Sam Bird took victory at his debut event with Jaguar Racing in Round 2 of the season-opening Diriyah double header, ahead of Robin Frijns (Envision Virgin Racing) in second with DS TECHEETAH’s Jean-Eric Vergne third.
The British driver got the better of Frijns – his former teammate – as the two engaged in a race-long back and forth under the floodlights. A red flag five minutes from the scheduled end of the race brought things to a premature end, confirming the Brit’s victory with Frijns second and DS TECHEETAH’s Jean-Eric Vergne third.
“I was a bit emotional in the car,” said Bird. “It was a big move and a big step for me moving away from what was my family in Envision Virgin Racing to join Jaguar Racing, but they’ve welcomed me with open arms and I’m pleased to deliver this win.
Speaking of his experience of racing at the historical Diriyah circuit, Bird said: “I absolutely love racing here, it’s one of the best tracks on the calendar and is always a great event. We’re in a unique situation being in the middle of a pandemic but the people of Saudi and Formula E have managed it so well through rigorous testing; it’s been a very well thought-out procedure from start to finish and couldn’t have gone more smoothly.”
Bird’s last win in Formula E came 11 races ago on the championship’s last visit to Diriyah, and his victory in Round 2 this time around sees the Brit extend his unique streak of a race win in every season to-date. It also draws him level with Lucas di Grassi (Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler) in second on the all-time winners’ table with 10 victories.
Speaking following Race 2, HRH Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al Faisal, Chairman of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation said: “The second race may not have finished the way we would have wanted but it was an incredibly exciting race up to that point, and we’re delighted with how the weekend has gone overall. Over the last two days we have seen the first ever night races for the all-electric ABB FIA Formula E World Championship and we’re really proud of this. The Kingdom is on an exciting journey of embracing renewable energy and technology, and Formula E is more than just a race to be the best, it is a partnership committed to the future of sustainability.
“These races have sparked much joy and energy to our sporting journey and is one of a number of major sporting firsts that will inspire our people and help to shine a spotlight on Saudi Arabia’s massive transformation under the Kingdom’s vision 2030.”
Carlo Boutagy, Founder and CEO of CBX, the official race promoter, said: “It has been a privilege to launch the 2021 Formula E season with a memorable double-header race weekend at the Diriyah E-Prix. As the event promoter, CBX is proud of the work done to achieve a safe and hygienic environment for all those present on site, and to have made history with staging two races at night with a dramatically reduced impact on the environment compared with traditional floodlighting needs.”
“The new, sustainable low energy consumption bulbs have performed better than we could have hoped and illuminated a sporting spectacle that we hope will bring hope and joy to the world as we continue to combat the global pandemic.”
The Diriyah E-Prix signifies a significant milestone in the history of Formula E while building on Saudi Arabia’s continued momentum and growing reputation in hosting world class motorsport. Despite the challenges of COVID, 2021 promises much with the country committed to host four FIA sanctioned events. Following the season opener for Formula E this weekend, April will see the first ever Extreme E race take to the breathtaking Al Ula, before the country plays host to its inaugural Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in early December. Then finally closing out the year with the return of Formula E Season 8.
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