One Month to Go: the FIA Extreme H World Cup Returns to Qiddiya City
With exactly one month to go until the second edition of the FIA Extreme H World Cup gets underway in Qiddiya City, Saudi Arabia, preparations are gathering pace for three days of hydrogen-powered off-road racing, beginning with the Time Trial competition on the 29th of October.
In preparation for the return to Qiddiya City, Extreme H’s home and The City of Play, the Extreme H team was on site last month to make a series of updates to the purpose-built course, building upon the inaugural race’s design to ensure a spectacular racing environment for next month’s event.
Since last year’s race held nearly a year ago, Qiddiya City has continued to take shape, with a number of major assets now open to the public, including Six Flags Qiddiya City and Aquarabia. Significant progress has also been made across the destination’s wider portfolio, including the Sir Nick Faldo Golf Course and the Speed Park Track, which features a 20-storey-high cantilevered section known as “The Blade”.
Ali Russell, Managing Director of Extreme H, said: “The shift has been palpable over the past few weeks as the second edition of Extreme H starts to take shape. With all eight Pioneer 25s now refurbished and heading to Qiddiya City, the course taking shape and our first team entry confirmed, there is a real sense of momentum building around this year’s event.
“We are working very closely with Qiddiya City, the FIA, Saudi Motorsport Company and Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation to build on what we delivered last year and create an even more thrilling sporting experience. We are now just one month away from going racing, and the excitement is building.”
Meanwhile, all eight Pioneer 25 hydrogen-powered race cars have now been serviced by Spark Racing Technologies and are making their way to Qiddiya City ahead of the event. Each car has also undergone a full chassis inspection following three days of intense competition at last year’s inaugural event, ensuring they continue to meet the highest FIA safety standards.
Mansour Almokbel, CEO of Saudi Motorsport Company and acting CEO of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation said: “With one month to go until the FIA Extreme H World Cup returns to Qiddiya City, preparations are progressing well, and Saudi Motorsport Company is confident in its readiness to support the delivery of another successful edition. Our team at SMC continues to work closely with Qiddiya City, Extreme H, the FIA and the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation across all areas of preparation, building on the strong foundations established during last year’s inaugural event.
“Saudi Arabia has a strong track record in hosting major international motorsport events, and we are proud to contribute to that journey with the return of Extreme H. We look forward to welcoming the teams, drivers and fans back to Qiddiya City for three exciting days of competition.”
This year’s driver line-up is also beginning to take shape, with Veloce Racing confirmed as the first team to enter the 2026 FIA Extreme H World Cup. The team will make its Extreme H debut with reigning champions Molly Taylor and Kevin Hansen, who triumpantly secured victory in the inaugural race with Jameel Motorsport last year.
Both Extreme H’s female and male drivers have remained busy since the inaugural FIA World Cup last October, competing across FIA European Rallycross, the FIA Rally Raid World Championship and more. With a year of globally-spanning racing under their belts and familiarity with the hydrogen-powered Pioneer 25, the grid is preparing to regroup in Qiddiya City, where they will face three unique racing disciplines in the battle to be crowned the ultimate off-road champion.
Emilia Abel, Road Sport Director at the FIA added: “Following the successful first-ever FIA Extreme H World Cup last year, it is encouraging to see the preparations now coming together for the second edition in Qiddiya City. The progress made over the past year reflects the significant work taking place behind the scenes, and with one month to go, the FIA remains confident in the preparations underway.
We look forward to working alongside Extreme H again, as the World Cup provides an important platform to demonstrate the potential of this technology in a highly competitive environment, while championing gender equality and continuing to explore new possibilities for innovation and sustainable solutions in motor sport.”
With the countdown now into its final month, the Extreme H team behind the scenes are working closely with Qiddiya City, Saudi Motorsport Company and the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF) to finalise preparations for the return of the hydrogen-powered World Cup.
