‘New teams, new brand’: Formula E CEO Jamie Reigle looks ahead to Diriyah E-Prix double-header

Cars are parked on the track on the second day of Diriyah E-Prix, in the Saudi capital Riyadh in 2021.(AFP)
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Updated 27 January 2023
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‘New teams, new brand’: Formula E CEO Jamie Reigle looks ahead to Diriyah E-Prix double-header

  • Reigle talks exclusively to Arab News about Season 9, the new Gen3 car and what the future holds for the all-electric series

DUBAI: In the end, it proved all right on the night.

Almost 40,000 raucous fans turned up to welcome Formula E’s Gen3 era in Mexico City two weeks ago, and this weekend Riyadh will host the Diriyah E-Prix double-header.

“Mexico was fantastic,” Formula E CEO Jamie Reigle said. “I guess I have to start by saying there’s no denying that there was a pretty high degree of anxiety as we came into the race, for a host of reasons. First of all, it’s the first race to the season, so inevitably it’s a mix of excited emotions and anxious emotions.

“We’re talking top tier sport drivers, team principals, the manufacturers that want to win — so good that sense of anticipation, but this year that was ramped up, because it’s a brand new car, Gen3, which is a big leap forward.

“And we really push the limits in terms of the car,” he added. “We reduced the weight by 60 kg, we increased the power by 100 kilowatts, a lot of changes under the hood, so to speak, as well as new tires and a new battery. So there were some pretty well cataloged challenges that the teams faced in the testing period.”

After four successful years of Gen2, Formula E seems to have been given a reboot.

“From a purely commercial perspective, we launched our new brand identity,” Reigle said. “We had three new teams coming in, you had Maserati joining, in partnership with Monaco Sports Group, you had McLaren coming in, and then Cupra, coming back with the ABT team. New teams, new brands, just everything was new, and it was really successful.”

On Friday and Saturday the action moves to Saudi Arabia with rounds 2 and 3 of Formula E Season 9 taking place under the lights in Diriyah, increasingly a favorite destination for the drivers.

“I was at dinner last night — we did a charity fundraiser, gala dinner, and I was at the table with Andre Lotterer (of Avalanche Andretti),” said Reigle. “I wasn’t trying to tee him up. We had a group of guests and I asked ‘Andre, so what’s your favorite circuit in Formula E and motorsport?’ This guy has won Le Mans three times and raced in a lot of places. Without skipping a beat, he said Diriyah. It’s fast, high-speed corners, it’s really challenging to drive. The setting is amazing and it’s a night race, and sport, especially the electric cars and motorsport, just looks cool at night.

“The drivers love it.”

Reigle’s first race as CEO was Diriyah in 2019, and he has overseen the sport’s growth in the ensuing three years, which, of course, included the COVID-19 pandemic.

The future, he says, “is electric.”

Reigle added: “If you think about sports that didn’t exist 20, 30 years ago, and are big today, there’s very, very few. There’s really only one that has broken into the top, top tier, and it’s probably UFC. It was started in the 90s, kind of bubbled around, and then it got bigger and bigger.

“And Formula E has that opportunity,” he added. “We’ve got the top drivers, we’ve got a lot of the top manufacturers and teams — all the conditions are there. We’ve got these great venues. The question is do we have the fan base?”

The turnout in Mexico — “a big moment” — as well as the Gen3 car and changes in racing format, would suggest that increasingly, Formula E does.

Then there is the stellar lineup of drivers.

“People want to watch the best compete against the best,” Reigle said. “The good news for Formula E is that we already have a very high caliber of stars. Because of the way we grew up, we don’t have pay drivers, we don’t have guys whose dad owns the team. It’s all top tier professionals — guys who have won Le Mans, who have been in Formula One, who have won in DTM and who built their careers in Formula E.”

Reigle highlighted the career path of Dutch driver Nyck De Vries — Formula E champion in 2021 and now signed to Formula One’s Scuderia AlphaTauri — as an example of the high standards in electric racing. Other examples are Mitch Evans and Jake Dennis, the winner in Mexico City.

“Last year we did Indonesia for the first time and we had 60,000 people,” said Reigle. “MotoGP, that’s their only really international sporting event, now we’re adding to that. So you’ve got these big opportunities in emerging markets.

“This year we’re adding Hyderabad, Cape Town — we’re heading to Sao Paulo and Portland. Those are big markets that we’re going to open up, which is really exciting.

“If in three years, we’re not adding a few more cities, I’ll be disappointed.”


Max Verstappen delighted at birth of his first child with partner Kelly Piquet

Updated 02 May 2025
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Max Verstappen delighted at birth of his first child with partner Kelly Piquet

  • “Welcome to the world, sweet Lily,” Verstappen and Piquet wrote Friday on Instagram
  • “Our hearts are fuller than ever — you are our greatest gift. We love you so much”

FLORIDA, USA: Four-time defending Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen arrived at the Miami Grand Prix on Friday as a first-time father after announcing he and partner Kelly Piquet had welcomed a daughter.
“Welcome to the world, sweet Lily,” Verstappen and Piquet wrote Friday on Instagram. “Our hearts are fuller than ever — you are our greatest gift. We love you so much.”
Verstappen had skipped Thursday activities at this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix to be with Piquet, the daughter of three-time F1 champion Nelson Piquet. The couple released no details about the birth, including when his daughter was born.


