RIYADH — In the presence of Minister of Sports Prince Abdulaziz Bin Turki Al-Faisal, Diriyah witnessed Friday the launch of Diriyah Formula E-Prix 2022 as part of the opening ceremony of ABB FIA Formula E World Championship in its 8th season, of which the first and second rounds will be held in Diriyah, under the floodlights.

Attended by Prince Khalid Bin Sultan Al-Faisal, chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation and the Saudi Motorsports Company, and Sheikh Abdullah Bin Isa Al Khalifa, chairman of the Board of Directors of the Bahrain Motor Federation, the first round of Diriyah Formula E-Prix 2022 was won by the Dutch driver Nyck de Vries.

De Vries drove his German Mercedes-Benz Q-Team's car to the first place in the first round, while his Belgian teammate Stoffel Vandoorne, driving another Mercedes-Benz Q, took the second place and the third place went to Jake Dennis, the driver of the American Avalanche Andretti team.

The race was officially kicked off at eight o'clock in the evening, and witnessed two separate accidents that forced the Portuguese driver Félix da Costa and the British driver Oliver Rowland to leave the race after the accident required their evacuation by safety cars.

As many as 22 racing drivers of various nationalities belonging to 11 teams participated in the race.

It is worth mentioning that Diriyah Circuit has a length of 2.83 km and is equipped with low-consumption LED technology, which works by fully renewable energy, and helps reduce energy consumption by 50% compared to other technologies.

This is a major goal of Formula E, to confront climate change and achieve a better future through the race, by carrying out continuous initiatives in the areas of environmental, economic and social sustainability, as Saudi Arabia is an ideal partner in this mission as part of the goals of its ambitious Vision 2030. — SPA