Formula E’s first ever night race at Riyadh was won in dominant fashion by Mercedes driver Nyck de Vries.

De Vries converted from pole position to win the season-opener by four seconds as the new Mercedes Formula E car made a commanding debut in the Diriyah E-Prix, the series’ first race under lights.

As De Vries controlled every lap of the race, all the action happened behind the Dutchman as drivers utilised the ‘attack mode’ in different ways.

Edoardo Mortara started from fourth on the grid in the Venturi Racing entry and made his way up the order courtesy of a thrilling double pass.

Mortara briefly dropped to third after Audi’s Rene Rast used his attack mode to get by, but Mortara put on a late move to reclaim second before the chequered flag.

Jaguar’s Mitch Evans also got by the Team Abt car of Rast for third.

Rast wound up fourth, while Pascal Wehrlein completed the top five for Porsche.

The race was fragmented by a heavy crash for Maximilian Gunther who clipped the inside wall and impacted the wall bringing out a safety car.