Mahindra Racing’s Nyck de Vries is someone who knows this Diriyah circuit very well. The 2.49km track consists of 21 high-speed corners that really show off the skills of our grid. Often referred to as being like you’re in a toboggan, it’s a big challenge for the drivers – and they love it.
“I think I’ve mentioned this before, but Diriyah is one of my favourite tracks on the calendar,” de Vries stated ahead of the race weekend. The Dutchman has won here twice before in Seasons 7 and 8, and although a win in his Mahindra might be a tough ask, it won’t stop him enjoying driving the GEN3 car around here come Friday and Saturday.
“It’s very quick, and cool to drive in a Formula E car,” he added. “Even though it’s not a real street circuit, it feels like one because it’s narrow, high-speed and the walls are everywhere. I’m looking forward to going back there, and continuing the season.”
De Vries finished 15th in Mexico City for his debut with Mahindra, after making up seven places during the 2024 Hankook E-Prix. His teammate Edoardo Mortara finished just ahead in 13th, and has been previewing the two races in the desert.
“This is definitely a track where I have enjoyed good results in the past, but this season is a little bit different because of the journey we are on as a team,” Mortara continued. “Everyone at the factory has been working extremely hard since Mexico to analyse and understand the data we gathered there. Hopefully that will help us make another step forward in Diriyah. I’m looking forward to getting back to it.”
Following their results in Mexico, Team Principal and CEO Frederic Bertrand added that he’d been “very impatient to get to Diriyah”.
PREVIEW: Formula E's Diriyah double-header, Rounds 2 &3 of Season 10
“Almost as soon as the race in Mexico was over, I wanted to keep going and to work on what we have learned,” he explained. “At least the gap was only two weeks!”
The short space between races mean that there have had to be quick turnarounds and lots of hard work by the Mahindra team.
“It’s a race where both drivers have been successful in the past,” Bertrand added. “My hope is that we can at least match our performance in Mexico, and to deliver both drivers with the tools they need to achieve an even better result.”