Written by Vyas Ponnuri
Formula E enters a special weekend in Jeddah, with a historic feature last prevalent in the Gen1 era set to make a return. It's also a special weekend for many reasons, with the drivers facing a new venue, and the season's first double header to deal with.
Jeddah, normally known for being the host of Formula One's infamous Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, has now become Formula E's go-to host venue in the nation on the season 11 calendar. The Jeddah Corniche Circuit takes over the reins from the Diriyah E-Prix, host to 11 races in six seasons of the series.
Diriyah, once a staple on the Formula E calendar, will not host a race for the first time since it became a host venue in season five, at the dawn of the Gen2 era in 2018. With the sheer speed of the cars having outgrown the track's narrow characteristics, Formula E has necessitated a shift to a permanent venue in Jeddah, as is the trend with most venues chosen in the Gen3 era.
The Gen3 Evo era has already shattered Formula E records. With the cars featuring All Wheel Drive and increased electrical power output underneath the Formula E car, qualifying and race lap records have been smashed at both the São Paulo and Mexico City records by nearly three seconds each.
The increased power output coupled with all wheel drive might question the true veracity of Formula E's results, leaving the paddock scratching their heads if races are more dependent on luck rather than out and out pace. Although, another element brought in this weekend might just add more intrigue and leave strategists scratching their heads.
Dubbed 'Pit Boost', this fast-charging feature comes after a lengthy period of delay and trials across two seasons. It brings back pit stops for the first time since the Gen1 era, when cars couldn't go a full race distance and drivers had to swap machines halfway through the race.
However, this time, the cars will be travelling the length of a Formula E race. This fast charging feature will be introduced in only the second race of the double headers, with Friday's race receiving the feature.
Cars will have to make a pit stop within a pre-determined window announced by the FIA 21 days prior to each race. In terms of charge, the range is anywhere between a designated percentage. For Jeddah, this State of Charge (SoC) figure lies anywhere below 60% and above 40% at the time of taking this mandatory 34-second pit stop.
With varying energy consumptions by drivers, and double stacking (i.e. teams pitting both cars at once) not allowed, it opens up differing strategies that could prove crucial to the outcome of the race. The extra 3.85 kWh (10%) energy induced by Pit Boost will result in drivers pushing more, and reduced energy conservation being the talking point.
While Pit Boost has been the biggest talking point ahead of the weekend, there's also a rookie test on the Thursday of the race weekend, dubbed FP0, with several interesting names dotting the roster. It's almost as though Formula E's arrival at a new venue has taken less of a precedence in the run-up to the weekend.
All this is before we take into account the fierce competition for the top spot so far. Jaguar's Mitch Evans came through the grid from last position to win after a race of attrition at São Paulo. However, the fortunes completely turned a month later at Mexico City, with Oliver Rowland snatching victory at the death in another thriller.
Evans and Jaguar, on the other hand, failed to take home even a single point from the weekend, their first non-scoring weekend in two years. Such is the unpredictability and the rollercoaster nature of the electric racing series.
However, the likes of Rowland and Porsche's Antonio Felix da Costa and Pascal Wehrlein are the ones who have displayed the overwhelming pace in the opening two rounds. It's no surprise why da Costa and Porsche lead their respective championships, finishing second in both races.
With Jeddah set to be another speedy venue rewarding those who manage energy levels well, it remains to be seen if Porsche will snatch their first win of season 11, or if Rowland, ever consistent with his energy targets, will bring home another win and solidify his title charge.
Championship standings ahead of the Jeddah E-Prix weekend
Drivers' standings:
Antonio Felix da Costa (Porsche) - 37 points
Oliver Rowland (Nissan Formula E Team) - 25 points
Mitch Evans (Jaguar) - 25 points
Pascal Wehrlein (Porsche) - 21 points
Taylor Barnard (McLaren) - 15 points
Constructors' standings:
TAG Heuer Porsche - 58 points
NEOM McLaren - 27 points
Jaguar TCS Racing - 25 points
Nissan Formula E Team - 25 points
Mahindra Racing - 22 points
The Jeddah Corniche Circuit — The layout for the event
Ah, Jeddah. The F1 host venue. This must be the longest track on the Formula E calendar, right? That's what you must be thinking.
Well, nope. The modified version of the Jeddah Corniche Circuit stands at a shade over three kilometres (3.001 km, to be exact). The track branches off from its F1 counterpart at turn four, taking a loop onto the back straight.
The track then follows the same route along the final sector, with the fast left-right section taking the drivers onto the speedy stretch to the final corner on the regular F1 venue. However, the Formula E venue skirts two chicanes in between the winding run to the final left-hand turn taking drivers onto the main straight.
So too does the main straight, featuring a brace of chicanes as the track heads towards the finish line, for a lap of the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. Although the chicanes have been subject to debate, often for ruining the flowing nature of the racetrack, they could aid overtaking around Jeddah's street circuit.
With smaller cars, it will be interesting to see how this facet influences overtaking around the Corniche circuit. Turns 1 and 2 will once again be a hotspot, as they are in the F1 race, while the run down to the loop of turn four could potentially witness overtaking.
