formula-e-team-gears-diriyah-e-prix

January 25, 2023

NEOM McLaren Formula E team gears up for thrilling Diriyah E-Prix

  • The NEOM McLaren Formula E Team brings together two organizations committed to harnessing innovation to create a more sustainable and active future
  • Rounds 2 and 3 of Season 9 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship take place in Diriyah on January 27 and 28.

NEOM, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, January 25, 2023 – The NEOM McLaren Formula E Team is aiming to continue its strong start to the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship season at the Diriyah E-Prix this weekend.

In the season opener in Mexico City two weeks ago, Jake Hughes and René Rast took to the track for their first race for the newly formed NEOM McLaren Formula E Team, clinching 5th and 18th place respectively. This weekend, attention turns to the Diriyah E-Prix which, for the fourth successive year, is being staged as a double-header on January 27 and 28, racing around the historic UNESCO Heritage Site in Diriyah.

NEOM’s collaboration with McLaren Racing brings together two organizations committed to creating a better future and delivering impact on and off the track. The partnership supports NEOM’s commitment to be the world's most physically active society. The formation of NEOM McLaren Electric Racing, consisting of the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team and the NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team, is both an inspiring force and an active facilitator to progress this ambition. The partnership is aligned as well with Saudi Vision 2030.

McLaren’s credentials in technology and innovation creates unique opportunities for both partners. Through the partnership, NEOM is accelerating human progress and its vision to become a global hub for high-performance sport, while developing an environment that attracts the best-performing teams and athletes to collaborate with NEOM.

As part of the partnership, the McLaren Accelerator is a key innovation and technical partner of Oxagon’s advanced and clean industries’ ecosystem and is set to become a founding tenant of its Research and Innovation campus when it opens in 2025.

Neal Coupland, Head of Sports Partnerships at NEOM, said: “We are proud to welcome the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team to the Kingdom. The partnership with the McLaren Formula E Team provides great opportunities to share our resources and experiences to achieve exciting results on and off the circuit. We want sport and active lifestyles to be at the center of lifestyle in our unique region, with a high-performance sporting ecosystem that will entice world-class events and athletes to NEOM.’’

Ian James, Team Principal, NEOM McLaren Formula E Team & Managing Director, NEOM McLaren Electric Racing, said: “It's fantastic to be back in Diriyah again for Rounds 2 and 3 of Season 9 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. We were satisfied with our results in the opening round in Mexico City and hope to build on the momentum in Saudi Arabia this weekend with our partners, NEOM. Through this partnership, we want to play to our role as a guardian of NEOM’s unique environment and take a sustainable approach to all that we do within the sport sector, supporting NEOM’s vision to develop a high-performance sporting ecosystem and promote active lifestyles.’’