The Jeddah street circuit is clearly well suited to the DS E-TENSE FE25, but also to the drivers of the Franco-American team. Guenther scored a resounding grand slam there in 2025 – pole position, victory and fastest lap – while Barnard finished on the podium in the first of the two races held there last year. Two weeks after a weather-disrupted event in Miami, the Saudi skies were much kinder. The forecast predicted heat, but this was mitigated by a welcome breeze. In these conditions, Thursday’s free practice sessions at the end of the day served mainly as an observation phase… and a warning. By setting the fastest time of the session, Maximilian Guenther immediately set the bar high. The competition had been warned.
Jeddah also marked the first double-header of the season, and therefore the return of Pit Boost – a mandatory quick stop during the first race – combined with a unique six-minute Attack Mode. This unprecedented combination profoundly disrupted the strategic habits of the field. “It’s a bit like starting from scratch,” Guenther said before the weekend. Was this extra pressure for the defending champion? “Not really. We don’t think about past races. The cars have evolved, everything is prepared on the simulator, you have to take things as they come.”
Daytime qualifying, night-time racing
On Friday, the temperature rose another notch. Under the sun, the thermometer read 29C in the air – nearly 40C on the ground – when the DS Penske cars took to the track for the second practice session. Both drivers settled into the top 10 while fine-tuning their set-ups. A Nissan spun off the track, causing a red flag, which provided an additional opportunity to fine-tune the set-up. Later in the afternoon, Guenther and Barnard found themselves in the same qualifying group, complicating access to the duels. But both drivers rose to the challenge, setting the third and fourth fastest times of their session. Confident, Guenther proved particularly strong in the duels, first eliminating Antonio Felix da Costa (Jaguar) before facing Pascal Wehrlein (Porsche) in the semi-finals.
Taylor Barnard, DS Penske
Photo by: Joao Filipe / DPPI
Uncompromising, the DS Penske driver made it to the final, securing second place on the grid. Barnard qualified fifth, with a staggered strategy in mind. At 8pm, under the floodlights, the race got under way in a more breathable atmosphere. Guenther got off to a perfect start to take the lead at the first corner, while Barnard joined the battle for the provisional podium. A safety car intervention brought the field closer together, before energy strategies came into play. Guenther was the first to activate his Attack Mode on lap 16, attempting to capitalise on six minutes of extra power before diving into the pits for his Pit Boost, recovering 3.85kWh of energy in the process.
Barnard, on a different strategy, stopped earlier, while his team-mate battled at the front. Guenther then took the lead, building up a small advantage before his stop, while Barnard activated his Attack Mode to secure a lasting place in the top 10. Once all the strategies had been played out, the hierarchy remained unchanged. Barnard finished a solid race in 10th place, earning one point, while Guenther crossed the line in 12th position, a result that fell short of initial ambitions but was rich in lessons.
The second race of the weekend will take place on Saturday 14 February, again in Jeddah, starting at 8pm local time.
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– The Autosport.com Team
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