After the opening Mexico City ePrix two weeks ago, Formula E returns this weekend with the Diriyah ePrix. Rounds 2 & 3 take place on consecutive days in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia. We take a look at all the talking points going into the weekend, as well as covering everything you need to know about the Diriyah ePrix.
Where Is The Diriyah ePrix Held?
Diriyah is a town in the suburbs of Riyadh, which is the capital of Saudi Arabia. The ePrix is held on the Riyadh Street Circuit, which is a street circuit that runs through Diriyah.
Diriyah was the original home of the Saudi royal family, and in 2010 became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Diriyah ePrix Schedule
The Diriyah ePrix is different from most Formula E weekends, as there will be two races this weekend. The first race will be held on Friday (26th January), with the second race taking place on Saturday (27th January).
Here’s how the schedule works across the weekend:
Diriyah ePrix – Round One (27th January 2023)
26th January: Free Practice 1
27th January: Free Practice 2
27th January: Qualifying
27th January: Race (Round One)
Diriyah ePrix – Round Two (28th January 2023)
28th January: Free Practice 3
28th January: Qualifying
28th January: Race (Round Two)
Riyadh Street Circuit Info & Stats
As the name suggests, the Riyadh Street Circuit is a street circuit that was created especially for Formula E.
The track, which held its first Formula E race back in 2019, was slightly changed ahead of the 2021 races. No more changes have been made ahead of this weekend’s races.
Formula E Track Records
Sam Bird currently holds the fastest lap time in Formula E at the Riyadh Street Circuit
Diriyah ePrix Previous Winners
The now Formula 1 driver Nyck de Vries won the first race in Diriyah last year, with Mortara (now at Maserati MSG) winning the second race for Venturi.
Sam Bird is the only current Formula E driver to win in Diriyah more than once, after winning in 2019 & 2021.
| Year | Driver |
| 2018 | António Félix da Costa (Andretti) |
| 2019 (Race 1) | Sam Bird (Envision) |
| 2019 (Race 2) | Alexander Sims (BMW) |
| 2021 (Race 1) | Nyck de Vries (Mercedes) |
| 2021 (Race 2) | Sam Bird (Jaguar) |
| 2022 (Race 1) | Nyck de Vries (Mercedes) |
| 2022 (Race 2) | Edoardo Mortara (Venturi) |
What To Look Out For In The Diriyah ePrix
Can DS Penske up their game?
All eyes will be on DS Penske at Diriyah, as they looked fast in testing at the end of last year, and even looked fast in the practice sessions in Mexico.
Despite this, they only finished 10th and 12th, which was hugely disappointing. Especially given the fact that they have the reigning Formula E World Champion Stoffel Vandoorne & two time World Champion Jean-Éric Vergne behind the wheel.
All eyes will be on them in Saudi Arabia.
Jake Hughes looks like the real deal
One person you would think has a high chance of winning at least one of the two races in Diriyah this weekend is Jake Hughes, who looked impressive on his Formula E debut for McLaren.
The Brit was the fastest on track during qualifying, only to make an error on a timed lap that cost him advancing in the duels.
Can Porsche be competitive again?
Paschal Wehrlein impressed in Mexico, qualifying in 6th and fought hard in the race to finish 2nd overall. Since then, Wehrlein has been strong in his stance on where the German team stands.
Lots of excitement!
The Mexico ePrix was the first in a new era of Formula E, with it being the first race of the Gen3 era. The cars look great and most importantly, they are fast.
But on top of that, all cars look competitive, and overtaking isn’t too difficult, which makes for some fantastic racing action.
How To Watch The Diriyah ePrix?
- UK: Channel 4, along with All4 and the channel’s YouTube account
- US: CBS (paid)
- Canada: TVA & TSN
- Australia: Stan Sport
- New Zealand: Sky Sport
- India: Disney+Hotstar
- Rest Of The World: If your country has no channel airing the race, then you can watch all the action on the Formula E website & YouTube account
