Nyck de Vries dominates Formula E season opener in Riyadh

Dutch driver triumphs in his Mercedes under floodlights

Nyck De Vries (17) of the Netherlands won the Formula E race in Riyadh driving his Mercedes Benz EQ. Getty

Race action during the ABB FIA Formula E Championship in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Getty

Cars are parked on the track on the second day of Diriyah E-Prix, in the Saudi capital Riyadh on February 26, 2021. AFP

Race action during the ABB FIA Formula E Championship at Diriyah. Getty

Oliver Turvey of Great Britain driving the (8) NIO 333 Formula E Team. Getty

Race action during the ABB FIA Formula E Championship in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Getty

Race action during the ABB FIA Formula E Championship in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Getty

Dutchman Nyck de Vries stormed to a lights-to-flag victory in the season-opening race of the Formula E championship on Friday, piloting his all-electric car under the stars in Saudi Arabia.

De Vries, in a Mercedes, finished ahead of Switzerland's Edoardo Mortara of Venturi and New Zealand's Mitch Evans in a Jaguar in the floodlit Diriyah E-Prix.

Mercedes, multiple champions in Formula One, are in their second season in the Formula E series.

They finished the 2020 campaign with a victory helping them to third place in the constructors championship and second in the drivers category with Belgian Stoffel Vandoorne.

De Vries, 26, was Formula Two world champion in 2019 and made the podium in Formula E last season with a second place run in Berlin in June.

He was reluctant, however, to predict an era of Mercedes Formula E dominance to rival the company's stranglehold on F1.

"There is too much going on in Formula E," said De Vries, who led from start to finish after also dominating both free practice sessions.

"Today, everything went well. It's encouraging but we must remain humble. Tomorrow is another day."

A second race will be held at the same circuit on Saturday.