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23-03-31 Mattias Ekström on his return to the championship
Mattias, welcome back to Extreme E! Can you tell us how you got the call to race for the ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team?
Mattias Ekström: The week after Carlos had his incident and got hurt is when he asked me if I would be interested, and we started chatting about it. It took a couple of weeks and then we agreed and finally I arrived in Saudi Arabia very happy to go racing again!
XE: What are your memories of driving in Extreme E in Season 1?
Ekström: We had a couple of good races in Season 1, but we also had some issues. Mainly though there was some very cool locations and a lot of adventures, especially with the first event in Saudi Arabia which was pretty dramatic. It was in general a season full of excitement.
Carlos is very persuasive. I respect Carlos a lot and I must say it was a lot of fun to have him with us at the first double-header and hopefully he can come with us to other races as well.
XE: Do you feel the championship has changed a lot since your last race? Has anything stood out and impressed you?
Ekström: The girls and how fast they drive. The girls have really picked up the pace and I see that trend continuing as the series progresses.
Secondly, I would say the cars have also improved quite a bit and Extreme E has grown in the technical department since the series launched.
Thirdly, I think the new format is much more exciting. I prefer the new set-up with five cars – it will have the heartbeat up and continue to entertain people.
XE: Does the car feel different since you last drove it in 2021?
Ekström: The biggest difference this season with the cars is the steering. The car is still very kicky in the jumps, but the dampers have improved which helps a lot in the jumps.
XE: What’s the key to success in this new racing format?
Ekström: I think success in this very much depends on who you race against, and which start line you have into Turn 1. You have to try and read the situation as well as you can with the drivers on the grid.
With so many races happening across a weekend the track changes a lot, too. I think I have learned so much about driving in ruts and sand over the past two years in the Dakar Rally. Driving in ruts might look easy, but it requires a bit more if you want to master it. I'm not scared of ruts anymore – I actually enjoy them!
I always expect really rough racing in this series. There are a lot of ‘winner mentality’ drivers here - nobody wants to lose, everybody wants to win. But I think that's what's motor racing is about, especially for me. We all want to win, and I think with this format you stimulate that even more.
XE: You were on the podium in Round 1. Tell us about your first race back in the series.
Ekström: We had a good day on the first day of racing - we were second in Q1 and we won Q2 so I think you can be fair and say that we are a good pair and we have good pace. We ended up second in the round and also had the fastest Continental Traction Challenge time so it was a very positive day.
XE: You and Laia Sanz went on to get a maiden victory for the team in Round 2. What did Carlos have to say to you on the podium?
Ekström: For me, before the start of any Heat when he comes to grab me, it feels so special. I can really feel he wants me to do well, to show for himself, but also for the ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team. Carlos’ way of treating me is like my dad used to treat me, and that means a lot.
Extreme E returns to action with the Hydro X Prix in Scotland. The racing action will be best viewed live on STV and ITV, in the UK, over both Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 May to enable the best views. Outside of the UK, please visit here for broadcaster details.
To learn more about Extreme E, visit - www.Extreme-E.com
23-03-30 Extreme E reveals plans to race in former Scottish coal mine
Extreme E, the sport for purpose electric off-road rallying series, has today confirmed that the former Glenmuckloch opencast coal mine site in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, will host its next race event, the Hydro X Prix, on 13-14 May 2023.
With legendary motorsport names involved in the series including Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg, Jenson Button, NEOM McLaren, Andretti and Carl Cox, the restored former coal mine, which is about to undergo the next phase of its major transformation into a Pumped Storage Hydropower (PSH) plant and wind farm, will provide a poignant backdrop for the sport which uses its platform to raise awareness of climate change and global solutions.
Just 18 months ago world leaders met in Glasgow for COP26, aiming to secure global net zero by the middle of this century. As an off-road rally series which focuses on the promotion of electric vehicles and clean energy innovations, the old mine is the perfect natural amphitheatre to showcase the necessary industry transition to move from fossil fuels to clean energy futures. It will also impactfully act as an example of the important role water can play in future renewables and healthy conservation.
Alongside far flung racing destinations which have so far included Greenland, the Atacama Desert, Saudi Arabia and Senegal, on the west coast of Africa, the Hydro X Prix in Scotland represents an exciting return home for the sport for purpose series as it delivers its third season, creating the opportunity to highlight climate issues and solutions that are not just global, but also right on our doorstep.
Alejandro Agag, Founder and CEO of Extreme E, said: “Extreme E is a unique sport for purpose racing series. We are thrilled to be headed to Scotland in May for the Hydro X Prix, and we could not have found a more perfect racing site than the former Glenmuckloch coal mine.
“Extreme E uses its racing platform to tell inspirational stories of global locations on the forefront of climate issues. Here in Scotland, our race site will play homage to the much needed transition of an old coal mine which is being given a new and exciting lease of life as a hydro-project which will provide a fully renewable energy source for the region for centuries to come.
“Not only will this site provide one of the most dramatic and extreme race courses we have seen in our global journey, it will tell a poignant story about transition and the changing of courses that the energy industry and communities must all take if we are to succeed in the fight against climate change.”
Extreme E offers an exciting wheel to wheel racing format and also provides a world-first gender-equal motorsport platform, which sees men and women drivers race equally for success.
Catie Munnings, Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E, said: “It was really exciting to be in Scotland to kick off the countdown to the Hydro X Prix in May. It’s always great to have a home event, and racing is Scotland is something I am really looking forward to.
“There’s always something unique about every Extreme E course but racing in a location like this which is close to home will be something special for me and the team.
“I've heard the track will be a combination of both fast sections on grass as well as drops into a quarry which will be really interesting to see. The Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E team have a lot to build on and we are more hungry than ever to achieve a result that we deserve.”
Jenson Button, JBXE Team Owner, said: “It is brilliant that we will be returning to the UK for Extreme E Season 3 and we are really looking forward to the next round of the championship in Scotland. There is such a passion for motorsport in the UK, and it is great that the series is returning to its roots once again.
“I’ve been lucky enough to race on UK soil many times throughout my career and those memories will always be incredibly special to me, while the last time the series raced in the UK JBXE were able to pick up a podium – and so we will be aiming for similar at the Hydro X Prix.
“Racing in Scotland will provide a totally new challenge for our team, but I am confident we will be able to kick-start our season there.”
Anna Fergusson, Estate Director of Buccleuch’s Queensberry Estate, home of Glenmuckloch said: “Hosting Extreme E is a wonderful opportunity for Buccleuch and the local community. Their commitment to the environment flows through everything they do, and using the sport to highlight local and international nature-based projects enables engagement on so many levels. For me, personally, recognising gender equality sends an incredibly positive message, which is important to recognise.”
The project, which secured funding in 2022, will enhance and aid the balancing of the UK power system, enabling the integration of more renewable generated energy into the country.
Once constructed, the Pump Storage Hydropower plant will have a capacity which can be delivered at a rate of 210 MW per hour, providing eight hours of storage capacity. 1MW is enough to supply the average power requirement for 2,000 homes for an hour Utilising two 105 MW reversible hydro-turbines, the site will store power during periods of excess energy supply and release stored energy at times of peak demand.
The wind farm being built in conjunction with the plant will comprise of eight 4.2 MW turbines and will have the ability, via a direct connection, to power the Pump Storage Hydropower plant.
Extreme E will also embark on a community led project of its own, as part of its Legacy Programme, to implement a multi-stage project, focused on mitigating climate change effects on local salmon stocks. From the impactful re-planting of over a thousand trees, to using innovative technologies being implemented by Official Technology Partner Vodafone Business to monitor water quality and temperatures, Extreme E will focus on a long-term transformation of the River Nith area that will protect the salmon stocks so important to local industries.
On the sporting side, the racing in Scotland will be as exciting as ever with a course currently being designed that will include the natural obstacles of the Scottish terrain while putting the all-electric ODYSSEY 21 vehicle to the test.
Extreme E’s floating centrepiece, the St. Helena ship, which was built in Aberdeen and went on to provide a vital lifeline to the island of St Helena for over 30 years, will arrive in Glasgow in mid April to start unloading its freight and vehicles ahead of the race event.
Being a sport which takes its impact seriously, many measures are in place to keep Extreme E’s event footprint to a minimum. These measures include capping the number of team personnel and staff who can attend the event, remote working, and crucially, not having spectators on site.
The racing action will be best viewed live on STV and ITV, in the UK, over both Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 May to enable the best views. Outside of the UK, please visit here for broadcaster details.
To learn more about Extreme E, visit - www.Extreme-E.com
23-03-28 A tale of two halves for ABT CUPRA XE in opening double-header
t was a weekend of ups and downs for ABT CUPRA XE at the 2023 Desert X Prix, as the team narrowly missed a spot on the podium in the Round 2 Grand Final, despite a damaging crash during Round 1.
Off the back of their maiden victory in the Season 2 Finale in Uruguay, the opening race weekend of Extreme E Season 3 was not without its problems for ABT CUPRA XE. After a damaging roll in the first round’s Redemption Race, the team faced a time-pressured night shift to get the car ready in time for the next day of racing.
Nasser Al-Attiyah started the season’s campaign in Qualifying 1 Heat 1 on the Saturday. The Qatari fell to the back of the pack after contact with Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E. However, a roll for Andretti Altawkilat after the Switch Zone meant the team were able to climb the order to finish fourth.
While Qualifying 2 Heat 2 was a much more measured drive for the team, with flashes of speed keeping them in the mix throughout, Al-Attiyah and team-mate Klara Andersson were unable to make up for the mistakes made in Q1 and had to settle for a spot in the Redemption Race.
The Redemption Race was a chance to win some much-needed points, with Al-Attiyah getting a clean jump off the line to chase down NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team’s Tanner Foust in first. However, the five-time Dakar winner rolled following an attempt to pass the leader, forcing an early DNF for the team.
The subsequent task to recover the team’s ODYSSEY 21 was an arduous one, as it soon became clear that the nature of the repairs meant ABT CUPRA XE would have to switch to the championship car for Round 2.
It was an impressive shift and demonstration of true teamwork to get the ODYSSEY 21 prepared to race in the second half of the double-header, with Extreme E’s new race format offering a much-needed haul of points for the team.
The promise of a fresh start on Sunday initially looked at risk, when ABT CUPRA XE faced a 30-second penalty for switching to the replacement car in their first Qualifying Heat of the day.
To make the best of this poor starting position, the team chose a bold strategy, choosing to hang back and take on the Continental Traction Challenge in clear air. The tactics paid off as Andersson and Al-Attiyah secured the quickest time through the sector and improved their chances of reaching the Grand Final despite a P4 finish in the Heat.
This momentum was carried through to Qualifying 2, where Al-Attiyah’s aggressive overtakes meant he entered in Switch Zone in P1, 16.9 seconds clear of the pack. Andersson took over from her teammate to defend the advantage all the way to the finish. That Qualifying 2 win meant a sensational entry into the Round 2 Grand Final.
With an offset strategy the ABT CUPRA XE duo almost staged another brilliant comeback to claim a top three finish, but had to settle for fourth after missing out on a podium by just half a second.
Nasser Al-Attiyah, ABT CUPRA XE, said: “I will keep the weekend in good memory – especially after everything that happened on Saturday. Our comeback on Sunday with a win in the Qualifying race and a strong performance in the Grand Final was at least a small reward for the guys’ efforts. We learned a lot and will be racing for trophies and wins next time.”
Klara Andersson, ABT CUPRA XE, said: “The fact that we were able to race at all on Sunday is a small miracle and only thanks to the mega guys in the garage. We fought for a podium finish in the Grand Final until the last metre, but unfortunately it wasn’t quite enough. We’re still proud of our weekend and comeback and now come to the races in Scotland even hungrier for a win.”
With two races down, ABT CUPRA XE sits sixth in the championship standings with 15 points total. It will be all to play for once more when the Extreme E Season 3 action resumes on 13-14 May in Scotland.
To learn more about Extreme E, visit - www.Extreme-E.com
23-03-17 Consistency is key for Rosberg X Racing as they bid for second Extreme E title
Despite Rosberg X Racing (RXR) making an impressive start to the season at the Desert X Prix, the prized top-spot on the podium remained elusive. For drivers Johan Kristoffersson and Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky, however, two third place finishes and a strong haul of points from Saudi Arabia sets RXR up confidently for the remaining eight races of 2023.
Extreme E Season 3 promised to be the most closely fought in the series thus far and Nico Rosberg’s RXR did not have it all their own way in NEOM – having won on the championship’s two visits to Saudi Arabia.
In Round 1, Qualifying Heat 1 resulted in a shaky start, with RXR finishing in fourth place, before rallying to complete an impressive comeback in Heat 2 – finishing second to bag the crucial points required to secure a spot in the first Grand Final of Season 3.
An incredible first corner from Kristoffersson, where he overtook four cars to lead after Turn One, set the tone and some strong defensive driving to hold off Veloce Racing’s Kevin Hansen ensured RXR led the field at the Switch Zone.
Åhlin-Kottulinsky took over and crucially maintained the lead to bring the car home first, however Nico Rosberg’s outfit were soon to be denied that all-important first win of the campaign.
A misjudgement by the Swede in the Slow Zone following an incident which left GMC Hummer EV Chip Ganassi Racing’s RJ Anderson stricken ODYSSEY 21 stranded out on course resulted in a 136-second penalty by race control for over speeding and gaining an advantage.
This ultimately led to Veloce Racing claiming their maiden victory and RXR dropping down to third place retrospectively when the penalty was applied.
Johan Kristoffersson, RXR, said: “In the end, third place in Round One was a good result. We began the day with a tricky start position in Q1. Q2 was better, and I had a good start in the Grand Final. I had a plan and strategy and managed to execute it. I tried to be safe during the first lap, trying not to make any mistakes as it’s difficult to overtake.
“During the second lap, I tried to open up some breathing space for Mikaela. Unfortunately, there was a miscommunication with the slow zone, so the penalty meant we couldn’t take home the win. Of course, It hurts a bit not to win when you finish first, but that’s how it is.
Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky, Rosberg X Racing, said: “Johan did an amazing start, and the pace was good. Unfortunately, I had issues understanding where the slow zone was regarding the Waypoints. But the team has done an amazing job, and it was a good start to the season.”
Despite the setback, the all-new racing format meant that RXR had a second chance to fight for the win in Round 2. They certainly set a strong tone, winning their Q1 Heat and securing second spot in Q2 to comfortably reach their second Grand Final in Saudi Arabia.
After an initial false start in Q1, Kristoffersson delivered a superb start once more by timing his ENOWA Hyperdrive usage perfectly to surge to the front of the pack. After handing over to Åhlin-Kottulinsky, a nail-biting two laps ensued, with RXR finishing in P1.
Q2 saw contact between RXR, ACCIONA | SAINZ XE and ABT CUPRA XE team following a feisty start. Despite this, Åhlin-Kottulinsky fiercely stood her ground to enter the switch zone in third. Kristoffersson then used his ENOWA Hyperdrive on the shoreline straight, passing X44 Vida Carbon Racing’s Fraser McConnell to finish the Heat in second.
The Grand Final saw RXR finish in third for the second time in two days – with the team embroiled in a race-long battle with Veloce Racing for second place. It was the British outfit who came out on top in that battle, with Kristoffersson and Åhlin-Kottulinsky settling for third and banking a crucial podium.
Although the team would have wanted the victory, securing 31 championship points and two podiums from the first event ensures RXR remain poised to continue their success in the upcoming races.
With eight more races, the Extreme E Season 1 champions will have plenty of opportunities to close the gap to the top of the standings.
Kristoffersson said: “Both me and Mikaela had good starts this weekend, and we had a great race craft, which was key to the result this weekend. This terrain isn’t mine or Mikaela's preferable surface compared to many of the other races that are coming so, considering that, two podiums are a good result.
“Even though we weren’t always the fastest on track this weekend, we still collected good points.
