All-electric motorsport race takes place on Friday and Saturday in Riyadh
‘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’ – Brown
Diriyah E-Prix offers a weekend of sport and entertainment, with the Backstreet Boys and OneRepublic headlining the live music acts
Tickets are available starting at SAR100 here
DIRIYAH, SAUDI ARABIA:- Zak Brown, the CEO of McLaren Racing, has praised the Diriyah E-Prix as “first class” ahead of this weekend’s ABB FIA World 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 praised the Kingdom’s hosting of elite motorsports.
Describing the Diriyah E-Prix as “great” at a pre-race press conference, Brown added: “Everything out here is first class. It’s one of the drivers’ favourites. 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 also said that the Diriyah E-Prix, in its sixth edition this year after the inaugural outing in December 2018, is “very important” as part of Saudi Arabia’s wider ambitions of growing motorsport in the Kingdom.
Brown said: “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.”
The 2024 ABB FIA World 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.”
The 2024 Diriyah E-Prix is the latest illustration of Saudi Arabia’s commitment to host the very best international events across all sports. The race is run on the Riyadh Street Circuit track, which flows past Diriyah’s 15th century At-Turaif UNESCO World Heritage Site, a stunningly beautiful symbol of Saudi Arabia’s rich history and cultural tradition.
As well as world class motor racing, the event offers a weekend of sport and entertainment, with OneRepublic, on Friday, and the Backstreet Boys, on Saturday, headlining a weekend of live music. Axwell and Nancy Ajram are also starring on the Friday night, while Afrojack and Cairokee perform on the Saturday. In addition to the incredible live music, there is entertainment for the whole family with a gaming arena, street food and much more.
The Diriyah E-Prix is part of an incredible year-round schedule of international sports in the Kingdom, with motorsport, football, boxing, tennis, esports, combat sports, golf, and equestrian events all locked in for 2024 – and with more to come.
With a weekend of supercharged action and electrified entertainment fast approaching, fans can secure their seats here for the January 26 & 27 races. Grandstand and general admission tickets are available from SAR100.
