RIYADH: The Diriyah E-Prix has become a favorite among the drivers, said Jaguar TCS Racing’s Mitch Evans, and he expects the standard of competition in Formula E to be higher than ever this year.

Twenty-two drivers from 11 teams are competing in the 10th season of the all-electric series, which will feature the sport’s Gen3 car for the second year running.

Speaking ahead of the double-header of night races in Riyadh this weekend, Evans said: “Naturally, with the second year of the same car, teams are going to find new ways to get performance out of the drivers and get more comfortable.”

The New Zealander finished third in the Drivers’ Championship last year, and although he has career second, third, forth and fifth-place finishes under his belt, he has yet to win the ultimate prize.

“Compared to 12 months ago, it’s definitely a different story. I feel like the pack has definitely closed up,” he added.

Pascal Wehrlein last week won the first race of the 2024 season, the Mexico City E-Prix. Rounds two and three take place in Diriyah, an ancient city that includes historic At-Turaif district, which is designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

In 2021, the Diriyah E-Prix became the first night time Formula E race, and its street circuit is “definitely a drivers’ favorite,” Evans told Arab News.

“To try and execute a lap there is really tricky,” he said. “It requires a lot of rhythm, a lot of corners flowing to one another. It’s very much one of those tracks where there’s kind of high risk but, you know, no kind of margin for error. It’s a special event and we all enjoy coming here.”

His Jaguar Racing teammate, Nick Cassidy, echoed those comments and said the “room for error is small.”

Cassidy, who took second place in the championship last year, told Arab News he aims to go one better this year.