“So many strong teams didn’t make it to the Grand Final during this X Prix, so we will take the points, regroup, and analyse this result with the team ahead of Scotland and come back well-prepared.
Åhlin-Kottulinsky added: “I felt like this wasn’t my strongest weekend as I struggled quite a bit to understand the terrain, but all things considered, I’m very happy to bring home two P3s! The team did a great job with the car, and I’m very happy to have Johan as my teammate. He’s done an amazing job and was super quick. I’m looking forward to Scotland and the next doubleheader.”
Kimmo Liimatainen, Rosberg X Racing Team Principal, concluded: “Obviously, we always aim for P1, but all in all, it was a solid and clean weekend. With a double podium and good points in the bag, we will go home and analyse what we can do better and find more pace.
"I’m optimistic that we can strike back in Scotland.”
You can see how RXR fare in their attempts to strike back in Scotland at the next round of Extreme E Season 3 on 13-14 May.
To learn more about Extreme E, visit - www.Extreme-E.com
23-03-16 Focus shifts to Scotland after challenging opening round for Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E
As the first race of Season 3 got underway, Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E suffered a Desert X Prix beset by bad luck – with the team coming away from Saudi Arabia with just five points from the opening round.
The team’s weekend had started well with Catie Munnings and Timmy Hansen looking to convert the promise shown last season into podium positions.
On Friday, the driver duo delivered strong performances in both Free Practice sessions, collecting valuable data about the new off-road course and finished second in both outings.
However, when the racing got underway is when the trouble began for the Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E team. In Qualifying 1, Munnings chased Carl Cox Motorsport’s Christine GZ hard for second place – but in attempting an overtake bounced on an unforgiving bulge in the terrain, unfortunately rolling her ODYSSEY 21.
It was then all hands-on deck for the Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E team in the blistering desert heat, as they impressively got their car onto the start line for their Qualifying 2 Heat. After negotiating a difficult start, Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E took fourth and a place in the Round 1 Redemption Race.
However, once more they were unable to demonstrate their earlier Practice pace in the Redemption Race as the team suffered another roll, this time with Hansen behind the wheel, ensuring a tenth place finish from the first round of the new season.
Catie Munnings, Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E team, said: “The new race format leaves a fair bit to chance, and we’ve been unlucky to start the season this way. My incident from the first qualifying session meant we started from grid slot five and the visibility was so poor for parts of the lap. It also made it difficult to find any rhythm and pull back some time to the car ahead.
“Overall, Round 1 was not reflective of our pace from the Free Practice sessions. I know that we are capable of a good result if everything aligns for us, so that’s what we’ll focus on now.
Timmy Hansen, Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E team, said: "Round 1 was probably one of the worst race days I’ve had in many years. Two rolls in one day pretty much sums up how things went for us. It just wasn’t our day today. In Extreme E, the margins are so tight, meaning one incident may cause bigger problems for the rest of your day."
Round 2 offered a chance at a comeback with plenty of racing and points opportunities on the table.
Hansen had a great launch off the line in Qualifying 1 and coming into the Switch Zone the team clocked the fastest time and maintained the lead. However, late overtakes by Veloce Racing and X44 Vida Carbon Racing ensured the team finished third in their Heat.
Qualifying 2 also showed promise, yet an unfortunate landing from a jump after exiting the Switch Zone ensured yet another roll for Hansen – and the team’s third across the weekend. Fortunately, their ODYSSEY 21 had only suffered minor damage, but resultant incident ensured the Swede and Munnings would have to settle for another Redemption Race for Round 2.
In a scrappy final race of the weekend for Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E team, they were able to finish third in the Redemption Race, and eighth overall, to conclude what had been a frustrating opening X Prix of 2023.
Munnings added: "The Redemption Race in Round 2 was more like the Crazy Race! I took over the car, but there were yellow zones and cars off from incidents ahead. From the position that we had after losing a place in the Switch Zone, there was not much I could do in the conditions but, hopefully, there will be some valuable data from the race that we can use and learn more about the car.
“We know we’re far more capable of what we’ve been able to show in Saudi Arabia. We always have to look at the positives and, as a team, we’re strong at doing so. We know we have the pace, so we’ve just got to be able to convert it now.”
Hansen concluded: “I think we had the pace when there was a clear track but, unfortunately, we weren’t able to convert that into any results. We had a couple of crashes that cost us on both days, which is not how we were hoping to start the season.
“Nonetheless, it’s been a great event in Saudi Arabia – seeing everyone from Altawkilat and getting the season started in this stunning location. We’ve got a good team behind us who have been with us since Season 1, so we’ll keep our heads down and focus on Scotland next on the calendar.”
Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E will have the opportunity to bounce back at the next Extreme E round in Scotland on 13-14 May.
To learn more about Extreme E, visit - www.Extreme-E.com
23-03-14 Two new winners at Season 3 opener hints at closest championship yet
Veloce Racing and ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team competitive season yet in the series, with several teams showing signs of challenging for wins in 2023.
Having claimed just one podium from their first two Extreme E campaigns, for Veloce Racing the Desert X Prix in NEOM was the culmination of a remarkable turnaround.
Having finished 2022 tenth in the overall standings, the British outfit top the Extreme E standings at the end of the first X Prix double-header having taken a debut victory and a deserved second place from their desert excursions in Saudi Arabia.
For drivers Molly Taylor and Kevin Hansen, their start to life at Veloce Racing could not have been much stronger.
Molly Taylor, Veloce Racing, said: “As weekends go it couldn’t have gone much better. Everyone in the team has done such a great job and I don’t think I have ever had so much fun along the way.
“A victory, a double podium and being inside the top two in every session is not easy to achieve, particularly in this championship, so we can all be delighted with the performance and look forward to the rest of the season.”
The duo made their debuts for Veloce Racing at the Season 2 finale in Punta del Este, Uruguay, where they became the first team outside of X44 Vida Carbon Racing and Rosberg X Racing (RXR) to finish as top Qualifier.
It is evident that such momentum has been carried into the 2023, with the team aiming to ensure their success in Saudi Arabia is not a flash in the pan.
Kevin Hansen, Veloce Racing, said: “We have shown that we can lead from the front, but we can also go wheel-to-wheel for position, as both Molly and I have made up places during the weekend. Both of us believe so much in what the engineers and mechanics are doing, so we feel so safe when we get in the car. We believe in what we are going to drive, and I think that is also giving some results.
“We know we have the right package in place, and we look forward to taking this confidence to Scotland in May.”
Taylor added: “I've obviously been out of the car for a little while – so you need confidence in yourself that you can deliver. But the team have been so supportive and brilliant at bringing the best out of every aspect that we look into.
“Our Team Principal Luc [Alphand] knows what it takes to win. Having that faith in someone like that, who's got the scores on the board, who knows what you're feeling, and knows how to translate that into results, I think that's a real advantage for us.”
ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team join Veloce Racing at the head of the Extreme E Season 3 standings with their debut win in Round 2 at the first X Prix of the year.
Although a contender throughout their time in Extreme E, their maiden victory had been elusive up until the second leg in NEOM, where Laia Sanz and new team-mate Mattias Ekström crossed the line first to secure that long awaited win.
Having been so close to victory on a number of occasions, Sanz and Ekström hope that this victory will take the team from front-runner to championship contender in the series.
Although unable to drive for the team currently due to injury, the Spanish outfit still has talismanic Carlos Sainz Snr. in their corner this term.
Laia Sanz, ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team, said: "Finally! I think we did a great job. Not only this weekend, but these two years with Carlos [Sainz Snr.] and all the team. I think he really deserved this win and they deserve this win and I'm super happy also with Mattias [Ekström] who has helped me so much and played a huge part in the good results in Saudi Arabia.
“This victory is for all the people on the team because they truly deserve it for all the work we have done to be in this position, especially for Carlos. I learned so much with him as my teammate and it is fantastic that he is with us here, helping us and giving advice.
"Look how difficult it was to get to the Final that we won, though. For us, it was really close. We felt we were strong throughout but then you can see the other teams performing well and being strong – it will be a long season.
“We can feel proud, but we must keep up the good work. To win the championship we need to avoid big mistakes.”
Mattias Ekström, ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team, said: “It's always great to be racing and to be on the podium, but I think this one is a little different. It was a late c-all for me to join the team, and I'm really happy that Carlos [Sainz Snr.] called me and trusted me to step in for him.
“During the weekend, when you are not driving, it can be difficult to keep looking at data and finding the motivation throughout the days to look for details. But Carlos can do the same thing five times and he never get bored. He can repeat, repeat, repeat – that’s so impressive and crucial to our performance as a team.
“We have had strong pace so far this season, though, with two very positive days of racing. We can be happy with a lot of things in this championship to date.”
Such strong weekends from the aforementioned debut winners have indicated just how competitive it will be in Season 3, and that X44 Vida Carbon Racing and RXR may not have it all their own way in their pursuit of a second Extreme E championship.
The pioneering series now looks towards its next race weekend in Scotland (13-14 May), which will be just as closely fought as the opening round in the desert of Saudi Arabia.
To learn more about Extreme E, visit - www.Extreme-E.com
23-03-12 Carlos Sainz's team claim long-awaited victory at Desert X Prix Round 2
ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team secured their first ever win in Extreme E with a dominant run in the Grand Final, finishing ahead of Round 1 winners Veloce Racing in second and Rosberg X Racing (RXR) in third on the sands of NEOM, Saudi Arabia.
Laia Sanz and Mattias Ekström, supported on-site by team owner Carlos Sainz Snr., dominated the race from start to finish, establishing a comfortable lead as Veloce Racing and RXR fought over the runners-up spot.
In fourth place were ABT CUPRA XE, having recovered well from a crash in Round 1’s Redemption Race to make it to the Grand Final second time around.
No.99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing finished fifth, marking two Grand Finals out of two for the team’s new driver-pairing of RJ Anderson and Extreme E newcomer Amanda Sorensen.
Winners of the Redemption Race were X44 Vida Carbon Racing. Having tied fifth in Qualifying with eventual Round 2 winners, ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team, Fraser McConnell and Cristina Gutiérrez lost out on a spot in the Grand Final due to a slower time in the Continental Traction Challenge.
X44 Vida Carbon Racing came back swinging, ending Round 2 with the quickest time in the Traction Challenge on their way to victory in the Redemption Race, securing a valuable 10 points in the championship battle.
The Desert X Prix double-header delivered two maiden victories, with wins for Veloce Racing and ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team. What’s more, with the Round 2 podium featuring the same top three teams from Round 1, they will be the ones to watch as the series heads into the next X Prix weekend in Scotland on May 13-14.
Laia Sanz, ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team, said: “I am very happy, both for myself and the team. We clinched our maiden win in Extreme E! I want to thank Mattias for giving me the car with such a good advantage over the rest of the field. I did a good stint and was able to keep the distance, so I am more than satisfied.
"This victory is for all the people on the team because they truly deserve it for all the work we have done to be in this position, especially for Carlos Sainz. It was an honor that he called me to ask if I wanted to race with him in Extreme E and I am trying to pay back his trust with all my motivation and my willingness to improve even further. I learned so much with him as my teammate and it is fantastic that he is with us here, helping us and giving advice. Today we can feel proud, but we must keep up the good work.”
Mattias Ekström, ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team, said: “We had designed a strategy for the Grand Final and I executed it as well as I could. I am really happy that it turned out to be fruitful. It is always easier to race in front and have a clear view in front than being behind another car and having to deal with all the dust. I really enjoyed every corner. Laia drove very well and managed the gap perfectly. It is a good victory for the team.
"It is also very special for Carlos. We have been teammates at the Dakar Rally for the past two years, but ever since I joined ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team he has been really caring. He has taught me many things, as a father would. He is a great guy and it makes me really happy that we can dedicate this victory to him.”
Carlos Sainz Snr., ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team, added: “I am really happy that the first victory of ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team is finally here because we have worked a lot of time to achieve it. Laia and Mattias were spectacular and they already showed that they are one of the strongest driver pairings in the Championship.
"We have grown steadily and so have our results. Starting the Championship in this fashion is a good sign. We must keep up the good work and I hope the team is able to keep the same trend in the next race because our goal is to fight for the Championship. Today is also a day to be thankful to our sponsors, like Acciona, Santander Private Banking, and Asterra because without them it would be really difficult to achieve a success like this.”
Grand Final
As the top five teams from Qualifying took on the Grand Final in Extreme E, Ekström set the tone for the race as he charged into the lead for ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team.
Behind the Swede, Veloce Racing’s Kevin Hansen dug deep to get ahead of RXR’s Johan Kristoffersson to take second place, as the RXR machine bounced sideways through the dips in the course.
Just as the front three got some breathing space from No.99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing’s Anderson and ABT CUPRA XE’s Klara Andersson in fourth and fifth, respectively, Hansen accidentally hit the pit limiter. The Veloce Racing ODYSSEY 21 dropped back into third while Hansen recovered from the sudden loss of speed.
Ekström continued to extend his lead for ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team as the other teams lost time tussling for position, with Kristoffersson defending hard against Hansen until the Veloce Racing driver took a wider line and completed the overtake on RXR for second place.
Following the driver change, which saw Veloce Racing’s Molly Taylor and RXR’s Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky door-to-door as they exited the Switch Zone, it was a comfortable run for Sanz in the ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team car.
The Spaniard kept a cool head to complete a clean run, while Taylor brought her ODYSSEY 21 home in second for Veloce Racing.
RXR’s Åhlin-Kottulinsky fended off Nasser Al-Attiyah in the final stages of the race to claim the third step on the podium, with ABT CUPRA XE finishing fourth after Al-Attiyah got past No.99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing’s Sorensen.
Molly Taylor, Veloce Racing, said: "It was a really cool weekend for us and a great way to start the new season! For me coming back in – I’ve obviously been out of the car for a little while – so you like to have confidence and belief in yourself but then you’ve obviously got to get out there and prove yourself.
"The new format means there’s more racing which is a good thing and more fun for sure. We’ve seen how close everyone is. The teams that were on the podium were fast but there were plenty of teams that were also very fast and not on the podium."
Kevin Hansen, Veloce Racing, said: "It has been great to kick off the season like this and to get two podiums to start the year. For sure it was a big challenge, and the ruts were almost the same height as the car at some points in the finals but we managed to come through.
"It was a treat to start this way but there were the same three teams up there on the podium so we can expect all the others to improve as well before the next race and we need to do the same."
Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky, Rosberg X Racing, said: "Getting a double podium on a weekend like this is obviously great, but it has also been a tough weekend. I found it hard to pick up pace and be in there, but I’ve really been struggling to improve and to get better.
"We are happy with P3 today and, of course, it was a shame about yesterday, but it’s so important just to collect points. There are so many great teams out there, so to be in the Grand Final every time and keep collecting those points is what is going to get you the championship in the end."
Johan Kristoffersson, Rosberg X Racing, said: "The track was very challenging but was rewarding if you were prepared to take risks. In the final today, I was a little bit too cautious and that allowed Kevin [Hansen] to pass me, but I think the weekend wasn’t too bad.
"It always feels a little bit like you left something on the table, especially yesterday and maybe today with that overtaking from Kevin, but in the end you know with the new format and tricky start conditions from both Q1’s Saturday and Sunday, to score important points is good."
Redemption Race
The remaining five teams fought it out in the Redemption Race in pursuit of those all important sixth to tenth place championship points.
Carl Cox Motorsport looked to have taken an early lead in the race as Timo Scheider pushed his ODYSSEY 21 to the limit, bouncing round the outside of the opening right-hander. X44 Vida Carbon Racing’s Fraser McConnell, however, stuck to his trusted inside line to jump to the front of the pack.
Behind them was Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E’s Timmy Hansen, followed by NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team’s Tanner Foust in fourth, and JBXE’s Heikki Kovalainen in fifth, until Foust pulled out onto a wider line and cut back in to overtake Hansen for third place.
