The most unpredictable motorsport championship on the planet is back — as the 2022 Diriyah E-Prix returns to the historic desert surroundings of the UNESCO World Heritage site for its season opening double-header, Jan. 28-29, 2022. Twenty-two of the best drivers in the world will race for 11 teams and only one trophy in Season 8 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. Reigning Teams World Champions Mercedes-EQ of Germany return for their final season in Formula E with another stellar line-up, bringing back Season 7 champion Nyck de Vries and Belgian star Stoffel Vandoorne. The flying Dutchman De Vries qualified on pole for the first race of last season’s opening Diriyah E-Prix, leading every lap thereafter en route to his first ever victory in the series. His second victory came soon after, in Valencia, in which half the field ran faced disqualification after running out of useable energy. De Vries ended the campaign with two wins, four podiums and 99 points, becoming the first official FIA Formula E World Champion, following the series’ long-awaited FIA sanctioning in 2020/2021. Vandoorne heads into his fourth season on the circuit, having finished ninth in last season’s championship, with victory in the Berlin finale, three poles and three podiums to his name. The driver, paired with De Vries for the third year in a row, will be one to watch in Season 8 as Mercedes-EQ are looking to retire from the sport with a successful defense of their title. Jaguar races into Season 8 off the back of its best year yet, and led by a duo of strong, proven race winners: Kiwi Mitch Evans, and Britain’s Sam Bird. Both drivers were in with a real shot of the title heading into the last season’s closing races. Evans, who has been with the British team since its inception in 2016, saw his 2021 title chances wither in Berlin following a start-line technical problem and the resulting heavy shunt. With two wins and ten podiums last season, Evans returns as a serious challenger in 2022, and as a driver who has improved year on year in Formula E. A race winner in every season of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship to date, Sam Bird bagged first place in both Diriyah and New York City — after a practice shunt — last year. A technical issue in Round 14’s Berlin race ended his champion ambitions, but Bird starts his latest campaign in the all-electric street racing series hunting for an overdue maiden Drivers" Title. It’s a new look for the Andretti team in 2021, as Avalanche replaces BMWi as title partner. On the driving side, Jake Dennis returns alongside rookie Oliver Askew. Dennis had a spectacular start to his Formula E career last year, becoming the most successful rookie in championship history in terms of podium visits. Victories in Valencia and London meant no driver outside of Formula E"s original first-season line-up had more race wins than the 26-year-old in 2021, and nobody led more laps. A technical glitch brought his title charge to an end in the final round, as he finished third in the overall Drivers’ standings. Joining Dennis is American driver and former Indy Lights champion OIiver Askew, who joins the grid following a spell in IndyCar, making him no stranger to high intensity racing. Dragon/Penske Autosport showed real signs of improvement last season, scoring more points in the opening two rounds than they had throughout the whole of the previous season. Antonio Giovinazzi is an exciting new addition to the team for season 21/22 who joins from Formula 1’s Alfa Romeo. The Italian is a rookie to electric racing but did find the transition tough testing last season in Valencia. He joins forces with teammate Sergio Sette Camara, who had his best drive in Diriyah last year after finishing fourth in the opening race. The German team TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team returns to battle in Season 8 with silverware under its belt for the first time — and eyes on more. In the paddock, Andre Lotterer is joined again by Pascal Wehrlein, forming an impressive all-German line-up. Both Wehrlein and Lotterer — the latter a three-time Le Mans winner and five-year Formula E veteran — scored consistently through a strong second half of the season last year. Silverware for Wehrlein in Rome and second for Lotterer in Valencia were the highlights of a season that will encourage both teammates heading into this year’s championship. As Season 7 went on, Mahindra Racing grew from strength to strength. A stunning victory in London on home soil for driver Alex Lynn was the highlight, but he departed at the end of the season. Fellow Brit Oliver Rowland replaces him, driving alongside Alexander Sims for 2021/22. Sims has a race win and podiums to his name in Formula E, and Rowland joins the team having made the move from Nissan e.dams. He’s regarded as one of the quickest drivers on the grid, and a qualifying specialist who isn"t afraid of a challenge. Nissan e.dams are heading into Season 8 with one of the most promising talents on the grid, Maximilian Guenther, who joins the team after spending last year with BMW i Andretti Motorsport. The German has proven himself in battle with race-winning form in New York in Round 10, thanks to some exceptional patience and energy management, which saw him jump from fourth on the grid to first come the checkered flag. He joins one of the most experienced drivers on the grid in 2015/16 champion, Sebastian Buemi. The Swiss is highly decorated, both in Formula E and as a multiple 24 Hours of Le Mans and sportscar race winner. Envision Racing are kicking off Season 8 with a striking new green car design, while retaining their driver pairings of Nick Cassidy and Robin Frijns after returning to Formula E in 2018/19, Frijns is now embarking on his fourth season with Envision Virgin Racing, having had a strong season and finishing second in Diriyah and Monaco last year. Japanese Super Formula and Super GT champion Cassidy joined the Envision team in Season 7, with a solid performance throughout the year and two silverware podium finishes in Mexico and New York. NIO 333 Racing retains veteran Oliver Turvey and adds rookie Dan Ticktum for Season 8. After joining the ABB FIA Formula E Championship just in time for the 2014/15 season finale in London, Turvey has become a long-standing member of the NIO 333 Formula E Team line-up. Dan Ticktum is a Formula 2 race winner and won his home event at Silverstone in his rookie season, securing three further podiums. He added two race wins to his tally in the 2021 campaign, where he finished fourth in the standings. The team ROKiT Venturi Racing heads into Season 8 following their best run in Formula E to-date, with five podiums including two race wins. Venturi have also enlisted the services of the 2016/2017 champion Lucas di Grassi, who concluded his seven year stint with Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler. The Brazilian is lauded as one of the most knowledgeable drivers in the sport, as his tactical approach to electric street racing is something that his new team are relying on this season. His new teammate Mortara finished second in the Drivers" standings in his fourth campaign with Venturi, narrowly missing out to Nyck De Vries at the last in dramatic fashion in the finale in Berlin. The team DS TECHEETAH had its streak of back-to-back Teams’ and Drivers’ championships halted last season when they finished third by only a single point. Heading into 2021/2022 with a new team principal and some restructuring, the team will be looking to return to the top. Jean-Eric Vergne and Antonio Felix da Costa return and could arguably be regarded as the strongest line-up on the grid, with both being title winners — JEV a double champ and seven seasons of Formula E experience to their name. Tickets start from SR150 and are available at diriyah-eprix.com. With fans welcomed back to live motorsport in Diriyah, grab a seat in the grandstands lining the circuit in the best action hotspots around the stunning surroundings of the UNESCO World Heritage site. The two spectacular night races will be rounded off with live music concerts headlined by soon-to-be-announced global music superstars — get a head start and buy your tickets today for entertainment both on and off the track. — SPA