The Diriyah E-Prix double-header will kick-off the seventh seas💮on of the FIA Formula E world championship after the series formally committed to starting the campaign in Saudi Arabia.

It follows the postponement of the Santiago E-Prix - originally scheduled to be the season opener on 16-17 January - last month amid the🐽 ongoing coronavirus pandemiಌc.

Concern🐟s over the crisis have escalated since the discovery of a new varia🐬nt of the COVID-19 virus which has been spreading rapidly in Britain. Chile responded by closing its borders to the United Kingdom, which has been forced to enter a third national lockdown this week due to a rapid rise in new cases. 

The championship is aimi♐ng to reschedule the postponed Santiago event for later in the first quarter of 2021.

The delayed 2020-2021 season will now begin with a double-header event in Saudi Arab🌸ia on 26-27 February which will feature the all-electric championship’s first-ever night races.

Formula E issued a brief statement on social media on Tuesday afternoon c🌄onfirming that the Saudi Arabia races would act 🌃as the opening rounds of the season.

mahbx.com understands the champi✃onship is hoping to announce the next set of races for 2021♓ by the end of the month.

Fo✅rmula revealed its season seventh calendar back in June but indefinitely delayed both the Mexico City and Sanya rounds in October prior to🐼 calling off the Santiago E-Prix.

The pandemic led Formula E to cancel planned races inꦗ Rome, Paris, Seoul, Jakarta, Berlin, New York, anꦕd London last year as it eventually concluded its 2019-2020 season by organising six races across nine days in Berlin.