Scheider kept just two seconds adrift of X44 Vida Carbon Racing’s McConnell as the German ran in second for Carl Cox Motorsport. Meanwhile the front three pulled away from Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E and JBXE, and as they approached the Switch Zone Scheider was late on the brakes, making contact with McConnell as they entered.
Carl Cox Motorsport managed to get the better of X44 Vida Carbon Racing at the driver change, as Christine GZ emerged ahead of Cristina Gutiérrez. The X44 Vida Carbon Racing driver soon retook the lead, however, as the NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team continued a trouble free run behind.
The same cannot be said for Carl Cox Motorsport’s GZ and JBXE’s Hedda Hösas, though, as both suffered a roll during their stint. GZ was able to crawl home in fourth, handing second and third place to NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team and Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E, respectively, while JBXE ended their Desert X Prix with a DNF.
Results:
Grand Final:
1. ACCIONA SAINZ XE Team 11:10.821
2. Veloce Racing +5.527
3. Rosberg X Racing +7.429
4. ABT CUPRA XE +7.987
5. No.99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing +22.321
Redemption Race:
1. X44 Vida Carbon Racing 11:10.132
2. NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team +10.150
3. Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E +33.296
4. Carl Cox Motorsport +2:43.534 (PENALISED)
5. JBXE DNF
Championship Standings:
1. Veloce Racing: 46 points
2. ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team: 46 points
3. Rosberg X Racing: 31 points
4. X44 Vida Carbon Racing: 23 points
5. No.99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing: 21 points
6. ABT CUPRA XE: 15 points
7. NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team: 14 points
8. Carl Cox Motorsport: 8 points
9. JBXE: 5 points
10. Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E: 5 points
To learn more about Extreme E, visit - www.Extreme-E.com
23-03-12 Två pallplatser i Extreme E-premiären
Två tredjeplatser blev facit för Rosberg X Racing i premiären av Extreme E i Saudiarabien. Johan Kristoffersson och Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky körde stabilt och undvek misstag i den tuffa terrängen vid Röda havet.
- När vi får smälta det här kommer vi nog tycka att det var ganska bra, säger Johan.
Kristoffersson och Åhlin-Kottulinsky fick en tung start i lördagens race med en fjärdeplats i sitt första kvalificeringsheat.
- Vi fick en dålig lottning och startade i ett svårt läge. Jag tycker vi hade speeden på fria träningen, men det spelar ingen roll om man inte startar på rätt ställe, säger Johan.
Bättre gick det i andra heatet, där en andraplats räckte till sista platsen i finalen. Även där med ett knepigt utgångsläge.
- Vi hamnade längst ut igen. Jag hade valt en plan och satsade allt på ett kort. Det gick vägen, berättar Johan, som mycket elegant tog sig in från sitt ytterspår och svepte förbi samtliga motståndare och upp i ledning.
- Därifrån försökte jag bara ta bilen säkert hem till Mikaela. Det var ganska slagigt och svårt, men jag kunde i alla fall öppna upp ett gap på några sekunder.
Åhlin-Kottulinsky tog sedan RXR-bilen över mållinjen som etta, vilket skulle ha betytt tre raka premiärsegrar för teamet i Extreme E. Men det stora segerjublet uteblev. RXR hade överskridit hastigheten i byteszonen under Mikaelas runda och fick en bestraffning som betydde nerflyttning till tredje plats.
- Det blev en miss i kommunikationen där. Tråkigt, men vi slutade trea och fick med oss många poäng, så det var ändå bra, menar Johan.
Till skillnad från första dagen inleddes andra dagens tävling på allra bästa sätt. RXR tog hem Q1 efter att Johan än en gång levererat en suverän start från ytterspår. Den här gången hittade han vinnarspåret längst ut och svepte hela fältet.
Mikaela skötte resten av jobbet och ordnade maximala tio kvalpoäng till RXR.
- Gott att vi kunde gå in i Q2 med att redan ha säkrat tio poäng, tycker Kristoffersson.
I andra kvalheatet var det Åhlin-Kottulinsky som inledde. Hon följde teamkamratens exempel och levererade ett stycke startmagi fram till ledning. Denna fick hon dock släppa efter tuff närkontakt från Nasser al-Attiyah, men läget var ändå bra för Johan när han gav sig ut och säkrade andraplatsen.
Med kvalplaceringarna 1-2 summerade RXR en andraplats totalt i kvalet, men hamnade åter en gång långt ut i startspåren.
- Jag fick en bra start där också, men det går inte att göra så mycket mer därifrån.
Johan kom ut som trea, tog sig förbi Kevin Hansen som strulade till det, men bjöd tillbaka med ett eget misstag.
- Det var rejält slagigt där. I efterhand kan jag tycka att jag var lite för försiktig, men det finns ett långsiktigt tänk där man inte vill tappa poäng genom att köra sönder bilen.
Just säsongen som helhet finns med när Kristoffersson summerar första tävlingshelgen, med två tredjeplatser och en tredjeplats totalt i mästerskapet.
- Det är otroligt starka team som inte ens kommer till final någon av dagarna. Så här kommer det att bli, att det svänger fram och tillbaka under säsongen. Då är det viktigt att vara med där framme så mycket som möjligt.
Och de sandiga dynerna i Saudiarabien är inte heller någon specialitet för Rosberg X Racing-förarna.
- Det svider förstås lite att vi lämnade en del på bordet åt de andra, men det är inte vare sig min eller Mikaelas favorit att åka i sand. Nu säkrar vi ändå två tredjeplatser och får med en bra säck med poäng hem.
- Fantastiskt bra jobb av hela teamet under helgen. Nu ska vi analysera det här och ta nya tag i Skottland i maj!
23-03-12 Veloce Racing and Rosberg X Racing win Q1 Heats in Desert X Prix Round 2
Veloce Racing and Rosberg X Racing (RXR) secured a strong start to Round 2 in NEOM, Saudi Arabia, with wins in their respective Qualifying 1 Heats.
Having both made the Final in Round 1 of the Desert X Prix, with Veloce Racing taking their maiden victory in the series, the two teams continued their impressive form in an action-packed Q1.
Qualifying 1 - Heat 1
As the five teams charged towards the opening corner, it was the Hansen brothers who made the best start. Timmy chose the inside line for Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E as Kevin charged around the outside for Round 1 victors Veloce Racing.
As Veloce Racing slotted into second, X44 Vida Carbon Racing’s Fraser McConnell was close behind in third, followed by Timo Scheider in fourth for Carl Cox Motorsport.
ABT CUPRA XE dropped to the back of the pack at the start, with the team set to serve a 30-second penalty in the Switch Zone for using the championship car, following damage to the chassis of their own ODYSSEY 21 when Nasser Al-Attiyah rolled in Round 1’s Redemption Race.
They made the most of their situation, however, hanging back to take on the Continental Traction Challenge with clear air ahead of them. This bold strategy paid off as the team went fastest through the sector, which could prove crucial if they tie on points with another outfit in Round 2’s overall Qualifying.
Up ahead the front four remained tightly packed, as Veloce Racing’s Hansen put pressure on his brother for first and Carl Cox Motorsport’s Scheider attacked X44 Vida Carbon Racing’s McConnell for third.
The teams approached the driver change in these pairs, but problems for Carl Cox Motorsport in the Switch Zone saw Christine GZ stuck in her bay as the team suffered another Qualifying DNF.
Exiting the Switch Zone, Veloce Racing’s Molly Taylor set her sights on Catie Munnings in the Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E ODYSSEY 21. The Australian refused to play it safe, pushing Munnings from the very start of their two-lap stint.
Behind them X44 Vida Carbon Racing’s Cristina Gutiérrez closed the gap as the drama continued to build, with Taylor’s bonnet flying clean off as she attempted an overtake. Taylor made use of her ENOWA Hyperdrive to complete the pass on Munnings and claim the lead for Veloce Racing on the shoreline straight.
Gutiérrez held on to her ENOWA Hyperdrive until late on, timing it perfectly as she stole second place for X44 Vida Carbon Racing as the teams approached the finish line. Munnings tried to recover but ran out of course, thus finishing third just 0.293 seconds behind Gutiérrez, with ABT CUPRA XE’s Al-Attiyah bringing the car home safely in fourth.
Veloce Racing and Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E had initially received penalties for speeding in the Switch Zone giving X44 Vida Carbon Racing the win however, following a review, these were rescinded ensuring the on-course finishing positions were retained.
Qualifying 1 - Heat 2
After an initial false start the Heat got going at the second attempt, with RXR’s Johan Kristoffersson sandwiched between the JBXE and ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team cars as the teams approached the first corner.
NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team’s Tanner Foust pushed for the lead as he charged up the inside line, but despite being squeezed Kristoffersson timed his ENOWA Hyperdrive perfectly to surge to the front as No.99 GMC HUMMER EV’s RJ Anderson picked up the fight for second with Foust.
Mattias Ekström was close behind for ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team, and gained a position as Foust tussled with Anderson, the former dropping to fourth in the melee for the NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team.
All five teams remained congested, but only JBXE’s Heikki Kovalainen had held onto his ENOWA Hyperdrive, which the Finn used to take fourth place from Foust as the front three pulled away.
Anderson tried new lines as he tried take the lead for No.99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing, but RXR’s Kristoffersson shut the door repeatedly as the teams approached the Switch Zone.
Laia Sanz and Amanda Sorensen were side by side as they exited their bays, but Sanz soon slotted into third for ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team behind the No.99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing car.
A nail-biting two laps ensued, with the frontrunners close together as they approached the end of the race.
As Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky crossed the line in first for RXR, Sanz attempted to steal second with her ENOWA Hyperdrive. The Spaniard fell 0.619 seconds short of pulling off the overtake, placing ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team third behind No.99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing’s Sorensen.
NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team came fourth, despite a penalty for speeding in the Switch Zone, after Emma Gilmour managed to get round JBXE’s Hedda Hösas who finished a close fifth.
With Qualifying 2, the Redemption Race and the Grand Final all still to come today, find out where you can watch the action here.
Qualifying 1 Results:
Heat 1:
1. Veloce Racing 11:25.061
2. X44 Vida Carbon Racing +2.777
3. Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E +3.070
4. ABT CUPRA XE +1:09.044 (PENALISED)
5. Carl Cox Motorsport DNF
Heat 2:
1. Rosberg X Racing 11:27.999
2. No.99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing +0.996
3. ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team +1.615
4. NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team +12.047 (PENALISED)
5. JBXE +12.342
Overall Qualifying 1 Standings:
1. Veloce Racing: 10 points
2. Rosberg X Racing: 10 points
3. X44 Vida Carbon Racing: 8 points
4. No.99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing: 8 points
5. Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E: 6 points
6. ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team: 6 points
7. ABT CUPRA XE: 4 points
8. NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team: 4 points
9. JBXE: 2 points
10. Carl Cox Motorsport: 0 points
To learn more about Extreme E, visit - www.Extreme-E.com
23-03-11 Veloce Racing claims maiden victory in Desert X Prix Round 1
Veloce Racing secured their first ever victory in Extreme E following a penalty for on course winners Rosberg X Racing (RXR) in the Grand Final of the opening round in NEOM, Saudi Arabia.
Kevin Hansen and Molly Taylor put in a consistent drive for the Desert X Prix Round 1 Grand Final, and while it looked like an outright win was within their grasp they ended the race in second behind Nico Rosberg’s outfit.
After crossing the finish line in first place, RXR received a penalty for speeding under a yellow flag, dropping the team from first to third and ensuring Veloce Racing took the top step on the podium for the first time. ACCIONA | Sainz XE Team finished third on course, but jumped up to second after RXR received their time penalty.
Winners of the series’ first Redemption Race were the NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team having seen off championship debutants Carl Cox Motorsport. Tanner Foust and Emma Gilmour came out as best of the rest in a race of two halves, as the session was red flagged following racing incidents for Andretti ALTAWKILAT Extreme E and ABT CUPRA XE.
Kevin Hansen, Veloce Racing, said: “It feels great. To come back to Saudi Arabia and get my first Extreme E win with this new team, with Molly, and in the country that I had such a career changing accident, this is such a highlight.
“Both of us believe so much in what the engineers and mechanics are doing, so we feel so safe when we get in the car. We believe in what we are going to drive and I think that is also giving some results.”
Molly Taylor, Veloce Racing, said: “I think all of us in the team clicking right from the beginning and developing and improving. We were able to start at a really good level in Uruguay form there they've been really good at bringing the best out of every aspect that we look into.
“Our Team Principal Luc [Alphand] knows what it takes to win. Having that faith in someone like that, who's got the scores on the board, who knows what you're feeling, and knows how to translate that into results, I think that's a real advantage for us.”
Grand Final
As the top five teams from Qualifying took on the first ever Grand Final in Extreme E, ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team’s Mattias Ekström seemed to have the better start of the group.
As the Swede swung round the outside, RXR’s Johan Kristoffersson stayed closest to the apex of the corner, and the inside line paid off as he charged to the front of the field.
Veloce Racing’s Hansen slotted into second place behind Kristofferson after an impressive move on the outside saw him pass Ekström and No.99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganssi Racing’s RJ Anderson. The American then dropped to the back of the pack behind Fraser McConnell in the X44 Vida Carbon Racing ODYSSEY who took fourth.
The front four were nose-to-tail with no team gaining an advantage having all used their ENOWA Hyperdrive at the start. As the Swedish trio broke away, Hansen refused to let Kristoffersson go as Ekström also held them both in his sights.
McConnell began to reel in the cars in front as he pushed his ODYSSEY 21, with No.99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing out of contention having come to a stop on course. The race was soon over for X44 Vida Carbon Racing as well, as technical issues denied Lewis Hamilton’s outfit a shot at the podium.
Up ahead the drama continued, with Ekström beginning to drop off the pace as Kristoffersson continued to shut the door on Hansen in the Veloce Racing ODYSSEY 21 as the teams entered the Switch Zone.
Following the driver change, Veloce Racing’s Taylor took up the chase as she looked to take the lead away from RXR’s Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky. The Australian looked in with a chance, until she ran wide and dropped time.
Åhlin-Kottulinsky crossed the line in first, with Veloce Racing finishing second and Laia Sanz coming home in third for ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team. Celebrations were interrupted, however, when Nico Rosberg;’s outfit were penalised for speeding in a yellow flagged zone. The 136-second penalty saw the team drop to third, handing Veloce Racing their maiden victory in Extreme E.
Laia Sanz, ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team, said: “We have had a good start to the championship so I think in the end it was a great day!
“We showed good pace in Qualifying and we got the Traction Challenge points so we are happy as we showed that we can win some races. But the level is crazy and everyone fights so hard so it will be difficult.”
Mattias Ekström, ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team, said: “We are really happy to have finished second today! I’m happy for myself on getting the call from Carlos [Sainz Snr.] but even more happy for him as team boss being here to see us finish second.
“It was all going well until I came to RJ’s [Anderson] car which was a misunderstanding on my part with the slow zone but I will take that lesson with me.”
Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky, Rosberg X Racing, said: “The team did an amazing job, there were tough fights out there in Qualifying 1 and 2 but the team put the car back together amazingly.
“We were happy to make it the Final. Johan made an amazing start but then I made a mistake in the slow zone. I thought it was 18 for the slow zone not 17, so that was unfortunate of course but in the end a good job from the team.”
Johan Kristoffersson, Rosberg X Racing, said: “It’s always nice to be on the podium but it’s never the nicest thing to cross the finish line first and not win!
“Given that the track is so rough, its impressive that no cars stopped because of the hard impacts from the bumps so that’s well done to Spark for making the cars so reliable and also well done to our team.”
Redemption Race
The remaining five teams fought it out in the Redemption Race to determine sixth to tenth place in the Desert X Prix Round 1 standings.
