Formula E reschedules Saudi Arabian season opener due to conflict

Nov 12 - The all-electric Formula E series announced the rescheduling of its Saudi Arabian season-opener on Thursday due to conflict in the region, with the championship now due to start in Mexico City in January.

The double-header in Jeddah was originally scheduled for December 18-19 but is now pencilled in for April 16 and 17 as the season's sixth and seventh races.

The Mexico City round will kick off the campaign on January 16.

"I guess the news which may not come as a surprise to anybody is that we are looking to change the order of the racing calendar," Formula E chief executive Jeff Dodds told reporters in a video call citing "the conflict ongoing in the Middle East" and the logistical impact.

"We will no longer start the season in Jeddah in December as planned," he said.

"We will schedule Jeddah in for the Friday and Saturday of 16th, 17th of April. And in order to accommodate that change we will move the Sanya race (in China) to the 3rd of April, two weeks forward."

That change also avoids a clash with the Chinese Formula One Grand Prix being held in Shanghai on April 18 and compresses the calendar from a 2026-27 one to a championship held within the space of seven months in 2027.

Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) is a principal partner of Formula E and also has a 5% stake in the FIA-sanctioned series.

A number of sporting events in Saudi Arabia have been cancelled or postponed, including the final round of the World Rally Championship in November and January's Dakar Rally, as a result of attacks by Yemen's Houthis on Saudi Arabia, including on civilian airports and critical infrastructure.

Dodds said keeping the Saudi races on the calendar had been his main focus and there was no conversation ongoing with any other circuit about eventually replacing them should April also prove impossible.

"I would say that if the race can't go ahead in April, we would look at potentially other options to schedule the race (in 2027)," he explained, saying a decision would have to be made by mid- to late February.

"But I think candidly at this stage what we wouldn't look to do is replace Jeddah with another location.

"I think what's much more likely is that if Jeddah can't go ahead in April we end up with a reduced schedule."

Dodds said the postponement had been a "fully collegiate" decision with agreement from PIF and the governing FIA.

"They want this race to go ahead and to go ahead well and the best way of currently delivering that is to move it back in the schedule to allow things more time to settle," he added.

Formula E is due to start testing its new Gen4 car at Spain's Jarama circuit next week. REUTERS