Taking place October 9-11, Extreme H retains the short, fan-friendly cadence and mixed-gender lineups familiar to Extreme E but shifts the spotlight to hydrogen fuel-cell racing, placing sustainable technology at the centre of a new pioneering event.
It’s only fitting that such an ambitious and trailblazing occasion is staged at Qiddiya City, where the same adjectives apply. Qiddiya City is a flagship project of Saudi Vision 2030, built around sport, entertainment, culture, and living, with motorsport positioned alongside an Esports & Gaming district, golf courses, and theme parks to eventually turn race weekends into a destination experience.
While Extreme H takes place on the new off-road course, Qiddiya City’s Speed Park Track, forecast to open in 2027, signals the long game. It will comprise 21 corners, 80 garages, projected top speeds beyond 325 km/h (202 m/h), and a world-first 70-metre “Blade” – a cantilevered Turn 1 that threads the circuit through surrounding attractions. The Speed Park Track will be purpose-built to host blue-riband categories, including future Formula 1 races, and underlines the direction of travel for Saudi’s motorsport scene.
Extreme H is the next stop on this exciting journey. Time Trials, Head-to-Head duels, and Multi-Car races provide the initial challenges before an eight-car, winner-takes-all World Cup Final. These compact sessions are designed to reward quick adaptability as much as outright pace. Winners of each session are awarded 10 points, runners-up receive nine points, and so on, with bonus points on offer across the event to keep the stakes live.
Given the focus on the groundbreaking sustainability technology, there is plenty of attention on the car. The 400kW Pioneer 25 is a purpose-built hydrogen fuel-cell off-roader with front and rear 200 kW e-motors, a Symbio fuel cell, and acceleration that puts it in the frame for short-burst multi-car racing.
The car is designed to excel on the Qiddiya City course – a technical and high-profile circuit set beneath the impressive Tuwaiq mountains and described as “the world’s best off-road racetrack” by James Taylor, the Extreme E and Extreme H Chief Championship Officer.
The 3.021km loop is jump-heavy and momentum-sensitive, rewarding precise landings, confident braking over crests, and clean rhythm through the snaking mid-sector. The Pioneer 25’s upgraded FOX suspension, instant torque, and refined energy/thermal management should help teams attack the jumps, stabilise landings, and carry speed where hesitation could cost places.
The eight teams preparing to tackle this unique challenge won’t be lacking for star power. Team Hanson fields Andreas Bakkerud and Catie Munnings; Kristoffersson Motorsport is represented by Johan Kristoffersson and Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky; Carl Cox Motorsport pairs Timo Scheider and Klara Andersson; and JBX powered by Team Monaco brings Tommi Hallman and Christine GZ. The local headline is Jameel Motorsport, the first Saudi team on the grid, with Kevin Hansen and Molly Taylor forming a proven, title-winning partnership.
The Extreme H World Cup will provide a glimpse of the future, not only of sustainable racing but of motorsports in Saudi Arabia. Following the arrival of Formula E in 2018, the Dakar Rally in 2020, and Formula 1 in 2021, Qiddiya City is set to represent the next major landmark for motorsport in the Kingdom, starting with Extreme E and now Extreme H.
Within this wider context, Extreme H feels like a marker for where the sport is heading. Hydrogen racing slots naturally into Saudi Arabia’s broader shift toward sustainable, tech-led events, and Qiddiya City’s “play” concept gives that transition a physical home; where motorsport sits alongside culture, entertainment, and everyday life.
It also signals a country intent on shaping the future of global racing. If Extreme H proves its concept on Saudi soil, it will underscore a simple point: innovation and ambition can share the same track, and Qiddiya City is designed to make that convergence feel permanent.
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