A strong start from eventual race winners NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team saw Tanner Foust take the lead ahead of ABT CUPRA XE’s Nasser Al-Attiyah and JBXE’s Heikki Kovalainen, whose impressive Extreme E debut showed no signs of faltering.
An incident at the back of the pack saw the Andretti ALTAWKILAT Extreme E ODYSSEY 21 endure its second roll of the day. As Al-Attiyah shut the door on Carl Cox Motorsport’s Timo Scheider, the German veered into Timmy Hansen sending his ODYSSEY 21 into a spin and Andretti ALTAWKILAT Extreme E out of the race.
This was the first of three DNFs in the race, as Al-Attiyah also rolled his ABT CUPRA XE ODYSSEY 21 over the top of the NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team as the Qatari attempted to undercut Foust for the lead.
The remaining trio still on the move avoided the wreckage, with Kovalainen taking the lead in the chaos, and pulled into the Switch Zone as the leader as a Red Flag stopped the race.
As the action got back underway, Gilmour used her ENOWA Hyperdrive immediately to close the gap on Hedda Hösas, but the JBXE team soon dropped to the back before retiring from the race with technical issues, meaning the New Zealander crossed the finish line first ahead of Carl Cox Motorsport’s Christine GZ.
Results:
Grand Final:
1. Veloce Racing 11:56.291
2. ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team +16.709
3. Rosberg X Racing +2:08.041 (PENALISED)
4. X44 Vida Carbon Racing DNF
5. No.99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing DNF
Redemption Race:
1. NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team 28:55.292
2. Carl Cox Motorsport +5.552
3. JBXE DNF
4. ABT CUPRA XE DNF
5. Andretti ALTAWKILAT Extreme E DNF
Championship Standings:
1. Veloce Racing: 26 points
2. ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team: 21 points
3. Rosberg X Racing: 15 points
4. X44 Vida Carbon Racing: 13 points
5. No.99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing: 11 points
6. NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team: 8 points
7. Carl Cox Motorsport: 6 points
8. JBXE: 4 points
9. ABT CUPRA XE: 2 points
10. Andretti ALTAWKILAT Extreme E: 1 points
To learn more about Extreme E, visit - www.Extreme-E.com
23-03-11 X44 Vida Carbon Racing and GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing win Q1 Heats
Defending champions X44 Vida Carbon Racing and Season 2 title contenders GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing secured the perfect start to their Season 3 campaign with wins in their respective Qualifying 1 Heats.
Despite both outfits fielding a debutant they secured the top spots in a dramatic Q1, which saw a roll for Andretti ALTAWKILAT Extreme E’s Catie Munnings and multiple ODYSSEY 21s missing some bodywork.
Qualifying 1 - Heat 1
As the five teams charged towards the opening corner, it was RJ Anderson in the lead for GMC HUMMER EV, ahead of Extreme E returner Mattias Ekström in the ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team car.
Carl Cox Motorsport’s Timo Scheider slotted into third, with Timmy Hansen and Nasser Al-Attiyah rounding out the pack after the ABT CUPRA XE driver made contact with the back of the Andretti ALTAWKILAT Extreme E car.
Out in front Ekström soon closed in on Anderson, pulling up alongside the American but falling short of the overtake as Anderson clung onto the inside line.
Anderson held off multiple attempts by the Swede before entering the Switch Zone in first, with Scheider, Hansen and Al-Attiyah maintaining their track position not far behind the leading pair.
As Laia Sanz took over the wheel for ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team, she tried an alternate line, putting the pressure on Extreme E newcomer Amanda Sorensen as they approached the shoreline section.
The move proved too much as the Spaniard ran wide into the water, giving Sorensen the breathing room she needed to take a win on debut for GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing ahead of ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team in second.
Klara Andersson suffered a similar fate to Sanz, running wide onto the water as she pushed to close the gap from fifth for ABT CUPRA XE. Ahead of the Swede, a tight battle ensued between Carl Cox Motorsport and Andretti ALTAWKILAT Extreme E as Chirstine GZ and Catie Munnings fought hard for third and those all important points for a place in the Grand Final.
As the tussling pair left the shoreline, Munnings made an aggressive move on the inside of GZ but rolled as her ODYSSEY 21 bounced on an unforgiving bump in the terrain.
The incident put Andretti ALTAWKILAT Extreme E out of the race, ensuring a comfortable third on debut for Carl Cox Motorsport and fourth place for the recovering ABT CUPRA XE team.
Qualifying 2 - Heat 2
Heat 2 was no less action-packed, as the new sporting format delivered excitement from the outset.
NEOM McLaren Extreme E’s Tanner Foust emerged at the front of the pack initially, closely followed by Rosberg X Racing’s (RXR) Johan Kristoffersson as the pair took a wider line into the first corner.
In their rear view mirror, X44 Vida Carbon Racing debutant Fraser McConnell stuck to the inside line of the tight right-hander, and cut through from fourth place all the way to first.
A steady start from JBXE’s Heikki Kovalainen saw the Finn in third, behind Foust and ahead of Kristoffersson in his first Extreme E race.
Having followed the same line as McConnell, Veloce Racing’s Kevin Hansen was cut off and left to chase down Kristoffersson from fifth place. Hansen soon passed his fellow Swede, making use of his ENOWA Hyperdrive on the shoreline straight.
Up ahead a confident drive from McConnell saw the Jamaican extend his lead, though only just over six seconds separated the pack from front to back. The wheel-to-wheel action behind him resulted in contact between Kovalainen and Hansen as the latter tried to make the overtake.
Returning to the shoreline straight on the second lap, Foust lost time as he dipped a wheel into the water, opening the door for Kovalainen to surge into second place as NEOM McLaren Extreme E dropped to third in front of Veloce Racing and RXR.
The teams entered the Switch Zone in this order, but Veloce Racing’s Molly Taylor managed to leapfrog Emma Gilmour in the NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team car. As that tight-knit pack launched out of the Switch Zone, Taylor then got the better of JBXE’s Hedda Hosås to take second place, forcing the Norwegian to take the alternate, and ultimately slower, line.
Behind them RXR’s Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky stole fourth place from Gilmour right by the water’s edge. The NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team driver then made contact with the RXR ODYSSEY 21 as she tried and failed to take back the position.
X44 Vida Carbon Racing pulled clear to take the win, followed by Veloce Racing in a comfortable second place after a tricky opening. JBXE’s Hosås, coming under pressure from RXR’s Åhlin-Kottulinsky, made use of her ENOWA Hyperdrive to hold onto that all important third place in the Heat ahead of RXR and NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team in fifth.
With Qualifying 2, the Redemption Race and the Grand Final all still to come today, find out where you can watch the action here.
Qualifying 1 Results:
Heat 1:
1. GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing 11:32:914
2. ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team +3.384
3. Carl Cox Motorsport +18.663
4. ABT CUPRA XE +2:09.126 (PENALISED)
5. Andretti ALTAWKILAT Extreme E DNF
Heat 2:
1. X44 Vida Carbon Racing 11:32.993
2. Veloce Racing +8.734
3. JBXE +19.100
4. Rosberg X Racing +20.980
5. NEOM McLaren Extreme E +28.728 (PENALISED)
Overall Qualifying 1 Standings:
1. X44 Vida Carbon Racing: 10 points
2. GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing: 10 points
3. ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team: 8 points
4. Veloce Racing: 8 points
5. Carl Cox Motorsport: 6 points
6. JBXE: 6 points
7. Rosberg X Racing: 4 points
8. ABT CUPRA XE: 4 points
9. NEOM McLaren Extreme E: 2 points
10. Andretti ALTAWKILAT Extreme E: 0 points
To learn more about Extreme E, visit - www.Extreme-E.com
23-03-10 Veloce
Racing quickest in Free Practice as Season 3 gets underway in NEOM
The championship’s ten teams got back behind the wheel in NEOM, Saudi Arabia, along the shores of the Red Sea for what promises to be the most tightly fought season to-date.
The 3.4-kilometre course of the 2023 Desert X Prix will provide many challenges. The sandy terrain will be difficult to manage, while navigating the racing lines as the track develops throughout the weekend will also prove pivotal.
As the drivers got a feel for the course, Extreme E marks an exciting start to its third season with an all-new sporting format. With each X Prix now a double-header, the series’ contenders have even more of opportunity to steal glory from defending champions X44 Vida Carbon Racing.
His Royal Highness Prince Khalid Bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal, Chairman of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation and the Saudi Motorsport Company, said: “It is always an honour and a pleasure to host these events that are important to us. We’re a big fan of sport and have a lot to offer here, especially for rallying. We also have a lot of plans for the future around sustainability and preserving this environment which provides that backdrop to racing.
“Formula E was the first motorsport that we ever hosted and Extreme E one of the latest, so we hope that shows our commitment to clean energy.
“NEOM is all about attracting people to join us on our mission to develop a better way of living that is sustainable and efficient. We want to diversify our economy and it is our job to preserve the world and provide clean energy. Saudi Arabia is investing into new technologies and NEOM represents the pinnacle of that.”
After all twenty drivers got back into the swing of things in Free Practice 1, the times began to tumble in the second session.
Fastest in Free Practice 2 were Veloce Racing with a time of 11:27.589mins. Having shown promising pace on debut for the team in Uruguay, Kevin Hansen and Molly Taylor laid down the marker on the shores of NEOM, with Hansen dominating Sector 3 and Taylor securing the quickest time of all the drivers through Sector 4 in FP2.
Kevin Hansen, Veloce Racing, said: “The confidence and spirit within Veloce Racing is extremely high and we’re ready for the Desert X Prix double-header in NEOM.
“This is the best preparation I have had before an XE season, and the team pulled out all the stops with the testing programme in Dubai and with their efforts here in NEOM so far. The ingredients are in place so now we need to go out and execute the plan over the weekend.”
Molly Taylor, Veloce Racing, said: “We’ve already had such a great few weeks of preparation in both Dubai and here in NEOM, and now we can’t wait for the opening rounds of the new Extreme E season to begin.
“The car has felt good during testing and practice, and we’re confident that we can be fighting at the front this weekend.”
Defending champions X44 Vida Carbon Racing enter the season-opener on the backfoot, with penalties in FP1 and technical issues ending their second run prematurely. With the top four teams separated by just over four seconds across Free Practice, the battle is on to find the performance needed to come away from Saudi Arabia victorious.
Veloce Racing’s nearest challengers were Andretti ALTAWKILAT Extreme E who, off the back of seventh in the championship standings last season, have started the opening sessions of the new campaign strongly with a best time of 11:29.867mins (FP2).
Also setting their fastest time in the second session were ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team who rounded out the top three with 11:30.372. The fastest individual lap of the day came from Mattias Ekström. The Swede returns to Extreme E in place of injured Carlos Sainz Snr. and showed no signs of rust on his comeback to the series.
Coming in a close fourth were Rosberg X Racing as they look to bounce back after a disappointing end to their title fight last season, while ABT CUPRA XE closed out the day in fifth off the back of a maiden victory at the Season 2 finale in Uruguay.
No.99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing and JBXE finished sixth and seventh, respectively, as their new drivers get up to speed with the ODYSSEY 21 and hope to show their hand as the first round of the Desert X Prix gets underway tomorrow.
NEOM McLaren Extreme E team looked quick across both practice sessions, topping the time sheet in FP1 before failing to record a time in FP2 when Tanner Foust incorrectly entered the Switch Zone instead of completing his final lap.
Making their Extreme E debut Carl Cox Motorsport finished in ninth with a time of 12:05.095 as Timo Scheider and Christine GZ grow accustomed to their new surroundings.
Free Practice combined timings:
1. Veloce Racing: 11:27.589 (FP2)
2. Andretti ALTAWKILAT Extreme E: 11:29.867 (FP2)
3. ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team: 11:30.372 (FP2)
4. Rosberg X Racing: 11:31.885 (FP2)
5. ABT CUPRA XE: 11:40.273 (FP2)
6. No.99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing: 11:54.158 (FP2)
7. JBXE: 11:56.093 (FP2)
8. NEOM McLaren Extreme E: 12:00.397 (FP1)
9. Carl Cox Motorsport: 12:05.095 (FP2)
10. X44 Vida Carbon Racing: 12:31.374 (FP1)
Extreme E’s Season 3 curtain-raiser promises to be a thriller. Find out where you can watch all of the action here.
To learn more about Extreme E, visit - www.Extreme-E.com
The championship’s ten teams got back behind the wheel in NEOM, Saudi Arabia, along the shores of the Red Sea for what promises to be the most tightly fought season to-date.
The 3.4-kilometre course of the 2023 Desert X Prix will provide many challenges. The sandy terrain will be difficult to manage, while navigating the racing lines as the track develops throughout the weekend will also prove pivotal.
As the drivers got a feel for the course, Extreme E marks an exciting start to its third season with an all-new sporting format. With each X Prix now a double-header, the series’ contenders have even more of opportunity to steal glory from defending champions X44 Vida Carbon Racing.
His Royal Highness Prince Khalid Bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal, Chairman of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation and the Saudi Motorsport Company, said: “It is always an honour and a pleasure to host these events that are important to us. We’re a big fan of sport and have a lot to offer here, especially for rallying. We also have a lot of plans for the future around sustainability and preserving this environment which provides that backdrop to racing.
“Formula E was the first motorsport that we ever hosted and Extreme E one of the latest, so we hope that shows our commitment to clean energy.
“NEOM is all about attracting people to join us on our mission to develop a better way of living that is sustainable and efficient. We want to diversify our economy and it is our job to preserve the world and provide clean energy. Saudi Arabia is investing into new technologies and NEOM represents the pinnacle of that.”
After all twenty drivers got back into the swing of things in Free Practice 1, the times began to tumble in the second session.
Fastest in Free Practice 2 were Veloce Racing with a time of 11:27.589mins. Having shown promising pace on debut for the team in Uruguay, Kevin Hansen and Molly Taylor laid down the marker on the shores of NEOM, with Hansen dominating Sector 3 and Taylor securing the quickest time of all the drivers through Sector 4 in FP2.
Kevin Hansen, Veloce Racing, said: “The confidence and spirit within Veloce Racing is extremely high and we’re ready for the Desert X Prix double-header in NEOM.
“This is the best preparation I have had before an XE season, and the team pulled out all the stops with the testing programme in Dubai and with their efforts here in NEOM so far. The ingredients are in place so now we need to go out and execute the plan over the weekend.”
Molly Taylor, Veloce Racing, said: “We’ve already had such a great few weeks of preparation in both Dubai and here in NEOM, and now we can’t wait for the opening rounds of the new Extreme E season to begin.
“The car has felt good during testing and practice, and we’re confident that we can be fighting at the front this weekend.”
Defending champions X44 Vida Carbon Racing enter the season-opener on the backfoot, with penalties in FP1 and technical issues ending their second run prematurely. With the top four teams separated by just over four seconds across Free Practice, the battle is on to find the performance needed to come away from Saudi Arabia victorious.
Veloce Racing’s nearest challengers were Andretti ALTAWKILAT Extreme E who, off the back of seventh in the championship standings last season, have started the opening sessions of the new campaign strongly with a best time of 11:29.867mins (FP2).
Also setting their fastest time in the second session were ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team who rounded out the top three with 11:30.372. The fastest individual lap of the day came from Mattias Ekström. The Swede returns to Extreme E in place of injured Carlos Sainz Snr. and showed no signs of rust on his comeback to the series.
Coming in a close fourth were Rosberg X Racing as they look to bounce back after a disappointing end to their title fight last season, while ABT CUPRA XE closed out the day in fifth off the back of a maiden victory at the Season 2 finale in Uruguay.
No.99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing and JBXE finished sixth and seventh, respectively, as their new drivers get up to speed with the ODYSSEY 21 and hope to show their hand as the first round of the Desert X Prix gets underway tomorrow.
