An Electrifying Experience: The Jeddah E-Prix

The first-ever Jeddah E-Prix touched down on the Red Sea coast for two electrifying nights of excitement. If you’ve never seen Formula E before, prepare to be surprised! Without the gas-powered engines you hear in most races, these futuristic vehicles sound more like spaceships, whistling past with breathtaking speed – and no fumes. The latest Gen3 cars competing at the E-Prix are the fastest, lightest, and most efficient in Formula E history, capable of speeds up to 322 km/h (200 mph). Impressively, they achieve those speeds while producing zero emissions! Formula E is still less than ten years old, but it’s already the sporting world’s more important promoter of clean, renewable energy. So, the E-Prix is a real statement by the Kingdom of Innovation on the transition to sustainable living across the board.

22 drivers took their fully electric vehicles to the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, the same circuit that hosts the F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, shortened to 3 kilometers (1.86 miles) for these races. The excitement lasted to the very last moment! DS Penske driver Maximilan Günther zoomed past favorite Oliver Rowland in the very last lap on Day 1, in a stunning upset. Rowland would recover in the next race, however, and win it for Nissan e.dams on Day 2, to keep his spot at the top of Formula E rankings. History was made too, as twenty-year-old NEOM McLaren driver Taylor Barnard became the youngest-ever polesitter, setting out from the start of the grid.

Jeddah is known for the Grand Prix, but this was Formula E’s first time there, after being held in Diriyah for past editions. Instead of the tight street circuit drivers are accustomed to, the Jeddah Corniche Circuit lengthened the circuit and included a few innovations. All drivers now make a thirty-second pit stop for 10 percent battery recharge, which changed the race’s dynamic, after Günther fell behind. He did, however, recover when he went into Attack mode – which gives drivers a short power boost – helping him achieve that last minute win Rowland on Day 1.

Formula E heads to Miami next, but Jeddah will be buzzing with anticipation for the next edition of the F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, which kicks off on April 18!