Formula E Diriyah E-Prix: What To Look Out For

Calum Gill 14:00 26/02/2021

The 2021 FIA Formula E World Championship get underway this evening under the lights in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia

The premium class of electric single seaters gets underway this weekend, with two races in consecutive days in the Middle East. Here are some things to look out for:

Sam Bird's First Race With Jaguar

For the 2021 season, Britian's Sam Bird has left Envision Virgin Racing to partner Mitch Evans in the Jaguar. Bird was the winner of the event last season, and is the only driver to have won a race in every season of Formula E. However, it will be interesting to see how the Jaguar teammates get on, as in Diriyah race two last season, both drivers retired after they made contact. You cannot doubt either of their abilities though, with Both Evans and Bird being Eprix winners.

First Lap Scramble

As commentators Jack Nicholls and Dario Franchitti have been calling it, the "bobsleigh section is the tightest part of the circuit, with constant change of direction as the circuit winds through the ancient city on the bottom side of the below image.

The tight nature of this part of the track is almost certain to keep the pack bunched together over the course of the first few laps, allowing overtakes to happen into T16 and T18. There is a high chance of a crash in this section of the track, as Nico Muller proved in Practice 2.

Night Race Affecting Driver Vision

The bright lights lining the circuit will undoubtedly make vision from the cockpit difficult, shining into the visors of the drivers and all while trying to keep their car out of the wall. Crashes will almost be certainty in the desert, with the walls becoming ever closer as you push in qualifying or the race to get your championship off to the best possible start.