NEOM McLaren Extreme E team looked quick across both practice sessions, topping the time sheet in FP1 before failing to record a time in FP2 when Tanner Foust incorrectly entered the Switch Zone instead of completing his final lap.
Making their Extreme E debut Carl Cox Motorsport finished in ninth with a time of 12:05.095 as Timo Scheider and Christine GZ grow accustomed to their new surroundings.
Free Practice combined timings:
1. Veloce Racing: 11:27.589 (FP2)
2. Andretti ALTAWKILAT Extreme E: 11:29.867 (FP2)
3. ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team: 11:30.372 (FP2)
4. Rosberg X Racing: 11:31.885 (FP2)
5. ABT CUPRA XE: 11:40.273 (FP2)
6. No.99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing: 11:54.158 (FP2)
7. JBXE: 11:56.093 (FP2)
8. NEOM McLaren Extreme E: 12:00.397 (FP1)
9. Carl Cox Motorsport: 12:05.095 (FP2)
10. X44 Vida Carbon Racing: 12:31.374 (FP1)
Extreme E’s Season 3 curtain-raiser promises to be a thriller. Find out where you can watch all of the action here.
To learn more about Extreme E, visit - www.Extreme-E.com
23-03-09 Continental
reveal more robust and sustainable CrossContact tyre for Season 3
Extreme E Founding Partner, Continental, will once again supply a new version of the CrossContact Extreme E tyre for the new season of the pioneering series.
The 2023 campaign begins on 11-12 March in NEOM, Saudi Arabia, and in the development of the new tyre Continental placed an emphasis on using an even higher proportion of sustainable materials.
As a result, the new CrossContact Extreme E now consists of around 43 per cent recycled and renewable materials. Among these is silica obtained from the ash of rice husks, a waste material of agriculture. Alongside processed steel and carbon black, Continental is again integrating polyester yarn from recycled PET plastic bottles into the tyre’s construction.
As well as increasing its use of new, more sustainable solutions, the tyre manufacturer has reduced the overall weight of the CrossContact Extreme E tyre by two kilograms. And that leads to emissions savings in the transportation process.
Continental is a founding partner of Extreme E and exclusive tyre supplier to the championship, which is now in its third season.
Nels von Schnakenburg, Technical Manager for Extreme E at Continental, said: “We have focused even more strongly on the use of sustainable and recyclable materials with this tyre and are extremely well prepared for the challenges of the 2023 season.
“We’ve also made further gains with handling performance and have therefore improved drivability. The performance and robustness of the tyre mean it will be able to withstand the full range of challenges Extreme E can throw at it.”
The third-generation CrossContact Extreme E also employs the ContiRe.Tex technology developed by Continental. This includes polyester yarn produced without any intermediate chemical steps from used PET bottles that are not recycled elsewhere. The bottles used for this technology are sourced exclusively from regions which do not have a closed recycling loop.
Continental will supply 30 tyres to each of the ten teams competing in the third season of Extreme E, and each of those tyres will contain polyester from around 60 processed PET bottles. The company currently offers road car drivers three series-produced tyre models with polyester from recycled PET bottles, each in five dimensions: the PremiumContact 6, the EcoContact 6 and the AllSeasonContact all-season tyre.
Together with rubber, fillers like silica are also an essential part of a tyre’s construction. Silica helps to significantly improve characteristics such as grip, rolling resistance and mileage.
In the CrossContact Extreme E, rice husks provide the base material for the sustainably manufactured silica. Rice husks are a waste product of rice production and cannot be used as food or animal feed.
The manufacture of silica is more energy efficient when it is obtained from the ash of rice husks than when conventional materials like quartz sand are used.
The third generation of the CrossContact Extreme E will be used in all five events on the 2023 calendar and has been optimized to deliver maximum performance across all climate zones and on all surfaces. The size, diameter and width of the tyre are unchanged at 37 x 12.50 R17 – which means a diameter of 37 inches, width of 12.5 inches and 17-inch wheel rims.
Continental’s tyre sector is pursuing a holistic approach to sustainability across all phases of the tyre value chain. Continental has set itself the mission of becoming the most progressive tyre company in terms of environmental and social responsibility.
For Continental, circular economy solutions represent an important route to achieving its ambitious goal of carbon neutrality throughout its value chain by 2050 at the latest.
You can see the CrossContact Extreme E Season 3 tyre in action as the first X Prix of 2023 gets underway in NEOM, Saudi Arabia, this weekend (11-12 March).
To learn more about Extreme E, visit - www.Extreme-E.com
Extreme E Founding Partner, Continental, will once again supply a new version of the CrossContact Extreme E tyre for the new season of the pioneering series.
The 2023 campaign begins on 11-12 March in NEOM, Saudi Arabia, and in the development of the new tyre Continental placed an emphasis on using an even higher proportion of sustainable materials.
As a result, the new CrossContact Extreme E now consists of around 43 per cent recycled and renewable materials. Among these is silica obtained from the ash of rice husks, a waste material of agriculture. Alongside processed steel and carbon black, Continental is again integrating polyester yarn from recycled PET plastic bottles into the tyre’s construction.
As well as increasing its use of new, more sustainable solutions, the tyre manufacturer has reduced the overall weight of the CrossContact Extreme E tyre by two kilograms. And that leads to emissions savings in the transportation process.
Continental is a founding partner of Extreme E and exclusive tyre supplier to the championship, which is now in its third season.
Nels von Schnakenburg, Technical Manager for Extreme E at Continental, said: “We have focused even more strongly on the use of sustainable and recyclable materials with this tyre and are extremely well prepared for the challenges of the 2023 season.
“We’ve also made further gains with handling performance and have therefore improved drivability. The performance and robustness of the tyre mean it will be able to withstand the full range of challenges Extreme E can throw at it.”
The third-generation CrossContact Extreme E also employs the ContiRe.Tex technology developed by Continental. This includes polyester yarn produced without any intermediate chemical steps from used PET bottles that are not recycled elsewhere. The bottles used for this technology are sourced exclusively from regions which do not have a closed recycling loop.
Continental will supply 30 tyres to each of the ten teams competing in the third season of Extreme E, and each of those tyres will contain polyester from around 60 processed PET bottles. The company currently offers road car drivers three series-produced tyre models with polyester from recycled PET bottles, each in five dimensions: the PremiumContact 6, the EcoContact 6 and the AllSeasonContact all-season tyre.
Together with rubber, fillers like silica are also an essential part of a tyre’s construction. Silica helps to significantly improve characteristics such as grip, rolling resistance and mileage.
In the CrossContact Extreme E, rice husks provide the base material for the sustainably manufactured silica. Rice husks are a waste product of rice production and cannot be used as food or animal feed.
The manufacture of silica is more energy efficient when it is obtained from the ash of rice husks than when conventional materials like quartz sand are used.
The third generation of the CrossContact Extreme E will be used in all five events on the 2023 calendar and has been optimized to deliver maximum performance across all climate zones and on all surfaces. The size, diameter and width of the tyre are unchanged at 37 x 12.50 R17 – which means a diameter of 37 inches, width of 12.5 inches and 17-inch wheel rims.
Continental’s tyre sector is pursuing a holistic approach to sustainability across all phases of the tyre value chain. Continental has set itself the mission of becoming the most progressive tyre company in terms of environmental and social responsibility.
For Continental, circular economy solutions represent an important route to achieving its ambitious goal of carbon neutrality throughout its value chain by 2050 at the latest.
You can see the CrossContact Extreme E Season 3 tyre in action as the first X Prix of 2023 gets underway in NEOM, Saudi Arabia, this weekend (11-12 March).
To learn more about Extreme E, visit - www.Extreme-E.com
23-03-08
Johan jagar tredje raka premiärsegern
Johan Kristoffersson går in i sin tredje säsong i Extreme E med Rosberg X Racing och den andra tillsammans med teamkamraten Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky. Premiären körs i Saudiarabien.
- Vi har vunnit båda premiärerna i Saudi, men jag kan inte säga att det är min största styrka att köra i sand, menar Kristoffersson.
RXR vann premiärsäsongen av offroad-serien Extreme E 2021, då med Kristoffersson och Molly Taylor som förare i teamets elbil. Förra året såg det länge ut att bli en ny titel, men i de sista deltävlingarna gick det mesta emot och titeln gled Rosberg X Racing ur händerna.
- Vi startade säsongen riktigt bra, men sedan blev inte avslutningen lika bra, medger Kristoffersson, som nu tar nya tag tillsammans med Värmlands-kollegan Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky.
- Vi får försöka bygga vidare på det vi gjorde ifjol. Ju fler race vi kör tillsammans, desto lättare blir det att förstå varandra. Och så har vi kört lite grann i vinter också.
Årets säsong bjuder på en del nyheter i tävlingsformatet. Alla helger blir dubbeltävlingar, en på lördag och en på söndag, totalt tio tävlingar fördelat på de fem tävlingsplatserna. Det individuella tidskvalet har plockats bort, vilket betyder att det blir heatkörning varje gång.
- Varken jag eller Mikaela har några problem med hjul-mot-hjul-körning, så det blir spännande.
Årets första tävlingsplats är förlagd till området vid Röda havet i närheten av Neom. Efter Saudiarabien väntar Skottland i maj, italienska ön Sardinien i juli, Amazonas eller USA i september innan säsong tre går i mål i Chile första helgen i december.
- Alla startar på noll nu, så det gäller att inte ta alltför stora risker i början av säsongen men ändå samla så mycket poäng det går.
I de konkurrerande teamen har det rört på sig en del i förarbesättningarna. I Acciona Sainz dyker rallycrossbekantingen Mattias Ekström upp medan ännu en RX-förare återfinns på Sébastien Loebs tidigare plats i regerande mästarteamet X44: Fraser McConnell. JBXE har plockat in förre formel 1-föraren Heikki Kovalainen. Gott om kvalificerade motståndare alltså, men Kristoffersson lägger inte så stor vikt vid vilka som sitter i de andra bilarna.
- Vi fokuserar på vårt och det vi kan påverka själva. Målet är att göra allt så bra vi kan.
Johan Kristoffersson går in i sin tredje säsong i Extreme E med Rosberg X Racing och den andra tillsammans med teamkamraten Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky. Premiären körs i Saudiarabien.
- Vi har vunnit båda premiärerna i Saudi, men jag kan inte säga att det är min största styrka att köra i sand, menar Kristoffersson.
RXR vann premiärsäsongen av offroad-serien Extreme E 2021, då med Kristoffersson och Molly Taylor som förare i teamets elbil. Förra året såg det länge ut att bli en ny titel, men i de sista deltävlingarna gick det mesta emot och titeln gled Rosberg X Racing ur händerna.
- Vi startade säsongen riktigt bra, men sedan blev inte avslutningen lika bra, medger Kristoffersson, som nu tar nya tag tillsammans med Värmlands-kollegan Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky.
- Vi får försöka bygga vidare på det vi gjorde ifjol. Ju fler race vi kör tillsammans, desto lättare blir det att förstå varandra. Och så har vi kört lite grann i vinter också.
Årets säsong bjuder på en del nyheter i tävlingsformatet. Alla helger blir dubbeltävlingar, en på lördag och en på söndag, totalt tio tävlingar fördelat på de fem tävlingsplatserna. Det individuella tidskvalet har plockats bort, vilket betyder att det blir heatkörning varje gång.
- Varken jag eller Mikaela har några problem med hjul-mot-hjul-körning, så det blir spännande.
Årets första tävlingsplats är förlagd till området vid Röda havet i närheten av Neom. Efter Saudiarabien väntar Skottland i maj, italienska ön Sardinien i juli, Amazonas eller USA i september innan säsong tre går i mål i Chile första helgen i december.
- Alla startar på noll nu, så det gäller att inte ta alltför stora risker i början av säsongen men ändå samla så mycket poäng det går.
I de konkurrerande teamen har det rört på sig en del i förarbesättningarna. I Acciona Sainz dyker rallycrossbekantingen Mattias Ekström upp medan ännu en RX-förare återfinns på Sébastien Loebs tidigare plats i regerande mästarteamet X44: Fraser McConnell. JBXE har plockat in förre formel 1-föraren Heikki Kovalainen. Gott om kvalificerade motståndare alltså, men Kristoffersson lägger inte så stor vikt vid vilka som sitter i de andra bilarna.
- Vi fokuserar på vårt och det vi kan påverka själva. Målet är att göra allt så bra vi kan.
23-03-08 Excitement
builds for closest Extreme E season yet
When you think of the legendary Carl Cox - you don’t think of a man obsessed with cars, extracting m
New racing format for Season 3 brings double the action with zero additional carbon footprint impact
Lewis Hamilton's X44 Vida Carbon Racing set out to defend their Season 2 title with Fraser McConnell and Cristina Gutiérrez
Legendary DJ Carl Cox and eponymous team aim to start first campaign on a high
New line-ups for No.99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing and JBXE
Mattias Ekström races in place of injured Carlos Sainz Snr.
Building on the success of its first two campaigns, Extreme E Season 3 promises to be the most action-packed yet. Double the races and new driver line-ups have set the stage for the tightest championship battle so far.
Lewis Hamilton’s X44 Vida Carbon Racing will defend their Season 2 crown, with last year’s runners-up Rosberg X Racing (RXR) looking to reclaim the championship they won in 2021.
The new campaign also marks the return of Mattias Ekström and Christine GZ alongside debuts for Heikki Kovalainen, Amanda Sorensen and legendary DJ Carl Cox’s eponymous team.
The Season 3 opener sees Extreme E return to the familiar grounds of NEOM, Saudi Arabia, this weekend (11-12 March), only this time in a slightly new location. While teams will once again face a mostly sandy terrain, the 2023 Desert X Prix will pose a new challenge set on the shores of the Red Sea.
NEOM is the centrepiece of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan to grow and diversify the Saudi economy and position the country as a leader in global sustainable development.
Built from the ground up, NEOM will be a new model for liveability in the face of climate change, creating thriving businesses and reinventing environmental conservation. This will include the world’s first large-scale renewable energy system, pioneering the use of green hydrogen, as well as a world hub for clean energy generation research and innovation.
Beyond being a hub for sustainability, entrepreneurs and business leaders, NEOM is also set to be the home of adventure sports – creating active communities and a host destination for dynamic and challenging sports - Extreme E being among the first.
The opening round Extreme E Season 3 will take place on the shores of the Red Sea close to the location of the 2022 NEOM Beach Games, which hosted over 300 athletes from 25 countries.
The change of scene brings a new challenge for the twenty world-class drivers, ensuring that they will have to be at the top of their game to claim podium positions.
Alejandro Agag, Founder and CEO of Extreme E, said: “We cannot wait for the third season of Extreme E to begin in NEOM next week.
“Our first two campaigns have been a huge success and this season promises to be the most competitive and closely fought season yet.
“We are going to have some spectacular racing, and to now have a ten-race championship in Extreme E is a tantalising prospect for everyone on board.
"We believe the increased number of races will only enhance our series, starting with the Desert X Prix.”
Championship winners X44 Vida Carbon Racing will return in Season 3 to defend their maiden title, after clinching the victory in Uruguay last November. The team will be fighting for back-to-back titles with Cristina Gutiérrez and new recruit Fraser McConnell, with Sebastien Loeb leaving the team.
The Uruguay Natural Energy X Prix Final went down to the wire, with Lewis Hamilton’s outfit securing championship glory, finishing third in the Final by just half a second.
This sets the tone for a close and competitive campaign this year, which can only be made more exciting by the introduction of a new sporting format.
New Sporting Format
Season 3 will see the calendar double from five to ten rounds, with all race weekends serving as double-headers - showcasing twice the action for minimal additional carbon output.
The new doubleheader format will run as follows:
Qualifying 1 and Qualifying 2 will both consist of two heats, five cars each. This means four wheel-to-wheel races will determine who comes out on top.
