English Opinion

FORMULA E RACING DRIVER SAM BIRD VISITS KINGS COLLEGE, RIYADH TO HELP PROMOTE SUSTAINABILITY

Up to 400 school children in Saudi Arabia got to learn more about Formula E and sustainable motorsport yesterday during an engaging and informative session ahead of this weekend’s 2023 CORE Diriyah E-Prix. Jaguar TCS Team’s Sam Bird, winner of the 2019 and 2021 Diriyah E-Prix visited Kings College, Riyadh and was shown model electric vehicles that the pupils had made ahead of the visit. Also in attendance were Samer Issa-El-Khoury, Managing Partner of CBX, and Mai Al Helabi, General Manager of Events Department at the Ministry of Sport, who delivered speeches about this year’s event and what it means to stage the races in the Kingdom. Also, Formula E’s Sustainability Director, Julia Palle visited Prince Sultan University and addressed students in an informative session to highlight the importance of sustainability and how Formula E is working towards hosting an eco-friendly motorsport championship that will help benefit the planet. The visits were part of Formula E’s Community Engagement and Legacy strategy, giving the younger generation a broader understanding of the sport and the Diriyah double-header this weekend. At Kings College, the pupils, aged between 5-11, quizzed Sam along with Iona Neilson, Senior Sustainability Manager at Formula E in a Q&A session to not only understand more about the life of a racing driver – but also what is being done from an environmental perspective and the steps they take to make the sport as sustainable as possible. This weekend’s 2023 CORE The Diriyah E-Prix event will be powered by 100% renewable energy using B100 biofuel for the event and will be a Net Zero Carbon event. Formula E will measure, reduce, and will offset all its emissions by investing in renewable energy production. The 2023 CORE Diriyah E-Prix is a double-header of races in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship this Friday and Saturday. Rounds 2 and 3 take place on a street circuit surrounding the UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of the most picturesque locations on the 16-race calendar the only night races in the Formula E season. It will be the first time fans in Saudi Arabia will see the all-new GEN3 for the first time - the fastest, lightest, most powerful and efficient electric race car ever built. Capable of 200mph / 322kph, the 22 drivers will push the world’s most advanced electric racing car to the limit as they navigate the 21-turn, 2.495km circuit.