Another step towards the future: Saudi Arabia hosts world’s first hydrogen racing event

The Tuwaiq Escarpment, a Jurassic-era cliff rising 300m from the Saudi Arabian desert, formed a striking backdrop as eight hydrogen-powered race cars lined up at Qiddiya City for the first-ever Grand Final of the FIA Extreme H World Cup over the weekend. 

The geological phenomenon towered over a fleeting display of human innovation - vehicles engineered to race with hydrogen fuel cells, a technology still in its infancy. The final was a multi-car race, a format that added some uncertainty. Drivers and teams faced questions that went beyond performance - could these pioneering vehicles handle the dynamics of a head-to-head, multi-car desert showdown?

As the dust settled at the finish line, it was Jameel Motorsport, the host country’s team, that claimed victory, with Molly Taylor and Kevin Hansen in the driving seats. Their win added a sense of national pride to an already historic moment, symbolising how Saudi Arabia’s motorsport ambitions now extend beyond hosting races to competing - and winning - on the global stage. Earlier this year, Saudi driver Yazeed Al Rajhi, sponsored by Jameel Motorsport, claimed victory in the Dakar Rally’s Ultimate category.

Extreme H in Qiddiya City: Hydrogen power, star-studded teams and a new chapter for motorsport in Saudi Arabia

Hydrogen: Racing’s Next Frontier

Extreme H, successor to the all-electric Extreme E series, marks an early step towards exploring hydrogen propulsion in competitive racing. Extreme E proved that battery- electric systems could withstand punishing off-road environments, but its dependence on portable charging units exposed the logistical limits of battery power for endurance racing.

Extreme H is aiming to test whether hydrogen fuel-cell systems can overcome some of those constraints - offering faster refuelling and greater endurance while maintaining zero-emission performance, provided the hydrogen is renewably produced. For now, the project serves less as a breakthrough than as a pilot: a controlled environment where engineers and governing bodies can assess how hydrogen technology behaves under race-level pressure.

The event is the latest iteration of Alejandro Agag’s vision to fuse motorsport with sustainable technology. The founder of other green-driven championships Formula E and Extreme E, Agag has consistently framed Extreme H as a bridge - between sport, innovation, and sustainability.

Alejandro Agag, Extreme H CEO

Speaking after the Qiddiya City debut, he said: “Extreme H is a new frontier in motor racing. After electric, after sustainable fuels, there was the need for a championship that would work on the technology of hydrogen. That’s what Extreme H is. The laboratory, it’s the testing bed for hydrogen in motorsport. Motorsport will play a role in improving the technology around hydrogen and making it possible to use hydrogen as a sustainable technology for mobility. Motorsport can play this role, and it was needed. Someone had to do it, and because we like new challenges and trying what no one has tried before, we went for Extreme H. And after today, with the big success of the first hydrogen race, we know we are onto something.”

The event also benefits from the guidance of Professor Carlos Duarte, a world- renowned climate scientist and Chief Scientist for Extreme H. Duarte, a vocal supporter of hydrogen as a sustainable energy vector, describes it as “the currency of energy in nature”. His involvement indicates the event’s credibility as a testing ground for zero- carbon propulsion and its potential to inform wider energy applications.

Engineering Innovation

The Pioneer 25, the Spark Racing Technology built car driving the World Cup, is an evolution rather than a reinvention. It is based on the Extreme E Odyssey 21 chassis.

By Spark - it integrates Symbio fuel cell stacks, hydrogen tanks, and electric motors engineered to withstand the intensity of off-road racing. The vehicles are almost-silent, 550 horsepower, and emissions-free, carrying several design innovations. The most immediately noticeable being its single, centrally positioned driver’s seat. Mark Grain, Extreme H’s Technical Director, explained that this was chosen primarily for safety, ensuring optimal protection in the event of a rollover or collision. Even the hydrogen system also has its own roll cage.

The car’s development, which spanned more than 12 months, involved close collaboration with the drivers, who were actively engaged throughout the design and testing process. Indeed, they all affirmed the car’s twin FOX damper with Live Valving is a standout feature that was added based on their feedback.

