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feature season 12

7 iconic Formula E moments from racing in Saudi Arabia

FEATURE 11 Feb 2026 6 Mins

As we get ready to race in Jeddah on February 13 and 14, let's look back at some of the biggest events from the country's time on the calendar.

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feature season 12

Feature by Katy Fairman

Since making its debut in Season 5, Saudi Arabia has delivered plenty of racing action across two different venues: the Riyadh Street Circuit in Diryah, and the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. From outstanding overtakes to double-header domination, we’ve seen it all here. These are some of the country’s best Formula E moments.

Mortara’s Amazing Double Overtake
Season 7, Round 1

When you think of the best Formula E overtake ever seen, there’s only one that comes to mind. Back in 2021, Venturi’s Edoardo Mortara completed a double pass on Mitch Evans (Jaguar) and Pascal Wehrlein (Porsche), which was truly millimeter perfect.

With the benefit of ATTACK MODE, Mortara pulled to the right-hand side alongside Evans and made the move, but then slipped through an impossible gap to use his momentum and also overtake Wehrlein on the left.

"It was so close to disaster," former racer and commentator Dario Franchitti said at the time. The cars were almost three-wide down the straight, with it being a seriously bold and brave move from the Swiss driver. It was the perfect definition of threading the needle, and rewarded him with a place on the podium.

A Dramatic Diriyah Debut
Season 5, Round 1

The very first Formula E race in Saudi Arabia brought with it lots of drama. The introduction of ATTACK MODE made for an interesting addition, rain cancelled both practice sessions, but most eyes were firmly fixed on Antonio Felix da Costa who started from pole in his then-BMW i Andretti Motorsport.

Da Costa tried his best to keep back two-time champion Jean-Eric Vergne during the race, but it wasn’t enough and eventually JEV sailed past into the lead after some close battling.

However, a regen technical infraction resulted in both DS TECHEETAH drivers receiving drive-through penalties in the race which ultimately cost them a 1-2 result as a team. Vergne was able to recover to second, but it was da Costa that took a first historic win for the BMW i Andretti team.

The two came close again in Season 7, now teammates at DS TECHEETAH, banging wheels with Vergne saying da Costa “turned in on him”. It wasn’t the first time the teammates had come close to blows, with the pair clashing in Santiago and Mexico City the previous season.

Last-Lap Heroics for Guenther
Season 11, Race 4

The first Jeddah E-Prix took place last year, and ended in dramatic style when Maximilian Guenther of DS PENSKE secured the victory in the last corner. After starting from pole, several drivers had their time up front, including Nissan’s Oliver Rowland who led into the final lap, but with more energy in his pocket Guenther was able to risk it all for an overtake into the final chicane.

WATCH: Maximilian Günther's Victory On The Final Lap!

He got the move done, and took his black and gold DS PENSKE to the top step of the podium with Rowland just behind in second and now-teammate Taylor Barnard third. It was the first of two wins in Season 11 for Guenther, and marked the first time in 17 races that the polesitter had gone on to claim the race win.

Bird and Lynn’s Unusual Incident
Season 7, Round 2

Alex Lynn found his Mahindra Racing car facing the wrong way, and with Sam Bird in his Jaguar looking directly at him after a clash in Diriyah. The two drivers were fighting for sixth at the time down the main straight when Bird dived to the inside of Lynn, but the move was blocked by the Mahindra driver which pushed Bird into the barriers.

What followed was a big shunt for Bird, which in turn clipped the back of Lynn’s car and sent him into a reverse spin. The two then connected, with the front wings of both cars crumpling together, and ultimately resulted in both drivers retiring from the heavy damage sustained. It might have made for a good meme, but both drivers were understandably frustrated.

Double Dominance for Wehrlein
Season 9, Rounds 2 & 3

Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein left the deserts of Diriyah leading the Drivers’ World Championship back in Season 9, having won both races. It’s not an easy feat, becoming only the fifth driver to manage this achievement in Formula E’s history.

Having started ninth and fifth across the two respective races, Wehrlein almost made it look easy as he gained positions to lead the races and reach the chequered flags first across the Friday and Saturday events.

Barnard’s Record-Breaking Brilliance
Season 11, Round 4

Taylor Barnard has been collecting Formula E records, ever since becoming the youngest-ever driver to start a race when he made his debut around Monaco in 2024. From there he became the youngest driver to score points, podiums and in Jeddah secured his first Julius Baer Pole Position at just 20-years-old.

WATCH:Taylor Barnard's Jeddah qualifying lap analysis

Barnard took on his former mentor Oliver Rowland in the Final of the Duels, but beat him comfortably by over four tenths with a brilliant lap around the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.

Evans’ Podium Heartbreak
Season 10, Round 2

Whilst Andretti’s Jake Dennis floored it around the Riyadh Street Circuit, creating a gap of 13.289s to Jean-Eric Vergne behind—the third-greatest winning margin in Formula E history —there was a big battle for the final podium spot going on behind.

WATCH: Dramatic final lap battle for the podium! | 2024 Diriyah E-Prix

Vergne was in second, but a hungry Mitch Evans was behind and snapping at his DS PENSKE’s heels. Going down the back straight, Evans tried his luck and went for an overtake, only to get on a dusty part of the circuit and lose control of his Jaguar. As a result, Evans flew past JEV but went too deep, into the run off area and was forced to rejoin the circuit down in fifth. His teammate, Nick Cassidy, picked up third at the chequered flag behind Vergne and Dennis.

Notable Mentions:

Nyck de Vries strode to victory in Formula E's first ever night race, and the series' opening race as an FIA World Championship, as the Mercedes-EQ driver completed a clean sweep; topping every session in Round 1 on his way to a maiden Formula E win. (Diryah 2021)

Bird’s first win for Jaguar came in Saudi Arabia, albeit decided in the pit lane after a red flag ended the race early. A big crash for Lynn and Evans resulted in the race not restarting, but it still marked a significant milestone for the Formula E veteran and the first win since moving from the Envision Racing team. (Diryah 2021)

Mortara suffered a terrifying ordeal after taking part in practice starts at the end of Free Practice 3 during Season 7, when the brakes on his Mercedes-powered Venturi failed and sent him crashing into the barriers at high speed. The remaining cars that used Mercedes powertrains were unable to take part in qualifying until an investigation and answer to the issue was found. (Diryah 2021)

SCHEDULE: Where, when and how to watch or stream the 2026 Jeddah E-Prix, Rounds 4 and 5

Saudi Arabia has been a staple of the Formula E calendar since Season 5, and found a new home at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit last season. The double-header weekend promises plenty of action and the return of PIT BOOST, all whilst racing under the lights at night over February 13 and 14.

Free Practice 1: Thursday 12 February, 20:00 local/17:00 UTC
Free Practice 2: Friday 13 February, 13:30 local/10:30 UTC
Qualifying: Friday 13 February, 15:40 local/12:40 UTC
Race: Friday 13 February, 20:05 local/17:05 UTC

Free Practice 3: Saturday 14 February, 13:30 local/10:30 UTC
Qualifying: Saturday 14 February, 15:40 local/12:40 UTC
Race: Saturday 15 February, 20:05 local/17:05 UTC