Felipe Massa Takes To Saudi Arabia’s Streets In New Formula E Car

On December 15, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will play host to the Saudia Ad Diriyah E-Prix, the first race in Formula E’s fifth season.

To help promote the race, ex-Formula One driver Felipe Massa, who currently competes in Formula E with Venturi, headed to the kingdom and took to the streets in an all-new Gen2 car. The race itself will be staged at a UNESCO heritage site on the outskirts of the Riyadh.

Not only will the event by the first race in the new Formula E season,but it will also be the largest festival of racing, live music and entertainment ever witnessed in the nation’s history. What’s more, the event will mark the first time foreign travelers can visit Saudi Arabia for live sport, music, and cultural events without having to go through a lengthy application process.

“This is a truly game-changing moment for Saudi Arabia and one that we can share with the world. It is very fitting that the such a futuristic and sustainable sport as Formula E is pointing to the future direction of our country,” Vice-Chair of the Saudi Arabia General Sports Authority, His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz Bin Turki AlFaisal Al Saud, said.

“Saudi Arabia is home to literally millions of passionate young fans of motorsport. Many of whom simply cannot believe that Felipe Massa took the Gen2 car around the streets of the capital today and that they now have a ‘home race’ on the Formula E calendar. So already the excitement is building especially since we’re adding live music concerts to the weekend line-up”, the Prince added.

No less than 11 teams will compete in season 5 of the all-electric formula championship. The most noteworthy addition to the pack is BMW, while other teams competing include Audi Sport, DS, Nissan, Jaguar, Virgin Racing, Mahindra Racing and NIO.