With the Extreme H World Cup, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) held its first official hydrogen-powered motorsport race on October 11, 2025, in Qiddiya City, Saudi Arabia. Eight international teams, each consisting of one male and one female driver, competed in the new race format. The vehicles were powered exclusively by fuel cells.
The Jameel Motorsport team, with Kevin Hansen (Sweden) and Molly Taylor (Australia), won the final. Hansen started from pole position and quickly built up a lead. Taylor brought the vehicle across the finish line with a 7.068-second advantage. Carl Cox Motorsport and Team Even finished in second and third place, respectively.
Off-road racing and a roadshow for sustainabilityThe three-day event included time trials, head-to-head races, and a final with eight vehicles. In addition to the sporting competition, the focus was on showcasing sustainable technologies. All vehicles were powered by hydrogen fuel cells. With this format, the FIA aims to demonstrate that hydrogen can be a viable option for high-performance motorsport. Another key element of the competition was gender equality: each team consisted of one male and one female driver, as has been the case in previous years in Formula E. While there was initially a noticeable time gap between men and women, this has steadily decreased over time.
The event took place in Qiddiya City, a new city near Riyadh being developed as a hub for sports and entertainment as part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. Extreme H is an evolution of the Extreme E racing series, which used battery-electric SUVs in remote regions. With the switch to hydrogen, the series aims to set new technological benchmarks while also pursuing environmental and gender equality goals, according to the FIA.