Intermediate Classification Points are awarded for Q1 and Q2, with a single championship point awarded to the winners of each Heat – something that could prove crucial in the closing stages of the season.
This will be followed by the Grand Final, starring the top five teams from Qualifying, with the winner taking the top step of the podium.
The remaining five teams will battle it out in Redemption Race, where all important championship points are still at stake.
The above format will take place on both Saturday and Sunday, meaning two winners will be crowned at each race weekend. It promises to deliver some breath-taking competition, with double the opportunity for wins, podiums, and crucial points across the ten-race calendar, raising the stakes to a whole new level.
Qualifying
Qualifying 1 Heat 1: 5 cars with a switch halfway
Qualifying 1 Heat 2: 5 cars with a switch halfway
Intermediate Classification points are awarded in the Qualifying 1, Heats 1 and 2, on the following basis:
1st 10 points + 1 championship point
2nd 8 points
3rd 6 points
4th 4 points
5th 2 points
Starting positions for Qualifying 1 allocated through a lottery
Qualifying 2 Heat 1: 5 cars with a switch halfway
Qualifying 2 Heat 2: 5 cars with a switch halfway
Starting positions for Qualifying 2 determined by finishing order of the Heats in Qualifying Round 1
Intermediate Classification points are awarded in the Qualifying 2, Heats 1 and 2, on the following basis:
1st 10 points + 1 championship point
2nd 8 points
3rd 6 points
4th 4 points
5th 2 points
Finals
The combined points for each team from Qualifying Rounds 1 and 2 will determine the overall classification at the end of Qualifying for final positions as follows:
Top 5 – Grand Final
Bottom 5 – Redemption Race
In the event of the same points being achieved after Qualifying Rounds 1 and 2, the Team with the fastest Continental Traction Challenge time of the Qualifying Rounds shall be deemed to be the quicker.
Championship Points
1st: 25 points (Winner of Grand Final)
2nd: 18 points (2nd in GF)
3rd: 15 points (3rd in GF)
4th: 12 points (4th in GF))
5th: 10 points (5th in GF)
6th: 8 points (Winner of Redemption Race)
7th: 6 points (2nd in RR)
8th: 4 points (3rd in RR)
9th: 2 points (4th in RR)
10th: 1 point (5th in RR)
Continental Traction Challenge
Still playing a crucial role in the championship fight is the Continental Traction Challenge. The team that sets the fastest time through the allocated sector will win the Continental Traction Challenge and now earn two championship points. This will run for each of the individual race days on Saturday and Sunday.
A team’s Traction Challenge time will be the combination of both the male and female drivers’ fastest time through the allocated sector over the course of a race day as part of the series’ continued ambitions around equality.
GridPlay
With the renewed and intense competition ahead, GridPlay will be crucial at the Desert X Prix.
GridPlay returns in Season 3, with grid positions for the Grand Final determined through the fan voting process. The teams that do not make it to The Grand Final must ‘gift’ their votes to their preferred team on The Grand Final grid. Grid position for the Redemption Race will be defined by the Intermediate Classification results, with the team that finished 6th choosing grid position first, followed by the team that finished 7th, and so on.
Driver Line-Ups
The 10 teams and 20 drivers for the 2023 Desert X Prix are as follows:
ABT CUPRA XE – Nasser Al-Attiyah / Klara Andersson
ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team – Mattias Ekström / Laia Sanz
Andretti ALTAWKILAT Extreme E – Timmy Hansen / Catie Munnings
Carl Cox Motorsport – Timo Scheider / Christine GZ
NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team – Tanner Foust / Emma Gilmour
No.99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing – RJ Anderson / Amanda Sorensen
JBXE – Heikki Kovalainen / Hedda Hosås
Rosberg X Racing – Johan Kristoffersson / Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky
Veloce Racing – Kevin Hansen / Molly Taylor
X44 Vida Carbon Racing – Fraser McConnell / Cristina Gutiérrez
Count Us In
Season 3 is set to launch a new strategy to engage fans and promote sustainability. This season, there will be a single call to action per race, making it a total of five easy-to-follow calls to action over the course of the year.
Fans visit the Extreme E - Count Us In website during the campaign period, take a pledge, and choose which team they support. The pledges will be counted in the form of a team leader board, and the winning team with the highest number of pledges taken by their fans will be announced at the end of the season.
At the end of each race, the team with the most pledges will be awarded a digital award. At the last race in Chile, the Extreme E Sustainability Award will be given to the team with the highest number of pledges taken throughout the season. This new approach is expected to increase engagement among fans while promoting sustainability in motorsports.
Legacy Programme
Beyond the racing, the Desert X Prix will also host Extreme E’s first legacy programme of the campaign. On 9 March, just ahead of the Extreme E opening race weekend, race team personnel, including several of the drivers themselves, will travel to the NEOM Nature Reserve and assist in the release of Arabian oryx, Red Neck ostriches and Arabian Sand gazelle into the area.
This will be pivotal in rebuilding the areas ecosystem, reintroducing species that were originally prolific in these deserts, but have not roamed freely here for over a century. The project plans to have a long-term and revitalising impact on the 25,000 km2 Nature Reserve, helping to deliver the nature conservation of Vision 2030 and the Saudi Green Initiative (SGI). This will be complimented by Extreme E continuing to plant more trees in the region as part of its regreening initiative.
With less than a week to go until the opening X Prix of the campaign, Extreme E Season 3 is all set to be another spectacular campaign.
To learn more about Extreme E, visit - www.Extreme-E.com
When you think of the legendary Carl Cox - you don’t think of a man obsessed with cars, extracting m
New racing format for Season 3 brings double the action with zero additional carbon footprint impact
Lewis Hamilton's X44 Vida Carbon Racing set out to defend their Season 2 title with Fraser McConnell and Cristina Gutiérrez
Legendary DJ Carl Cox and eponymous team aim to start first campaign on a high
New line-ups for No.99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing and JBXE
Mattias Ekström races in place of injured Carlos Sainz Snr.
Building on the success of its first two campaigns, Extreme E Season 3 promises to be the most action-packed yet. Double the races and new driver line-ups have set the stage for the tightest championship battle so far.
Lewis Hamilton’s X44 Vida Carbon Racing will defend their Season 2 crown, with last year’s runners-up Rosberg X Racing (RXR) looking to reclaim the championship they won in 2021.
The new campaign also marks the return of Mattias Ekström and Christine GZ alongside debuts for Heikki Kovalainen, Amanda Sorensen and legendary DJ Carl Cox’s eponymous team.
The Season 3 opener sees Extreme E return to the familiar grounds of NEOM, Saudi Arabia, this weekend (11-12 March), only this time in a slightly new location. While teams will once again face a mostly sandy terrain, the 2023 Desert X Prix will pose a new challenge set on the shores of the Red Sea.
NEOM is the centrepiece of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan to grow and diversify the Saudi economy and position the country as a leader in global sustainable development.
Built from the ground up, NEOM will be a new model for liveability in the face of climate change, creating thriving businesses and reinventing environmental conservation. This will include the world’s first large-scale renewable energy system, pioneering the use of green hydrogen, as well as a world hub for clean energy generation research and innovation.
Beyond being a hub for sustainability, entrepreneurs and business leaders, NEOM is also set to be the home of adventure sports – creating active communities and a host destination for dynamic and challenging sports - Extreme E being among the first.
The opening round Extreme E Season 3 will take place on the shores of the Red Sea close to the location of the 2022 NEOM Beach Games, which hosted over 300 athletes from 25 countries.
The change of scene brings a new challenge for the twenty world-class drivers, ensuring that they will have to be at the top of their game to claim podium positions.
Alejandro Agag, Founder and CEO of Extreme E, said: “We cannot wait for the third season of Extreme E to begin in NEOM next week.
“Our first two campaigns have been a huge success and this season promises to be the most competitive and closely fought season yet.
“We are going to have some spectacular racing, and to now have a ten-race championship in Extreme E is a tantalising prospect for everyone on board.
"We believe the increased number of races will only enhance our series, starting with the Desert X Prix.”
Championship winners X44 Vida Carbon Racing will return in Season 3 to defend their maiden title, after clinching the victory in Uruguay last November. The team will be fighting for back-to-back titles with Cristina Gutiérrez and new recruit Fraser McConnell, with Sebastien Loeb leaving the team.
The Uruguay Natural Energy X Prix Final went down to the wire, with Lewis Hamilton’s outfit securing championship glory, finishing third in the Final by just half a second.
This sets the tone for a close and competitive campaign this year, which can only be made more exciting by the introduction of a new sporting format.
New Sporting Format
Season 3 will see the calendar double from five to ten rounds, with all race weekends serving as double-headers - showcasing twice the action for minimal additional carbon output.
The new doubleheader format will run as follows:
Qualifying 1 and Qualifying 2 will both consist of two heats, five cars each. This means four wheel-to-wheel races will determine who comes out on top.
Intermediate Classification Points are awarded for Q1 and Q2, with a single championship point awarded to the winners of each Heat – something that could prove crucial in the closing stages of the season.
This will be followed by the Grand Final, starring the top five teams from Qualifying, with the winner taking the top step of the podium.
The remaining five teams will battle it out in Redemption Race, where all important championship points are still at stake.
The above format will take place on both Saturday and Sunday, meaning two winners will be crowned at each race weekend. It promises to deliver some breath-taking competition, with double the opportunity for wins, podiums, and crucial points across the ten-race calendar, raising the stakes to a whole new level.
Qualifying
Qualifying 1 Heat 1: 5 cars with a switch halfway
Qualifying 1 Heat 2: 5 cars with a switch halfway
Intermediate Classification points are awarded in the Qualifying 1, Heats 1 and 2, on the following basis:
1st 10 points + 1 championship point
2nd 8 points
3rd 6 points
4th 4 points
5th 2 points
Starting positions for Qualifying 1 allocated through a lottery
Qualifying 2 Heat 1: 5 cars with a switch halfway
Qualifying 2 Heat 2: 5 cars with a switch halfway
Starting positions for Qualifying 2 determined by finishing order of the Heats in Qualifying Round 1
Intermediate Classification points are awarded in the Qualifying 2, Heats 1 and 2, on the following basis:
1st 10 points + 1 championship point
2nd 8 points
3rd 6 points
4th 4 points
5th 2 points
Finals
The combined points for each team from Qualifying Rounds 1 and 2 will determine the overall classification at the end of Qualifying for final positions as follows:
Top 5 – Grand Final
Bottom 5 – Redemption Race
In the event of the same points being achieved after Qualifying Rounds 1 and 2, the Team with the fastest Continental Traction Challenge time of the Qualifying Rounds shall be deemed to be the quicker.
Championship Points
1st: 25 points (Winner of Grand Final)
2nd: 18 points (2nd in GF)
3rd: 15 points (3rd in GF)
4th: 12 points (4th in GF))
5th: 10 points (5th in GF)
6th: 8 points (Winner of Redemption Race)
7th: 6 points (2nd in RR)
8th: 4 points (3rd in RR)
9th: 2 points (4th in RR)
10th: 1 point (5th in RR)
Continental Traction Challenge
Still playing a crucial role in the championship fight is the Continental Traction Challenge. The team that sets the fastest time through the allocated sector will win the Continental Traction Challenge and now earn two championship points. This will run for each of the individual race days on Saturday and Sunday.
A team’s Traction Challenge time will be the combination of both the male and female drivers’ fastest time through the allocated sector over the course of a race day as part of the series’ continued ambitions around equality.
GridPlay
With the renewed and intense competition ahead, GridPlay will be crucial at the Desert X Prix.
GridPlay returns in Season 3, with grid positions for the Grand Final determined through the fan voting process. The teams that do not make it to The Grand Final must ‘gift’ their votes to their preferred team on The Grand Final grid. Grid position for the Redemption Race will be defined by the Intermediate Classification results, with the team that finished 6th choosing grid position first, followed by the team that finished 7th, and so on.
Driver Line-Ups
The 10 teams and 20 drivers for the 2023 Desert X Prix are as follows:
ABT CUPRA XE – Nasser Al-Attiyah / Klara Andersson
ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team – Mattias Ekström / Laia Sanz
Andretti ALTAWKILAT Extreme E – Timmy Hansen / Catie Munnings
Carl Cox Motorsport – Timo Scheider / Christine GZ
NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team – Tanner Foust / Emma Gilmour
No.99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing – RJ Anderson / Amanda Sorensen
JBXE – Heikki Kovalainen / Hedda Hosås
Rosberg X Racing – Johan Kristoffersson / Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky
Veloce Racing – Kevin Hansen / Molly Taylor
X44 Vida Carbon Racing – Fraser McConnell / Cristina Gutiérrez
Count Us In
Season 3 is set to launch a new strategy to engage fans and promote sustainability. This season, there will be a single call to action per race, making it a total of five easy-to-follow calls to action over the course of the year.
Fans visit the Extreme E - Count Us In website during the campaign period, take a pledge, and choose which team they support. The pledges will be counted in the form of a team leader board, and the winning team with the highest number of pledges taken by their fans will be announced at the end of the season.
At the end of each race, the team with the most pledges will be awarded a digital award. At the last race in Chile, the Extreme E Sustainability Award will be given to the team with the highest number of pledges taken throughout the season. This new approach is expected to increase engagement among fans while promoting sustainability in motorsports.
Legacy Programme
Beyond the racing, the Desert X Prix will also host Extreme E’s first legacy programme of the campaign. On 9 March, just ahead of the Extreme E opening race weekend, race team personnel, including several of the drivers themselves, will travel to the NEOM Nature Reserve and assist in the release of Arabian oryx, Red Neck ostriches and Arabian Sand gazelle into the area.
This will be pivotal in rebuilding the areas ecosystem, reintroducing species that were originally prolific in these deserts, but have not roamed freely here for over a century. The project plans to have a long-term and revitalising impact on the 25,000 km2 Nature Reserve, helping to deliver the nature conservation of Vision 2030 and the Saudi Green Initiative (SGI). This will be complimented by Extreme E continuing to plant more trees in the region as part of its regreening initiative.
With less than a week to go until the opening X Prix of the campaign, Extreme E Season 3 is all set to be another spectacular campaign.
To learn more about Extreme E, visit - www.Extreme-E.com
23-03-08 Carl
Cox looks ahead to Season 3 with Off-Track podcast
When you think of the legendary Carl Cox - you don’t think of a man obsessed with cars, extracting mega horsepower or supporting a NZ sidecar team.
But what you do expect is his ability to energise a room, draw attention to whatever it is that he’s passionate about and bring joy to millions - which is clearly evident in this episode.
Carl sat down with James Baldwin to discuss his new gig as an Extreme E team owner, where his love and passion for motorsport comes from and what he’s excited for in Season 3.
The latest episode of Off Track is available for free on all major podcast platforms like Apple and Spotify, as well as www.extreme-e.com.
To learn more about Extreme E, visit - www.Extreme-E.com
When you think of the legendary Carl Cox - you don’t think of a man obsessed with cars, extracting mega horsepower or supporting a NZ sidecar team.
But what you do expect is his ability to energise a room, draw attention to whatever it is that he’s passionate about and bring joy to millions - which is clearly evident in this episode.
Carl sat down with James Baldwin to discuss his new gig as an Extreme E team owner, where his love and passion for motorsport comes from and what he’s excited for in Season 3.
The latest episode of Off Track is available for free on all major podcast platforms like Apple and Spotify, as well as www.extreme-e.com.
To learn more about Extreme E, visit - www.Extreme-E.com
23-03-07 Sir
Lewis Hamilton’s championship-winning X44 Vida Carbon Racing announces
new team direction for Extreme E Season 3
X44 Vida Carbon Racing, the Extreme E team founded by seven-time Formula 1™ World Champion Sir Lewis Hamilton, has today announced its Season 3 line-up.
