What is Formula E EVO Sessions and who pays for any crash damage?

What is EVO Sessions?

Formula E’s Jeddah E-Prix double-header might have concluded on Saturday night, but the track action continues at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit on Sunday, as EVO Sessions returns.

The Formula E-led initiative sees selected influencers and celebrities partner with a Formula E team and be trained to become drivers before taking to the racetrack in the current Gen3 Evo.

Last year’s inaugural event was held in Miami and featured the likes of Brooklyn Beckham and Sergio Agüero, but it did not consist of a competitive format.

For Sunday’s event, there is a competitive element, with 10 influencers having been split into two teams.

The two teams competing against each other are Señor Frogs and Quickstars, battling to become the 2026 EVO Sessions champion.

Who is taking part?

For Sunday’s event, Formula E has partnered with Arcade, the management and production company behind Sidemen.

The Sidemen are a UK-based YouTube group who boast a subscriber count of well over 22 million, making them one of the biggest groups globally. From the Sidemen, Ethan Payne, known as Behzinga, will drive for DS Penske as part of team Señor Frogs, while fellow Sidemen member Vikkstar is the team manager of Quickstars.

Señor Frogs has been around for a few years and was created by friends of the Sidemen to compete in the Buckmore Park 24 Hours, where it secured a rookie-class podium.

The fastest driver from that karting team is YouTuber TheBurntChip, who is driving for Jaguar. The team boss of Señor Frogs is YouTuber Calfreezy.

Other notable names include Izzy Hammond, the daughter of former Top Gear and The Grand Tour host Richard Hammond.

The most followed influencer taking part is TikToker Khaby Lame, who has 77 million Instagram followers and will drive for Nissan.

There are two returning names from last season’s EVO Sessions, with Emelia Hartford and JUCA both set for another crack in Formula E machinery.

See the full breakdown of who is driving, who for, and which team they are representing below.

Who will pay for any damage?

A key question surrounding EVO Sessions is who would cover any crash damage, particularly given the competitive nature of the event, which increases the likelihood of accidents.

Last year’s event saw only special guest MrBeast crash Cupra Kiro’s Porsche, with the clip going viral on social media.

During Jeddah E-Prix, it was confirmed by Jeff Dodds that Formula E would cover any damage costs — not the teams — as it is a Formula E-led initiative.

Revealing who will pay for any car damage, Dodds told RacingNews365: "If there are crashes, and obviously we had one last year with our friend, Mr. Beast, Jimmy. If there are crashes, then we foot the bill. 

"It's a championship led initiative that's designed to grow the reach of the championship and for all of us to benefit. 

"But it's not something that we would expect the teams to pay for themselves, because we're asking them to go with us on this journey. So if there are crashes that bill comes to me."

What does the format look like?

Across the afternoon in Jeddah, each driver will receive 15 minutes on the circuit to themselves, removing the pressure of being joined by others on track while they learn the ropes.

Once each driver has completed their 15-minute session, the lap times will be checked and the four quickest drivers from each team will progress to the duels.

The slowest driver from each team will still take part in a duel — a wooden-spoon battle to determine who finishes last in EVO Sessions.

As for the quarter-final duels, each will consist of one driver from each team, with the winner progressing to the semi-finals and then the final, just like the usual Formula E duels format.

Points will be awarded throughout the duels, with those who win in the quarter-finals receiving one point, three points awarded for semi-final wins, and five points given to the winner of the final. The winner of the wooden spoon will also receive five points.

The team with the most points wins overall, while the individual winning driver will also be crowned the winner of the final duel.

How to watch?

Unlike last year, this year’s EVO Sessions event will be broadcast live on Formula E’s YouTube channel.

The livestream is scheduled to get underway on Sunday at 18:30 local time (15:30 GMT) and will run for the entirety of the duels until an EVO Sessions winner is crowned.

You can find the livestream below!