- NEOM, Principal Partner of the Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team, congratulates Stoffel Vandoorne on his first race victory of Season 7 at the Rome E-Prix
- The race win puts the Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team second in the overall team standings
- The partnership between the Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team and NEOM brings together two organizations harnessing innovation to create a more sustainable future
NEOM, Saudi Arabia: The Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team, proudly supported by NEOM, celebrated a great result after a challenging race weekend with a first-place finish for Stoffel Vandoorne at race two of the Rome E-Prix.
The German racing team is off to a good start in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, building on Nyck De Vries’ race win at the Season opener held in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia in late February.
Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team Driver, Stoffel Vandoorne bounced back from a disappointing first race in Rome on Saturday to fight his way from fourth to the front, securing a memorable victory in Round 4 at Rome’s Circuito Cittadino dell’EUR, putting himself into championship contention having started the day 15th in the driver standings.
NEOM residents had the opportunity to witness Stoffel’s prowess behind the wheel back in December 2020 during a pre-season drive around NEOM, which is currently under development in Saudi Arabia’s north-west region as part of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 initiative. That was the first time an all-electric vehicle had taken to the streets of NEOM, providing a glimpse into the future of mobility and sustainability.
Stoffel Vandoorne, Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team Driver said: “What an amazing victory! It makes up for what happened yesterday. To end the weekend on such a high today feels fantastic. I would like to thank everyone in the team and especially my mechanics, who had their work cut out to get the car fixed after the accident. But everything was just perfect today, including the team’s strategy, which helped me get the drop on Sims (Mahindra Racing Driver).
“I wasn’t sure what to expect during the safety car period just before the end but still had fan boost, so I could defend my position. It didn’t feel exactly great after comfortably being in the lead, but I didn’t put a foot wrong over the final lap and managed to secure the win, which is what counts in the end.”
Jan Paterson, Managing Director of Sport at NEOM, said: “It’s brilliant to see yet another strong performance from the Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team. We’re excited to see the team at the top end of the standings in just their second season in Formula E. NEOM is striving to become a major participant in the world’s sporting landscape and our partnership with the team is providing us with a unique opportunity to tap into an organization which is relentless in their pursuit of excellence.”
About NEOM:
NEOM is an accelerator of human progress and a vision of what a New Future might look like. It is a region in northwest Saudi Arabia on the Red Sea being built from the ground up as a living laboratory – a place where entrepreneurship will chart the course for this New Future. It will be a destination and a home for people who dream big and want to be part of building a new model for exceptional liveability, creating thriving businesses, and reinventing environmental conservation. NEOM will be the home and workplace to more than a million residents from around the world. It will include towns and cities, ports and enterprise zones, research centres, sports and entertainment venues, and tourist destinations. As a hub for innovation, entrepreneurs, business leaders and companies will come to research, incubate and commercialize new technologies and enterprises in ground-breaking ways. Residents of NEOM will embody an international ethos and embrace a culture of exploration, risk-taking and diversity – all supported by a progressive law compatible with international norms and conducive to economic growth.
About The Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team:
Motorsport has been a core element of Mercedes-Benz for more than 125 years. The first vehicle to bear the Mercedes-Benz name was a racing car. Last year, Mercedes-Benz added a new chapter in its long and successful motorsport history. The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship is the ideal platform to demonstrate the performance of the Mercedes-EQ battery-powered electric vehicles, offering a completely new kind of experience, which combines racing with a unique event character. The team celebrated the first ever fully-electric race win for Mercedes-Benz and ended their debut season in Formula E in third place in the team championship.
