Pascal Wehrlein, the TAG Heuer Porsche driver, has described his race successes in Riyadh last season as “special” – but insists there are no guarantees for this year’s events in the ABB FIA World Formula E World Championship.
The 29-year-old German driver made the perfect start to the ABB FIA World Formula E World Championship this season, opening Season 10 of the all-electric racing competition with a superb win at Mexico’s Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
Having led for 30 of the 37 laps, the fifth victory of his Formula E career propels Wehrlein, who finished fourth overall last campaign, very nicely into the next races of the season – the double header in Diriyah, Riyadh. The 2024 Diriyah E-Prix takes place on Friday and Saturday, January 26 and 27.
Aiming for a repeat of last season’s double header triumph in the Saudi Arabian capital city, Wehrlein said:“Last year was pretty special, especially the first day. I was starting the race from P9 and you’re always hoping for a win and you always try your best, but I think it was pretty special to win the race from P9.
“It was a bit unexpected. It was a great feeling and great relief because where we started last season, we didn’t really know if it was going to be a successful season or a successful start, especially because in winter testing, we didn’t look really strong to be honest. We were not in the top 10 at all over the three days of testing in Valencia and we knew we still had a lot to work on and improve.
“Winning the races in Riyadh was great. I would say the second day win was a bit more expected because we started from P5, and I knew from the day before that if I could win from P9 then I could do the same in the second race from P5 if everything went well. And it did, so that was a nice feeling.
“But coming into this season and the next races in Riyadh, nothing is guaranteed. Just because we won Riyadh last year or we won the last race in Mexico doesn’t mean Riyadh will be easy for us. There’s still a lot we need to make sure we are on top of, and hopefully we have a strong weekend again. But for me, it’s so tight that small differences can make a big difference in the result. It will be pretty hard again, I’m sure.”
This year’s Diriyah E-Prix is the latest illustration of Saudi Arabia’s commitment to host the very best international events across all sports.
While enabling the Kingdom to build relationships and showcase the nation’s passionate sporting culture to the world, hosting events like these also provides new opportunities for the Saudi people to be inspired, pursue dreams, and realise potential.
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 – with more to come.
With a weekend of supercharged action and electrified entertainment fast approaching, fans can secure their seats through the FIA Formula E website for the Friday and Saturday, January 26 and 27 races. Grandstand and general admission tickets are available from SAR100.
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