All in all, the high speeds breached around the venue coupled with the Pit Boost could just bring out even more overtaking than anyone could imagine, with drivers pushing even more on Friday thanks to the Pit Boost providing them 10% extra energy in the race.
Rookie Free Practice? Who's taking part?
Another important event in the spotlight in Formula E's debut Jeddah weekend is the Rookie Free Practice session set to take place at 18:00 track time (15:00 GMT). Each team has fielded one driver to take part in the session.
In the spotlight are ex-Red Bull racer Daniil Kvyat, endurance racer Mikkel Jensen and DTM racer Thomas Preining, while 2023 Formula Two champion Theo Pourchaire will make his first Formula E outing for Maserati MSG Racing.
The list of drivers taking part and their respective teams are as follows:
TAG Heuer Porsche | Thomas Preining |
Jaguar TCS Racing | Jamie Chadwick |
Andretti Formula E Team | Jak Crawford |
Nissan Formula E Team | Gabriele Minì |
DS Penske | Daniil Kvyat |
Maserati MSG Racing | Theo Pourchaire |
NEOM McLaren | Alex Dunne |
Envision Racing | Zak O'Sullivan |
Mahindra Racing | Kush Maini |
Lola ABT Yamaha | Tatiana Calderón |
Cupra Kiro | Mikkel Jensen |
Timings for the weekend
Round 3:
Rookie FP session (13th Feb): 15:00 - 15:40 GMT
FP1 - 13th Feb - 18:00 - 18:40 GMT
FP2 - 14th Feb - 10:00 - 10:40 GMT
Qualifying - 14th Feb - 12:20 - 13:43 GMT
Race (31 laps) - 14th Feb - 17:05 - 18:00 GMT (featuring Pit Boost)
Round 4 (15th Feb)
FP3 - 10:00 - 10:40 GMT
Qualifying - 12:20 - 13:43 GMT
Race - 17:05 - 18:00 GMT
Drivers in the spotlight
\While there's no form guide to go off in Jeddah, there's certainly some drivers who find themselves more in the limelight than others.
For starters, Oliver Rowland will be in the spotlight, coming in as the series' most recent winner in Mexico City. The Barnsley native has been on a hot run in the series ever since the beginning of season ten, and a victory in Jeddah will only do a world of good to his ever increasing championship chances.
The man he will be chasing, Antonio Felix da Costa will certainly come into Jeddah on a high. Two second places mark him out as the most consistent contender in season 11, a testament to his 12-point championship lead. Contrary to his last two campaigns, da Costa has commenced season 11 on a high, and will be looking to maximise Porsche's speed to win in Jeddah.
He will face stern competition in the form of Pascal Wehrlein though, the German being the only driver to start from pole in season 11. Wehrlein has failed to convert pole into victory on either occasion, and will be looking to maximise what has been a class-leading Porsche powertrain to open his win tally for 2025.
The Mahindra pair of Nyck de Vries and Edoardo Mortara would certainly be in the limelight after a stronger start to season 11. A haul of 22 points in two weekends has given the pair of racers as well as team principal Frederic Bertrand hope of a big result down the line. Will Jeddah be the venue of a surging Mahindra result?
Jaguar has been an outfit experiencing the sharpest decline in form from season 10 to the present-day campaign. The Kidlington-based squad earned a victory courtesy Mitch Evans' last-to-first drive in São Paulo, but Mexico City saw them fail to notch up a result for the first time in two years. Evans and Cassidy will need to find a result in Jeddah to stem the tide for the weekends to follow.
Five Major storylines ahead of the Jeddah E-Prix weekend
Pit Boost - Will it be successful? - Making its debut in round three on Friday, Pit Boost will witness it's first official run after several dry runs.
How will Jeddah fare as a new FE host? - It's Formula E's first visit to Jeddah, and as always, questions will always arise whether the circuit suits Formula E's characteristics or not.
Can Jaguar find a way back after Mexico struggles? - Jaguar will be looking to find a big result in Jeddah after an inconsistent start to 2025.
Will rookies have an advantage around Jeddah? - McLaren racer Taylor Barnard, Lola ABT Yamaha racer Zane Maloney and Cupra Kiro racer Dan Ticktum have all raced around Jeddah in Formula 2 machinery. Even though Formula E is a different kettle of fish, it remains to be seen if prior experience translates into any advantage.
Can Rowland kick on from his Mexico success? - The biggest question will be if Rowland and Nissan can build on their successes from Mexico City and shape for a season-long championship battle. Jeddah, being the first double header, is a crucial weekend of reckoning for both driver and team.
How to watch the Jeddah E-Prix double-header?
Find out the details to watch the Jeddah E-Prix double header in your respective country here.
Vyas's predictions for the weekend
In a weekend of Pit Boost making its debut, and eight minutes of attack mode to go with, predicting a race winner seems almost akin to picking the lottery. Yet, I would bank on Oliver Rowland to win in round three on Friday, with Pit Boost significantly impacting proceedings.
In round four, I would play it safe and predict Porsche's Antonio Felix da Costa to take his first victory of the season, stabilising his championship lead.
It's set to be a weekend of thrills and excitement, with Formula E embarking on a weekend of novelty as the paddock enters Jeddah. Do not miss this weekend, as it is set to go down as a historic one in the Formula E books.
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