Verstappen and Piquet went public with their relationship in 2021. She has a daughter, Penelope, with driver Daniil Kvyat that Verstappen is very close with but this is the first child for Verstappen.
“He’s going to be a very present father,” predicted Christian Horner, Verstappen’s boss at Red Bull. “I’m just thinking of the genes of that child — it is quite incredible when you think of it: a Verstappen and then Piquet. If it was a racehorse, it would be worth a fortune.”
Verstappen joins Nico Hülkenberg as the only active F1 drivers this season with children.
“He’s joining that club. I hope it’s a good sleeper,” Hulkenberg said. “I think there’s lots to discover — many beautiful, nice things that come with that. I’m sure he’ll enjoy it.”
Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton said he spoke to Verstappen at F1’s last race and could tell the Dutchman was eagerly awaiting the arrival of his child.
“It’s such an amazing, special thing,” Hamilton said. “I spoke to him briefly in Saudi and saw how excited he was. Big congrats to him.”
But there’s a myth that racers often slow down when they become parents because they begin driving more cautiously and lose some of the edge that made them successful.
“Judge for yourself, look at the stats and what happens. Everyone is obviously different, but personally, I don’t feel that’s the case,” Hulkenberg said. “I feel once we step in the car — visor down, go out — even for me, I tend to forget what goes on outside because we’re just so focused and so driven to perform and maximize.
“I just personally feel it’s added benefit because it’s giving me so much outside of work and outside of being in Formula 1,” he added. “So I would even say it’s kind of been helpful for me, if anything.”
Horner doesn’t believe there will be any change in his star driver’s performance.
“I think he’s a pretty measured guy, he’s obviously got a step-daughter and he enjoys family life,” Horner said. “For him, it is business as usual. He’s obviously tremendously proud and it’s a great thing for him and Kelly to welcome a baby girl. That’s a different achievement and a different perspective for him.”
Mercedes driver George Russell doubted being a father will change Verstappen’s on-track performance.
“As Nico says, I think for many people it probably brings things to your life. I know what it’s like when I see my nieces and nephews — they’re not my kids, but they bring me so much joy when I spend time with them,” Russell said. “And you’ve seen drivers in the past win championships and races who’ve got kids, so I don’t see it changing anything on his professional level.”
Verstappen, who has 64 career victories, has won the last four F1 titles. He’s won just once this season as McLaren has shown an early edge over Red Bull headed into Sunday’s race, the sixth of the season. He is third in the series standings.
Verstappen won the first two Miami Grand Prix races, while Lando Norris of McLaren scored the first F1 victory of his career at this race last year.


Verstappen awaits birth of first child, misses Miami media day

Updated 01 May 2025
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Verstappen awaits birth of first child, misses Miami media day

  • The 27-year-old’s partner is Kelly Piquet
  • The Dutch driver is third overall after five races

MIAMI: Four times Formula One world champion Max Verstappen was withdrawn from scheduled media commitments at the Miami Grand Prix on Thursday as the Red Bull driver awaited the birth of his first child.
The 27-year-old’s partner is Kelly Piquet, daughter of Brazil’s triple world champion Nelson, who already has a daughter from a previous relationship with Russian former F1 driver Daniil Kvyat.
A team spokesman said all was well and Verstappen “will attend track tomorrow for the race weekend.”
Friday has a sole practice session ahead of sprint qualifying, with a 100km sprint race followed by regular qualifying on Saturday before Sunday’s race around the Hard Rock Stadium.
The Dutch driver is third overall after five races, 12 points behind McLaren’s Australian championship leader Oscar Piastri.


Reem Al-Aboud and Hanna Riehle crowned champions of Rally Jameel 2025

Updated 27 April 2025
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Reem Al-Aboud and Hanna Riehle crowned champions of Rally Jameel 2025

  • The six-day, 1,600km race took contestants from Petra in Jordan to Tabuk, AlUla, Hail and then Qassim in Saudi Arabia 

QASSIM: Reem Al-Aboud from Saudi Arabia and her German co-driver Hanna Riehle of Jameel Motorsport were crowned winners of Rally Jameel 2025, which concluded on Saturday in Qassim.

The closing ceremony was attended by the governor of Qassim province, Prince Dr. Faisal bin Mishaal bin Saud bin Abdulaziz.

Saudi driver Mashael Al-Howaish and her co-driver Taye Perry from South Africa, competing for Lexus Racing Team, finished second, while Farah Zakaria and Farah Ateyyat, both from Jordan and representing Al Markazia Toyota, ended third.

Over six days and across more than 1,600 kilometers, participants followed a route that blended technical challenge with cultural discovery.