The Race

The Qiddiya debut of Extreme H utilised the infrastructure built for the preceding Extreme E event. Set-up included the construction of multiple courses to accommodate the event’s different racing disciplines, alongside seven days of car testing before the vehicles were handed over to the teams.

Extreme H in action

In line with Extreme H’s sustainability focus, the event was not ticketed. Attendance was limited to partners, investors, and key stakeholders - individuals with a vested interest in innovation and sustainable mobility. In between racing, the weekend featured informative panels named “Tipping Points” in the Explorer Lounge - the hospitality tent, covering the development of the Pioneer 25 car, the mechanics of hydrogen propulsion, and broader discussions on alternative energy. Qiddiya City also maintained a strong presence, with a pavilion showcasing planned projects.

Racing unfolded over three days, beginning with time trials on day one, followed by head-to-head drag racing on day two, and culminating in the multi-car formats on day three. This multi-car format featured four four-car qualifying races before the Grand Final, which lined all eight vehicles on a 3-3-2 starting grid. Points accumulated across all disciplines contributed to the World Cup standings.

While all disciplines elicited varying levels of excitement, the head-to-head drag races generated appreciation among locals, reflecting Saudi Arabia’s strong drag racing culture. Others were more engaged with the multi-car disciplines, with more than a few whispers that condensing the schedule to two days with additional multi-car disciplines might refine both spectator and broadcast experience for future rounds.

The weekend offered plenty of show - and reassurance. The Pioneer 25 cars took multiple rolls, proving that hydrogen racing is far from the volatile image often portrayed. For once, a car roll was almost a cause for celebration, giving teams and spectators confidence that hydrogen propulsion could survive the extreme stresses of racing.

Collaboration is key

Extreme H’s debut was the result of collaboration that spanned international motorsport governance, local expertise, and strategic partnerships. At its core was Agag, the founder and visionary behind Formula E, Extreme E, E1 and now Extreme H. Supporting this mission was the FIA which not only sanctioned the event but also provided the regulatory framework to ensure that hydrogen technology could be safely and competitively integrated into the motorsport ecosystem.

Qiddiya City, the host partner, played a central role in bringing the event to life. Positioned as Saudi Arabia’s future capital of entertainment, sports, and culture, Qiddiya City provided both the physical and symbolic setting for the first hydrogen race in history. The venue’s commitment to see through its ambitions was cemented with a five year deal to host the World Cup in Qiddiya.

Qiddiya City

On the sporting side, the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF) acted as the local governing body, facilitating coordination of the event.

Speaking from the podium before handing his home team the winner trophy, HRH Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal, Chairman of SAMF said: “From the heart of Qiddiya City, we write today a new and even more ambitious chapter in the world of global motorsport. The launch of the FIA Extreme H World Cup marks a transformative milestone in the world of racing and showcases how competition, innovation, and sustainability can move forward hand in hand. Let’s celebrate and welcome a new era; one powered by hydrogen, driven by ambition, and built for the future.”

What’s next?

Extreme H is first set to explore its presence in the MENA region before expanding to countries with emerging hydrogen economies, including China, Japan, South Korea, Namibia, Brazil, Chile, Canada, Germany, and the UK as confirmed by Ali Russell, Managing Director of Extreme H. By looking to regions investing in hydrogen infrastructure, the series could combine competitive racing with a real-world demonstration of hydrogen technology.

Extreme H also reinforces the Middle East’s role as a global motorsport hub. From Formula E in Jeddah, the Dakar Rally and the F1 Grand Prix’s in Bahrain, KSA and the UAE, the region has become a ground for innovative technology and event logistics. Specifically with Saudi Arabia, by adding hydrogen racing to its portfolio, Extreme H enhances the strategic intersection of sport, sustainability, and technology - key pillars of Vision 2030, the Kingdom’s blueprint to

Beneath cliffs older than humanity itself, Extreme H placed human ambition alongside natural history, testing whether pioneering engineering could meet the unforgiving demands of the desert. The debut captured an intriguing contrast: the permanence of the natural world and the audacious reach of human innovation. By staging this experiment in the Saudi desert, Agag and his partners demonstrated that hydrogen racing is not just possible, but practical, scalable, and globally relevant.

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