Extreme H: Jameel Motorsport takes the Final win in the world’s first hydrogen powered race
Jameel Motorsport’s Kevin Hansen and Molly Taylor have made history last week by winning the first-ever FIA Extreme H World Cup in Saudi Arabia – the first motorsport event anywhere in the world to be powered entirely by hydrogen.
The three-day competition took place at Qiddiya City, a new motorsport complex being built in the desert about 45 kilometres from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Eight mixed teams competed in identical Pioneer 25 hydrogen fuel-cell cars, producing around 550 horsepower from a 400 kW system.
It’s the same off-road format as Extreme E, but instead of batteries propelling the racers, the cars use compressed hydrogen reacted through a fuel cell to create the electricity to make the off roaders go.
A win for the home team
Representing Jameel Motorsport – Saudi Arabia’s first hydrogen racing team – Hansen and Taylor led the Final from pole position and then didn’t give it up. Hansen built an early gap before handing over to Taylor, who crossed the line 7.068 seconds clear of Carl Cox Motorsport, with Team EVEN taking third.
“To win the first ever FIA Extreme H World Cup is probably the biggest achievement of my career. Standing on pole for a Saudi team, knowing winner takes all, it was huge pressure, but it feels incredible to make history,” said Hansen.
Taylor said: “It’s been a pretty emotional day. It’s been such an intense week, particularly the last three days. It’s pretty hard to describe. You have to be on it every step of the way.
“It feels very sweet to be able to deliver this, for Jameel Motorsport, for all our crew, we all banded together to make this happen.”
Hydrogen systems under real pressure
Each Pioneer 25 uses a hydrogen fuel-cell stack, developed by Symbio, that generates electricity to drive electric motors, with water vapour the only thing exhausted out of the tailpipe.
Refuelling takes a few minutes via an on-site dispenser system, and despite high temperatures, dust, vibration and the rapid power cycles of racing, every car ran near-faultlessly across the weekend. This was the first time hydrogen fuel-cell technology has been pushed this hard in open competition.
Team KMS won Thursday’s Time Trial, STARD took Friday’s Head-to-Heads, and Jameel Motorsport claimed the Final. Each stage tested something different, with outright pace, precision driving, and reliability under repeated acceleration loads.
Qiddiya City and Saudi Arabia’s hydrogen ambitions
The race took place against the backdrop of Qiddiya City, part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 strategy to diversify the economy and position the Kingdom as a global centre for sport, technology and clean energy. The development, backed by the Public Investment Fund, is being built as a new home for motorsport and entertainment.
“From the heart of Qiddiya City, we write today a new chapter in global motorsport,” said HRH Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal, Chairman of the Saudi Motorsport Company. “Competition, innovation and sustainability can move forward hand in hand.”
The city sits beneath the Tuwaiq Mountains, a dramatic backdrop now being transformed into a permanent motorsport hub – with permanent circuits, testing facilities and off-road tracks planned as construction continues.
Extreme H replaces the batteries used in Extreme E with hydrogen tanks and fuel-cell systems, but keeps the same race format and gender-equal driver line-up.
