RIYADH: Organizers of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship races in Saudi Arabia have announced lifestyle company CORE as title sponsor of the Diriyah E-Prix this weekend.

The 2023 CORE Diriyah E-Prix double-header of races will take place on Jan. 27 and 28, and will be the Middle East debut of the GEN3 — the world’s fastest and most efficient electric race car.

“We’re absolutely delighted to confirm CORE will be the title partner for the upcoming 2023 CORE Diriyah E-Prix, that will host rounds two and three of season nine of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship,” said Carlo Boutagy, founder and CEO of CBX, official promoter of the 2023 CORE Diriyah E-Prix.

“It’s great to have such a luxury brand partner associated with the race and we can’t wait to see the exciting new, lighter and faster GEN3 cars on-track under the floodlights in Saudi Arabia at this year’s event.”

As title sponsor, CORE will feature prominently across the 21-turn, 2,495-km circuit located within the historic town walls of the UNESCO World Heritage site on the outskirts of Riyadh. As the only night races on the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship calendar, the CORE Diriyah E-Prix will be illuminated with low-power LED technology.

Fans attending the races will see two iconic motorsport names — McLaren and Maserati — line up on the Formula E grid in Diriyah for the first time where they will compete with Porsche, Jaguar and Nissan among the 11 teams and 22 drivers.

The GEN3 is a major leap in technological development and innovation with engineers at the FIA and Formula E pushing the boundaries of EV development. Capable of a 200 mph (322 kph) top speed, the GEN3 is 53 kilograms lighter than the GEN2 with a smaller chassis optimized for street racing.

An additional front powertrain adds 250 kW to the 350 kW at the rear, more than doubling the regenerative capacity of the previous GEN2 car to 600 kW, with more than 40 percent of the energy used in-race regenerated under braking.

“It’s our great honor to be the title partner for the 2023 CORE Diriyah E-Prix races hosted at the historic town walls of Diriyah (in) Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh,” said Mohammed Hefni, group CEO at CORE.

Alberto Longo, co-founder and chief championship officer, Formula E, said: “It is with great pleasure that we welcome CORE as the title sponsor of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship event in Saudi Arabia. The 2023 CORE Diriyah E-Prix is a highlight of our race calendar and together with CORE and our valued local partners, we will welcome a global TV audience for the incredible spectacle of the GEN3 cars night racing for the very first time.”