As a Black-owned team, X44 Vida Carbon Racing recognises that motorsport has traditionally been dominated by a narrow demographic, an issue that team owner Sir Lewis Hamilton has long been dedicated to addressing through The Hamilton Commission, his research project in partnership with the Royal Academy of Engineering, and his charitable foundation Mission44.
Off the back of their Extreme E Season 2 Championship win, his race team X44 Vida Carbon Racing now heads into Season 3 of the series with a renewed focus on breaking down these barriers and creating a more diverse and inclusive environment within the sport.
With this new focus, X44 Vida Carbon Racing hopes to inspire a new generation of drivers and fans to become involved in motorsport and push the industry forward, ensuring it is more reflective of the world we live in. Ultimately, the team believes that better diversity and inclusion is the only path towards the long-term success of the sport, with the most talented people chosen for the job, no matter their background.
To achieve these goals, X44 Vida Carbon Racing is taking a holistic look at how the team can create a more diverse and inclusive environment in motorsport by placing opportunity as its top priority.
Initial commitments include:
Partnering with Rodin Carlin to ensure the X44 Vida Carbon Racing team is made up of a diverse group of talented executives, mechanics and engineers, and building a team structure which places developing the next generation of motorsport talent front and centre.
Led by Team Principal Stephanie Carlin, long time Carlin executive and Team Principal of Carlin’s team in the upcoming F1 Academy, the new team structure will include;
Deputy Team Principal Stephanie Travers, an experienced engineer and motorsport executive, known for breaking barriers in Formula 1, including being the first Black woman on a Formula 1 race podium;
Race Engineer George Imafidon, a member of The Hamilton Commission who has worked within X44 Vida Carbon across the inaugural two seasons;
And a number of team members from a range of backgrounds.
Continuing to support Extreme E’s Racing for All initiative, founded in line with The Hamilton Commission findings, which allows each team in the series an additional team member, who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity, to get a first step on the career ladder. For Season 3, X44 Vida Carbon Racing will be introducing Calvin Langat who will take on the role of junior engineer.
Using the X44 Vida Carbon Racing platform to champion underrepresented voices, and ensure the world hears diverse perspectives on climate issues.
Working alongside team partners to ensure all activity is inclusive; from working with diverse content creators to tell sustainability stories from around the world – including the global south – to providing storytelling opportunities for the next generation of aspiring social media producers.
Sir Lewis Hamilton, X44 Vida Carbon Racing owner and seven-time Formula 1™ World Champion, said: “I’m so proud of the incredible work that my team has undertaken so far in Extreme E, and I can’t wait for us to take it to the next level this year.
"We know from the findings of The Hamilton Commission that the motorsport industry is an incredibly difficult place to break into, and I hope that X44 Vida Carbon Racing can be a powerful platform to provide opportunities to the next generation. It has never been more important that we, as an industry, take real action to move our sport forward, and X44 Vida Carbon’s new direction is one of the ways I am committing to making that genuine change.”
The new reset will be undertaken in partnership with Rodin Carlin, a name synonymous with rising talent and racing excellence. The team has been winning races and developing motorsport talent across various categories for over 20 years, with their race winning heritage set in British F3, where the team established their foundations in the late 1990s.
Since then, victories in championships such as Formula 2, Formula Renault 3.5, British F4, FIAF3 European Championship, GP3 Series, Indy Lights and even Asian Le Mans Series have cemented the team’s winning reputation. This history of developing talent and younger drivers made Rodin Carlin the ideal partners to join X44 Vida Carbon Racing on their journey as a team that prioritises opportunity, and the next generation.
Stephanie Carlin, X44 Vida Carbon Racing Team Principal, said: "At Rodin Carlin, we are so excited to join forces with X44 Vida Carbon Racing and I am proud to be leading such an inclusive and diverse team into Season 3 of the series. As fits with our ethos at Rodin Carlin, it is a privilege to be able to provide opportunities for up-and-coming engineers, mechanics and technicians, who we believe are truly the next generation of promising talent in our industry."
X44 Vida Carbon are also excited to announce a refreshed driver line up, with up-and-coming Jamaican driver Fraser McConnell joining the team. Fraser, winner of the 2019 American Rallycross Championship, is the most competitively successful Jamaican driver in the history of international rallycross racing.
Making his rallycross debut in 2018, competing in North America’s ARX2 series, he recorded the fastest-out-of-the-box time in his first race and went on to win all of his heat races, starting his first finals in pole position. His maiden international racing campaign came just one year later, with Olsbergs MSE in the FIA RX2 Championship, where he finished 4th among the World’s best young rallycross drivers.
In 2021, Fraser graduated to the supercar class and became the first and only Jamaican to claim a supercar victory in the Rally X Nordic Championship, going on to debut in the Nitro Rallycross Series later that year.
Fraser will be joined by current X44 Vida Carbon Racing driver and reigning Extreme E champion Cristina Gutiérrez for the 2023 season. Gifted Spanish driver Cristina is a promising talent who is rewriting the rulebook for female drivers. Cristina has made history as the first woman to ever win the FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies, the second to win a stage in the Dakar Rally (2021) and the third to stand on a podium in the Dakar Rally (2022).
Fraser McConnell, X44 Vida Carbon Racing, said: "I am delighted to join X44 Vida Carbon Racing, and to be part of a Championship-winning team. I am so impressed with Cristina’s performances in the first two seasons of Extreme E and I can’t wait to drive alongside her; I am sure that we will work well together and I hope to learn a lot from her prior experience. It’s never a bad thing to race alongside a World Champion!
“I’m also looking forward to being part of a team that uses its platform to make the world a better place. I have always admired Lewis’s dedication to making our sport more inclusive and opening up opportunities for young talent, and I’m honoured to be part of that journey with him.”
Cristina Gutiérrez, X44 Vida Carbon Racing, said: “Following last season’s win, I am so excited to get back on track and give it my all again for the team. Fraser is an exciting young talent and I am looking forward to racing with him this year. I’m also looking forward to meeting the new team, and I feel privileged to be part of the journey towards a fairer, more inclusive industry. I can’t wait to see what we can achieve together.”
Season 3 of the racing series will continue to see the team race at some of the most remote corners of the planet, to highlight the range of climate issues faced by different ecosystems.
The sport for purpose championship continues on its voyage, kicking off their Season 3 on March 11-12 at the Desert X Prix.
To learn more about Extreme E, visit - www.Extreme-E.com
X44 Vida Carbon Racing, the Extreme E team founded by seven-time Formula 1™ World Champion Sir Lewis Hamilton, has today announced its Season 3 line-up.
As a Black-owned team, X44 Vida Carbon Racing recognises that motorsport has traditionally been dominated by a narrow demographic, an issue that team owner Sir Lewis Hamilton has long been dedicated to addressing through The Hamilton Commission, his research project in partnership with the Royal Academy of Engineering, and his charitable foundation Mission44.
Off the back of their Extreme E Season 2 Championship win, his race team X44 Vida Carbon Racing now heads into Season 3 of the series with a renewed focus on breaking down these barriers and creating a more diverse and inclusive environment within the sport.
With this new focus, X44 Vida Carbon Racing hopes to inspire a new generation of drivers and fans to become involved in motorsport and push the industry forward, ensuring it is more reflective of the world we live in. Ultimately, the team believes that better diversity and inclusion is the only path towards the long-term success of the sport, with the most talented people chosen for the job, no matter their background.
To achieve these goals, X44 Vida Carbon Racing is taking a holistic look at how the team can create a more diverse and inclusive environment in motorsport by placing opportunity as its top priority.
Initial commitments include:
Partnering with Rodin Carlin to ensure the X44 Vida Carbon Racing team is made up of a diverse group of talented executives, mechanics and engineers, and building a team structure which places developing the next generation of motorsport talent front and centre.
Led by Team Principal Stephanie Carlin, long time Carlin executive and Team Principal of Carlin’s team in the upcoming F1 Academy, the new team structure will include;
Deputy Team Principal Stephanie Travers, an experienced engineer and motorsport executive, known for breaking barriers in Formula 1, including being the first Black woman on a Formula 1 race podium;
Race Engineer George Imafidon, a member of The Hamilton Commission who has worked within X44 Vida Carbon across the inaugural two seasons;
And a number of team members from a range of backgrounds.
Continuing to support Extreme E’s Racing for All initiative, founded in line with The Hamilton Commission findings, which allows each team in the series an additional team member, who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity, to get a first step on the career ladder. For Season 3, X44 Vida Carbon Racing will be introducing Calvin Langat who will take on the role of junior engineer.
Using the X44 Vida Carbon Racing platform to champion underrepresented voices, and ensure the world hears diverse perspectives on climate issues.
Working alongside team partners to ensure all activity is inclusive; from working with diverse content creators to tell sustainability stories from around the world – including the global south – to providing storytelling opportunities for the next generation of aspiring social media producers.
Sir Lewis Hamilton, X44 Vida Carbon Racing owner and seven-time Formula 1™ World Champion, said: “I’m so proud of the incredible work that my team has undertaken so far in Extreme E, and I can’t wait for us to take it to the next level this year.
"We know from the findings of The Hamilton Commission that the motorsport industry is an incredibly difficult place to break into, and I hope that X44 Vida Carbon Racing can be a powerful platform to provide opportunities to the next generation. It has never been more important that we, as an industry, take real action to move our sport forward, and X44 Vida Carbon’s new direction is one of the ways I am committing to making that genuine change.”
The new reset will be undertaken in partnership with Rodin Carlin, a name synonymous with rising talent and racing excellence. The team has been winning races and developing motorsport talent across various categories for over 20 years, with their race winning heritage set in British F3, where the team established their foundations in the late 1990s.
Since then, victories in championships such as Formula 2, Formula Renault 3.5, British F4, FIAF3 European Championship, GP3 Series, Indy Lights and even Asian Le Mans Series have cemented the team’s winning reputation. This history of developing talent and younger drivers made Rodin Carlin the ideal partners to join X44 Vida Carbon Racing on their journey as a team that prioritises opportunity, and the next generation.
Stephanie Carlin, X44 Vida Carbon Racing Team Principal, said: "At Rodin Carlin, we are so excited to join forces with X44 Vida Carbon Racing and I am proud to be leading such an inclusive and diverse team into Season 3 of the series. As fits with our ethos at Rodin Carlin, it is a privilege to be able to provide opportunities for up-and-coming engineers, mechanics and technicians, who we believe are truly the next generation of promising talent in our industry."
X44 Vida Carbon are also excited to announce a refreshed driver line up, with up-and-coming Jamaican driver Fraser McConnell joining the team. Fraser, winner of the 2019 American Rallycross Championship, is the most competitively successful Jamaican driver in the history of international rallycross racing.
Making his rallycross debut in 2018, competing in North America’s ARX2 series, he recorded the fastest-out-of-the-box time in his first race and went on to win all of his heat races, starting his first finals in pole position. His maiden international racing campaign came just one year later, with Olsbergs MSE in the FIA RX2 Championship, where he finished 4th among the World’s best young rallycross drivers.
In 2021, Fraser graduated to the supercar class and became the first and only Jamaican to claim a supercar victory in the Rally X Nordic Championship, going on to debut in the Nitro Rallycross Series later that year.
Fraser will be joined by current X44 Vida Carbon Racing driver and reigning Extreme E champion Cristina Gutiérrez for the 2023 season. Gifted Spanish driver Cristina is a promising talent who is rewriting the rulebook for female drivers. Cristina has made history as the first woman to ever win the FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies, the second to win a stage in the Dakar Rally (2021) and the third to stand on a podium in the Dakar Rally (2022).
Fraser McConnell, X44 Vida Carbon Racing, said: "I am delighted to join X44 Vida Carbon Racing, and to be part of a Championship-winning team. I am so impressed with Cristina’s performances in the first two seasons of Extreme E and I can’t wait to drive alongside her; I am sure that we will work well together and I hope to learn a lot from her prior experience. It’s never a bad thing to race alongside a World Champion!
“I’m also looking forward to being part of a team that uses its platform to make the world a better place. I have always admired Lewis’s dedication to making our sport more inclusive and opening up opportunities for young talent, and I’m honoured to be part of that journey with him.”
Cristina Gutiérrez, X44 Vida Carbon Racing, said: “Following last season’s win, I am so excited to get back on track and give it my all again for the team. Fraser is an exciting young talent and I am looking forward to racing with him this year. I’m also looking forward to meeting the new team, and I feel privileged to be part of the journey towards a fairer, more inclusive industry. I can’t wait to see what we can achieve together.”
Season 3 of the racing series will continue to see the team race at some of the most remote corners of the planet, to highlight the range of climate issues faced by different ecosystems.
The sport for purpose championship continues on its voyage, kicking off their Season 3 on March 11-12 at the Desert X Prix.
To learn more about Extreme E, visit - www.Extreme-E.com
23-03-03 Formula
One winner Heikki Kovalainen joins JBXE to partner Hedda Hosås for Extreme
E Season 3
After finishing third in Season 1, Jenson Button’s outfit dropped to ninth in the standings last term – despite securing a podium finish in NEOM Island X Prix I. JBXE will be aiming to bounce back with their new driver line-up in 2023 with their Nordic duo behind the wheel.
Jenson Button, Team Owner of JBXE, said: "Delighted to be announcing Heikki as our new male driver and also to have Hedda continue with the team! To bring such an established name from the world of motorsport and someone I had the pleasure of racing against in Formula One is brilliant for the team and the series.
“Following his move into the world of rally, it was a no brainer for the team to approach him and I’m over the moon he’s agreed to join the team and equally delighted to be keeping Hedda after she has continued to make great progress in the car, she fully deserves her place."
Kovalainen secured his single career victory at the 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix, becoming the 100th driver to win a Formula One race. The 41-year-old becomes the fourth F1 name to enter Extreme E as he joins team owners Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg and Jenson Button, with whom he is all too familiar.
In his early career, the Finn finished runner-up in the Formula One junior series, GP2, behind Rosberg, while he was a team-mate to Hamilton when competing for McLaren in Formula One during 2008 and 2009 – claiming his sole victory and pole position for the team which now also contests in Extreme E.
Kovalainen raced in Formula One from 2007 to 2013, where as well as McLaren, the Finn represented Renault, Team Lotus, Caterham and Lotus F1 Team, securing four podiums in total.
Following his success in Formula One, Kovalainen switched to the Japanese Super GT series in 2015, winning the championship a year later before changing lanes to take on the world of off-road motorsport full-time.
Driving for JBXE this season will not be Kovalainen’s first outing in off-road racing. That moment came when Kovalainen competed in the Race of Champions (ROC), a feat he would take on five times between 2004 and 2010. His debut saw Kovalainen overcome motorsport legends David Coulthard, Jean Alesi, Michael Schumacher and Sébastien Loeb on his way to victory at his very first attempt. The Finn also won the ROC Nations Cup with Marcus Grönholm in 2006.
Kovalainen's first foray into rallying in Japan came in 2016 and has since competed in the Japan Rally Championship, where he dominated the JN-2 class championship to clinch the title with a round to spare, the Japan Super Rally Series and made his World Rally Championship debut at last year’s Rally Japan in a WRC2 car.
Extreme E’s marks Kovalainen’s latest venture in off-road racing but first time in an all-electric championship, as he teams up with Hosås to take on some of the most challenging environments in motorsport.
Heikki Kovalainen, JBXE, said: "I'm really excited to join JBXE in the Extreme E series in Saudi Arabia! It's a great championship with great teams and drivers so I'm looking forward to competing with them.
“It'll be something new again in my career. After my Formula One stint I've done GTs as well as some rallying and I'm always looking for new challenges and looking forward to giving this a try. It'll be a steep learning curve no doubt but I'm up for it and hopefully we'll get up to speed quickly.”
