Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – 25 January 2024: Reigning Formula E World Champion Jake Dennis is targeting a strong showing at the 2024 Diriyah E-Prix this weekend, Riyadh’s biggest motorsport event of the year which returns with back-to-back night races tomorrow and Saturday. 

 

While the new season’s opening race in Mexico City a fortnight ago resulted in a ninth-place finish, he is full of optimism heading into rounds 2 and 3 at the Diriyah Circuit. The Andretti Global driver insists the foundations are back in place as he aims to kick-start his world title defense. 

Dennis said: “Mexico was a challenging weekend for Andretti - we didn’t get the points we wanted as a team. We’ve learned lessons from what went wrong so we’re feeling extremely positive coming into this one. Everything should be back in order and hopefully, we can get a strong result. That’s the aim and it’s one we’re more than capable of achieving.”

 

Like many drivers on the grid, Dennis enjoys coming to Saudi Arabia. Speaking about the event and what it brings to the Formula E World Championship, the British star revealed he’s a fan of the night race format and the excitement it brings. 

Dennis said of the Kingdom: “It’s always a pleasure coming to Saudi Arabia – the Diriyah E-Prix is the coolest spectacle of the year and as drivers, we always want to put on a good show. Racing at night always brings excitement and last year saw plenty of overtakes and lots of opportunities to really compete.”

Commenting on the track itself, the 28-year-old added: “The mountain section through sector 2 is always super-fast flowing. Hopefully we can start off on the front foot and really capitalize on this when the opportunity comes.”

 

Season 10 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship marks the first time that Dennis has begun a new campaign as world champion having sealed a maiden title in 2022/23. While he admits it’s great to be world champion, he says it’s very much back to business in a bid to emulate Jean-Eric Vergne as a two-time champion – the only man to achieve this feat to date. 

The champion added: “We’re back working hard trying to replicate what we did last season. It’s nice to have that number one on my car and see my name alongside some of the Formula E greats – but now it’s all about trying to get the best result we possibly can each race. The next one is tomorrow and I’m looking forward to it – it’s a massive event in the Formula E calendar.” 

 

This year’s Diriyah E-Prix is the latest illustration of Saudi Arabia’s commitment to hosting the very best international events across all sports. 

As well as world-class motor racing, the event offers a weekend of sport and entertainment, with OneRepublic, on Friday, and the Backstreet Boys, on Saturday, headlining a weekend of live music. Axwell and Nancy Ajram are also starring on the Friday night, while Afrojack and Cairokee perform on the Saturday. In addition to the incredible live music, there is entertainment for the whole family with a gaming arena, street food, and much more. 

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 – and 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 January 26 & 27 races. Grandstand and general admission tickets are available from SAR100.