sessions gradually improved grip levels throughout the weekend, fundamentally changing the optimal setup and strategy between Friday practice and Saturday/Sunday races.
The circuit’s turn-speed profile ranged from slow-speed hairpins requiring precise traction management under regeneration to medium-speed sweeping corners where aerodynamic efficiency and mechanical grip balance determined lap time. No single cornering characteristic dominated the lap, meaning that cars with different setup philosophies could compete equally. A team that prioritized low-speed traction might lose time in medium-speed sections but gain through superior energy recovery efficiency, creating the strategic diversity that made Diriyah races unpredictable.
Barrier placement was uniform and close to the racing surface throughout the circuit. Unlike some Formula E street circuits where run-off areas provided margin for error at certain corners, the Diriyah layout was unforgiving in every sector. Contact with barriers typically resulted in front wing or rear impact attenuator damage, which could compromise aerodynamic performance for the remainder of the race without necessarily causing retirement. This dynamic created strategic dilemmas: was it worth pitting for a replacement nose at the cost of track position, or better to continue with damaged bodywork and accept the aerodynamic penalty?
The pit lane entry and exit were designed to minimize the competitive disadvantage of making a pit stop, though the narrow confines of the street circuit meant that pit stops at Diriyah were inherently more disruptive to race strategies than at purpose-built facilities. The speed limit through the pit lane and the transition sections between track and pit entry required careful navigation, with several incidents across the venue’s history resulting from drivers misjudging these critical zones.
Cultural and Commercial Impact
The Diriyah E-Prix’s placement adjacent to the At-Turaif district — the original home of the Saudi royal family and a site inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2010 — was a deliberate statement about Saudi Arabia’s ability to harmonize modern entertainment and sporting events with historical preservation and cultural promotion. The juxtaposition of Gen2 and Gen3 electric racing cars with mud-brick walls dating to the eighteenth century created a visual and conceptual tension that proved irresistible to international media, generating coverage that extended far beyond traditional motorsport outlets.
The broader commercial framework supporting the Diriyah E-Prix involved the Saudi Motorsport Company, which managed event operations, ticketing, and commercial partnerships. Fan villages offered entertainment, food service, and sponsor activation areas that extended the event experience beyond the racing itself, as detailed in the official Formula E championship. Post-race concerts featuring internationally recognized musical artists became a signature element of Diriyah E-Prix weekends, attracting attendees who might not otherwise have been drawn to a motorsport event.
The E-Prix also served as a practical demonstration of electric vehicle technology for a Saudi Arabian audience. In a country where high-performance internal combustion engines dominate the automotive landscape, Formula E’s presence at Diriyah provided tangible evidence that electric powertrains could deliver competitive racing performance. This messaging aligned with broader government initiatives including the Ceer domestic electric vehicle brand and the Public Investment Fund’s investment in Lucid Motors, both of which positioned Saudi Arabia as a participant in the global EV transition rather than merely a supplier of the fossil fuels that EVs are designed to replace.
Revenue figures for the Diriyah E-Prix were never publicly disclosed by the Saudi Motorsport Company or Formula E Operations. However, the sustained investment over six seasons, the progressive enhancement of venue infrastructure and production values, and the expansion from a single race to double-header night events all indicated that the commercial returns justified continued hosting. The decision to move to Jeddah was presented not as an abandonment of Formula E in Saudi Arabia but as an upgrade to superior facilities — a framing that preserved the commercial relationship while acknowledging that the Diriyah site had inherent limitations for a growing motorsport property.
The Diriyah Legacy and Formula E’s Saudi Future
The 12 races held at Diriyah between 2018 and 2024 established Saudi Arabia as a cornerstone of the Formula E calendar during the championship’s most important developmental period. The venue witnessed the launch of the Gen2 era, the introduction of night racing, the arrival of the Gen3 car, and the establishment of manufacturer commitments from Porsche, Mercedes, Jaguar, DS, Nissan, Maserati, and Mahindra. No other Formula E venue can claim to have hosted such a breadth of championship milestones.
The move to Jeddah for Season 11 does not diminish the Diriyah E-Prix’s historical significance. Rather, it represents the natural progression of Saudi Arabia’s motorsport hosting capabilities from temporary street circuits in culturally significant locations to world-class semi-permanent facilities capable of hosting multiple international racing championships. The Jeddah Corniche Circuit’s ability to serve both Formula 1 and Formula E validates the Saudi Motorsport Company’s infrastructure strategy and positions the Kingdom as the only nation in the world hosting both championships at the same venue.
Looking further ahead, the Qiddiya Speed Park Track — the $500 million FIA Grade 1 permanent circuit under construction approximately 50 kilometers from Riyadh with a planned opening in 2028 — could potentially host Formula E alongside Formula 1 and other series. The facility, designed by Hermann Tilke and former Formula 1 driver Alexander Wurz, will feature 21 corners, elevation changes of 108 meters per lap, and the signature 70-meter elevated corner known as The Blade. If Formula E were to race at Qiddiya, the championship would complete a remarkable journey in Saudi Arabia: from temporary street circuit in a historic district, to semi-permanent waterfront circuit shared with Formula 1, to purpose-built permanent facility designed as a global motorsport destination.
The Diriyah E-Prix’s legacy extends beyond race results and circuit specifications. It demonstrated that Formula E could thrive in the Middle East, that electric racing could generate commercial and cultural value in a petroleum-producing nation, and that Saudi Arabia’s motorsport ambitions were not limited to hosting Formula 1 as the presumed pinnacle of circuit racing. The 12 races at Diriyah proved that Formula E deserved its place in the Kingdom’s motorsport portfolio on its own merits, not merely as a supporting act to its internal combustion counterpart.