From Petra’s awe-inspiring stone passageways to the dramatic mountain ranges of Tabuk, the historic landscapes of AlUla, and the desert trails of Hail, the rally offered a journey through some of the region’s most breathtaking and diverse terrain, finishing in Qassim, a region celebrated for its palm groves and lush farmland.

The route not only tested skill and endurance but also reaffirmed the growing status of Saudi Arabia and Jordan as global destinations for adventure tourism and motorsport.

The participants in the six-day race pose for a souvenir picture after the awarding ceremonies in Qassim on Saturday. (Supplied)

At the post-press conference, Al-Aboud expressed her pride in the achievement, saying: “Standing at the top of the leaderboard today is an incredible honor — and a reflection of every decision, every calculation, and every moment of resilience throughout this rally.

“Rally Jameel pushed us beyond our limits and brought together a global community of women who are boldly claiming their place in motorsport.”

Riehle, who won the last two titles as a co-driver, said she was happy to win the Rally Jameel for the third time in a row, and this time with Reem Al-Aboud. “I think securing first place after a consistent and high-performing run across all four stages proves that we are a good team,” she said.

Second-placed Al-Howaish said she was “so glad to end up in second with Taye Perry who really helped me to improve my way.”

Munir Khoja, managing director of Jameel Motorsport and Marketing Communications at Abdul Latif Jameel Motors, said: “Rally Jameel continues to push boundaries, redefining what’s possible in motorsport and beyond.”

It is “deeply rewarding” to see the Saudi-born initiative has “evolved into a global platform, reflecting the values of ambition, progress, and empowerment that lie at the heart of Vision 2030,” Khoja added.

(With agencies)


Quartararo denies Marquez his home Spanish MotoGP pole

Updated 26 April 2025
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Quartararo denies Marquez his home Spanish MotoGP pole

  • The 26-year-old Yamaha rider clocked a time of one minute and 35.610 seconds to take his first pole since 2022

JEREZ, Spain: Frenchman Fabio Quartararo beat crowd favorite and six-time MotoGP champion Marc Marquez to take pole position at the Spanish motorcycle Grand Prix at the Circuito de Jerez on Saturday, where the lap record was broken twice.

Championship leader Marquez looked on course for a fifth successive pole after he sped to a time of one minute and 35.643 seconds early in the second qualifying, but Quartararo put on a blistering lap in the final moments to stun the Ducati rider.

The 26-year-old Yamaha rider clocked a time of one minute and 35.610 seconds to take his first pole since 2022.

Twice MotoGP champion Francesco Bagnaia came third to complete the front row.

“It’s a really special feeling, a special emotion for everybody,” Quartararo said.

“We know that the points are on the sprint and the race, but already to feel the atmosphere close to all these guys is something.”

“Hopefully, we can make a great fight on the sprint, on the race we know it’s a little more difficult. But super happy to be here. We are working hard and the work will pay off.”

Gresini’s Alex Marquez was the fourth fastest, ahead of Franco Morbidelli of VR46 Racing in fifth.

Marquez leads his younger brother Alex by 17 points in the championship and Italian Bagnaia in third by 26.


Rally Jameel ‘not just a race’ for drivers

Updated 26 April 2025
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Rally Jameel ‘not just a race’ for drivers

  • Noelia Benitez of Spain, competing for the fourth year in a row, stresses significance of all-female rally
  • US driver Gabby Downing described Rally Jameel as an ‘amazing experience’

QASSIM: When the women competing in Rally Jameel come to Saudi Arabia, they not only get to discover the Kingdom’s terrain, but its people and culture.
Spanish driver Noelia Benitez, competing in the all-female race — which began April 21 in Jordan and ends April 26 — for the fourth consecutive year, told Arab News: “It’s a fun week — drivers and co-drivers enjoy every minute of it.”
For Benitez, the rally is about more than just the racing.
“We’re not just enjoying sitting behind the wheel and competing for the title,” she said. “The race takes us through the stunning landscapes of Tabuk, AlUla, Hail and Qassim and showed us the culture and traditions of Saudis in different places. That’s why it’s an extraordinary race.”
She added: “Saudi Arabia has an amazing landscape offering all kinds of desert riding from sand to rocks and stunning views all day long.”
US driver Gabby Downing called the rally “the experience of a lifetime.”
From women racing through the desert, to experiencing the culture of Saudi Arabia. I’ve seen one of the seven wonders of the new world in Petra, Jordan; had dinner in the Old Town in Al Ula; seen the famous Elephant Rock, the tombs at Hegra, and learned about the sister cities of Petra and Al Ula.
“I’ve crossed the border from Jordan to Saudi Arabia, and I learned that it is a privilege to see Saudi Arabia as a tourist. Saudi Arabia had its borders closed until September 2019, so being able to see these points of interest and experience the culture is something that many tourists have never been able to do,” she continued.
This year’s rally welcomed competitors from 37 countries, representing 45 teams, with backing from 25 international motorsport federations including those of the US, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, South Africa, Algeria, Tunisia, the Czech Republic, Canada, Jordan, and Brazil.