Currently a Veloce Racing Development Driver, Hosås has competed in Extreme E for JBXE since the double-header in Sardinia last term. Hosås made her series debut at the opening round of Season 2 last year, stepping in for the injured Christine GZ at Veloce Racing in Saudi Arabia, before switching to Jenson Button’s outfit at the next round.
The Norwegian teamed up with Kevin Hansen in the number 22 car and the Scandinavian duo raced to third place in the NEOM Island X Prix I, marking the podium on her debut for JBXE.
Hosås’ early career comprised largely of motocross competition before making the transition to rallycross. More recently, she has been competing in the Norwegian Rallycross Championship and made a guest appearance in the Danish championship in 2021.
Hedda Hosås, JBXE, said: "Super excited to be driving again for my second season with JBXE in Extreme E. To have the support and expertise of both Jenson and Heikki, two ex F1 drivers, will help me to continue my development as a driver.
“NEOM was my first ever race in the series when I stepped in as a reserve driver last year, so incredibly excited to be going back to where it started for me. I'm looking forward to working with my new team mate Heikki, he has a lot of experience from F1 to rally so I am sure he will adapt to Extreme E very quickly."
Ali Russell, Chief Marketing Officer, said: I’m absolutely delighted to see such a strong pairing and how Extreme E has brought in a renowned former Formula One driver into our Championship, I cannot wait to see their journey start in NEOM for the Desert X Prix.
“With crossovers from both worlds of motorsport, this is fantastic to see for our series, reinforcing our approach to building a family with the best of motorsport to tackle climate change.”
Kovalainen will make his Extreme E debut alongside Hosås at the Desert X Prix in NEOM, Saudi Arabia, on 11-12 March.
As part of the all-electric series’ new sporting format, the Finn will have two shots at his first Extreme E victory, as all X Prix weekends become double-headers in Season 3, for double the racing but zero the impact on the environment.
To learn more about Extreme E, visit - www.Extreme-E.com
After finishing third in Season 1, Jenson Button’s outfit dropped to ninth in the standings last term – despite securing a podium finish in NEOM Island X Prix I. JBXE will be aiming to bounce back with their new driver line-up in 2023 with their Nordic duo behind the wheel.
Jenson Button, Team Owner of JBXE, said: "Delighted to be announcing Heikki as our new male driver and also to have Hedda continue with the team! To bring such an established name from the world of motorsport and someone I had the pleasure of racing against in Formula One is brilliant for the team and the series.
“Following his move into the world of rally, it was a no brainer for the team to approach him and I’m over the moon he’s agreed to join the team and equally delighted to be keeping Hedda after she has continued to make great progress in the car, she fully deserves her place."
Kovalainen secured his single career victory at the 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix, becoming the 100th driver to win a Formula One race. The 41-year-old becomes the fourth F1 name to enter Extreme E as he joins team owners Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg and Jenson Button, with whom he is all too familiar.
In his early career, the Finn finished runner-up in the Formula One junior series, GP2, behind Rosberg, while he was a team-mate to Hamilton when competing for McLaren in Formula One during 2008 and 2009 – claiming his sole victory and pole position for the team which now also contests in Extreme E.
Kovalainen raced in Formula One from 2007 to 2013, where as well as McLaren, the Finn represented Renault, Team Lotus, Caterham and Lotus F1 Team, securing four podiums in total.
Following his success in Formula One, Kovalainen switched to the Japanese Super GT series in 2015, winning the championship a year later before changing lanes to take on the world of off-road motorsport full-time.
Driving for JBXE this season will not be Kovalainen’s first outing in off-road racing. That moment came when Kovalainen competed in the Race of Champions (ROC), a feat he would take on five times between 2004 and 2010. His debut saw Kovalainen overcome motorsport legends David Coulthard, Jean Alesi, Michael Schumacher and Sébastien Loeb on his way to victory at his very first attempt. The Finn also won the ROC Nations Cup with Marcus Grönholm in 2006.
Kovalainen's first foray into rallying in Japan came in 2016 and has since competed in the Japan Rally Championship, where he dominated the JN-2 class championship to clinch the title with a round to spare, the Japan Super Rally Series and made his World Rally Championship debut at last year’s Rally Japan in a WRC2 car.
Extreme E’s marks Kovalainen’s latest venture in off-road racing but first time in an all-electric championship, as he teams up with Hosås to take on some of the most challenging environments in motorsport.
Heikki Kovalainen, JBXE, said: "I'm really excited to join JBXE in the Extreme E series in Saudi Arabia! It's a great championship with great teams and drivers so I'm looking forward to competing with them.
“It'll be something new again in my career. After my Formula One stint I've done GTs as well as some rallying and I'm always looking for new challenges and looking forward to giving this a try. It'll be a steep learning curve no doubt but I'm up for it and hopefully we'll get up to speed quickly.”
Currently a Veloce Racing Development Driver, Hosås has competed in Extreme E for JBXE since the double-header in Sardinia last term. Hosås made her series debut at the opening round of Season 2 last year, stepping in for the injured Christine GZ at Veloce Racing in Saudi Arabia, before switching to Jenson Button’s outfit at the next round.
The Norwegian teamed up with Kevin Hansen in the number 22 car and the Scandinavian duo raced to third place in the NEOM Island X Prix I, marking the podium on her debut for JBXE.
Hosås’ early career comprised largely of motocross competition before making the transition to rallycross. More recently, she has been competing in the Norwegian Rallycross Championship and made a guest appearance in the Danish championship in 2021.
Hedda Hosås, JBXE, said: "Super excited to be driving again for my second season with JBXE in Extreme E. To have the support and expertise of both Jenson and Heikki, two ex F1 drivers, will help me to continue my development as a driver.
“NEOM was my first ever race in the series when I stepped in as a reserve driver last year, so incredibly excited to be going back to where it started for me. I'm looking forward to working with my new team mate Heikki, he has a lot of experience from F1 to rally so I am sure he will adapt to Extreme E very quickly."
Ali Russell, Chief Marketing Officer, said: I’m absolutely delighted to see such a strong pairing and how Extreme E has brought in a renowned former Formula One driver into our Championship, I cannot wait to see their journey start in NEOM for the Desert X Prix.
“With crossovers from both worlds of motorsport, this is fantastic to see for our series, reinforcing our approach to building a family with the best of motorsport to tackle climate change.”
Kovalainen will make his Extreme E debut alongside Hosås at the Desert X Prix in NEOM, Saudi Arabia, on 11-12 March.
As part of the all-electric series’ new sporting format, the Finn will have two shots at his first Extreme E victory, as all X Prix weekends become double-headers in Season 3, for double the racing but zero the impact on the environment.
To learn more about Extreme E, visit - www.Extreme-E.com
23-03-01 New
driver line-up for ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team as Mattias Ekström joins to
partner Laia Sanz for Extreme E Season 3
1 March 2023, London: ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team have unveiled their driver pairing for Extreme E Season 3, with Mattias Ekström teaming up with Laia Sanz for the Spanish outfit.
The Swede replaces Carlos Sainz Snr., as the two-time World Rally Champion is still recovering from a crash suffered in this year’s Dakar Rally, in which he fractured two vertebrae. Nevertheless, Sainz Snr. will travel to NEOM, Saudi Arabia, to work and help the team throughout the Desert X Prix later this month.
ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team finished sixth in the standings in Season 1, scoring their first ever podium with third at the Arctic X Prix in Greenland. The Spanish team built upon their first season performance, and had the pace to secure third in the championship in Extreme E Season 2 - reaching four out of the five Finals and finishing on the podium twice – and will be keen to secure that long-awaited maiden victory in 2023.
Joan Orús, ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team’s Team Principal, said: “This season is very important for the entire ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team. We start the year in a tough situation with the news that Carlos will not be in the car in Saudi Arabia, but we still feel we have found the best possible driver to complete the team with Laia.
“Mattias Ekström is one of the best rallycross, track and off-road drivers in the world, and his illustrious racing record will surely help us further develop as a team. Our aim is to win and we know that we can fight for the title if we all do our work right.”
Carlos Sainz Snr., ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team, said: “Mattias is the best signing we could have hoped for, for this new season. I know him well and I trust him completely because I know what he is capable of: I believe he is one of the best and most multifaceted race drivers in the world, and therefore it is an honour that he gets to defend the colours of ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team. I have raced against him in Extreme E and know him as my teammate in Audi in the raids, so I am aware of his potential and strengths.
“I myself will do all I can to help the team achieve its goals. I will be attending the races and supporting them to get the best results we can. Regarding Laia, she keeps growing as a race driver and she knows the team throughout. I would also like to thank Acciona, Santander Private Banking, Asterra and all our sponsors for their trust in this sustainable, egalitarian, thrilling project again.”
Ekström joins the team after a prolific racing career in the Rallycross World Championship, which he conquered in 2016, and the DTM, which he won twice in 2004 and 2007. He is also familiar with Extreme E having raced during the maiden season in 2021, finishing on the podium at the Island X Prix for ABT CUPRA XE, and is a four-time winner of the Race of Champions, securing another victory earlier this year.
Mattias Ekström, ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team, said: “Carlos is one of my childhood idols and since we are teammates in Audi Dakar project, we’ve become friends, so it feels special and even emotional to join his team at Extreme E. With me stepping in for Carlos, it will give him more time to recover from the accident he suffered at Dakar. I also know Laia since my very first Extreme E race and I’ve seen her progress a lot and she has shown her speed on track.
“Even though it was a very late decision to join the team, I will do my best to bring success to ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team this season and I hope we can fight for race wins and titles. I look forward on meeting all the team members in person and working with Carlos as my team boss, as I’m sure it will be a fun and valuable experience.”
Sanz will race for ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team once again, and has established herself as one of the best female off-road and Extreme E drivers since debuting in 2021. This will be her third season with the team.
Prior to her switch to cars, Sanz was crowned Trial World Champion 14 times, Enduro World Champion on five occasions, and has finished the Dakar Rally thirteen times in a row between 2011 and 2023. The Spaniard marked her car debut in the 2022 Dakar Rally, and this year finished 14th in the 4x2 traction prototypes class.
The Spaniard finished ninth overall in the 2015 Dakar Rally, achieving the best result ever by a woman in the motorcycle category at the event.
Laia Sanz, ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team, said: “I am really looking forward to the start of the Extreme E season. I feel like I improved a lot last year, but I haven’t reached my maximum and I am convinced that this season I will be able to contribute even more to the team’s success.
"It will definitely be strange not having Carlos on my side in Saudi Arabia, but his advice will be as important as always to try and achieve the result we all want.
“I am thrilled to be working with Mattias, who doesn’t really need any introduction because he has achieved so much in his long career in motorsports.”
You can find out how ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team’s new driver line-up gets on at the season opener in NEOM, Saudi Arabia, on 11-12 March.
To learn more about Extreme E, visit - www.Extreme-E.com
1 March 2023, London: ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team have unveiled their driver pairing for Extreme E Season 3, with Mattias Ekström teaming up with Laia Sanz for the Spanish outfit.
The Swede replaces Carlos Sainz Snr., as the two-time World Rally Champion is still recovering from a crash suffered in this year’s Dakar Rally, in which he fractured two vertebrae. Nevertheless, Sainz Snr. will travel to NEOM, Saudi Arabia, to work and help the team throughout the Desert X Prix later this month.
ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team finished sixth in the standings in Season 1, scoring their first ever podium with third at the Arctic X Prix in Greenland. The Spanish team built upon their first season performance, and had the pace to secure third in the championship in Extreme E Season 2 - reaching four out of the five Finals and finishing on the podium twice – and will be keen to secure that long-awaited maiden victory in 2023.
Joan Orús, ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team’s Team Principal, said: “This season is very important for the entire ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team. We start the year in a tough situation with the news that Carlos will not be in the car in Saudi Arabia, but we still feel we have found the best possible driver to complete the team with Laia.
“Mattias Ekström is one of the best rallycross, track and off-road drivers in the world, and his illustrious racing record will surely help us further develop as a team. Our aim is to win and we know that we can fight for the title if we all do our work right.”
Carlos Sainz Snr., ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team, said: “Mattias is the best signing we could have hoped for, for this new season. I know him well and I trust him completely because I know what he is capable of: I believe he is one of the best and most multifaceted race drivers in the world, and therefore it is an honour that he gets to defend the colours of ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team. I have raced against him in Extreme E and know him as my teammate in Audi in the raids, so I am aware of his potential and strengths.
“I myself will do all I can to help the team achieve its goals. I will be attending the races and supporting them to get the best results we can. Regarding Laia, she keeps growing as a race driver and she knows the team throughout. I would also like to thank Acciona, Santander Private Banking, Asterra and all our sponsors for their trust in this sustainable, egalitarian, thrilling project again.”
Ekström joins the team after a prolific racing career in the Rallycross World Championship, which he conquered in 2016, and the DTM, which he won twice in 2004 and 2007. He is also familiar with Extreme E having raced during the maiden season in 2021, finishing on the podium at the Island X Prix for ABT CUPRA XE, and is a four-time winner of the Race of Champions, securing another victory earlier this year.
Mattias Ekström, ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team, said: “Carlos is one of my childhood idols and since we are teammates in Audi Dakar project, we’ve become friends, so it feels special and even emotional to join his team at Extreme E. With me stepping in for Carlos, it will give him more time to recover from the accident he suffered at Dakar. I also know Laia since my very first Extreme E race and I’ve seen her progress a lot and she has shown her speed on track.
“Even though it was a very late decision to join the team, I will do my best to bring success to ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team this season and I hope we can fight for race wins and titles. I look forward on meeting all the team members in person and working with Carlos as my team boss, as I’m sure it will be a fun and valuable experience.”
Sanz will race for ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team once again, and has established herself as one of the best female off-road and Extreme E drivers since debuting in 2021. This will be her third season with the team.
Prior to her switch to cars, Sanz was crowned Trial World Champion 14 times, Enduro World Champion on five occasions, and has finished the Dakar Rally thirteen times in a row between 2011 and 2023. The Spaniard marked her car debut in the 2022 Dakar Rally, and this year finished 14th in the 4x2 traction prototypes class.
The Spaniard finished ninth overall in the 2015 Dakar Rally, achieving the best result ever by a woman in the motorcycle category at the event.
Laia Sanz, ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team, said: “I am really looking forward to the start of the Extreme E season. I feel like I improved a lot last year, but I haven’t reached my maximum and I am convinced that this season I will be able to contribute even more to the team’s success.
"It will definitely be strange not having Carlos on my side in Saudi Arabia, but his advice will be as important as always to try and achieve the result we all want.
“I am thrilled to be working with Mattias, who doesn’t really need any introduction because he has achieved so much in his long career in motorsports.”
You can find out how ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team’s new driver line-up gets on at the season opener in NEOM, Saudi Arabia, on 11-12 March.
To learn more about Extreme E, visit - www.Extreme-E.com
23-02-27 Extreme
E reveals supercharged format Season 3 sporting format
As Extreme E Season 3 draws ever closer, the championship is delighted to reveal an exciting new racing format for 2023 – ultimately showcasing double the racing action with no additional carbon footprint.
Each X Prix will now be a doubleheader and play host to back-to-back rounds across the weekend. This means double the opportunity for wins, podiums and crucial points across the ten race calendar over the course of the campaign, crucially without adding any additional carbon footprint, in line with the series’ goals to keep carbon footprint to a minimum.
Likened to ‘Star Wars Pod Racing meets Dakar Rally’, the series devised an innovative format unlike any other for Seasons 1 and 2, delivering some breath-taking competition. Season 3 sees the championship take things even further, with an all-new format designed to bring even more wheel-to-wheel racing out on the course.
Alejandro Agag, Founder and CEO at Extreme E, said: “Since launching Extreme E, we have worked hard to improve the level of racing out on course to ensure it is thrilling to watch with plenty of action.
“This new sporting format goes even further to deliver that, with now double the amount of racing action on some of the toughest courses in the world, leaving zero additional impact on the planet.
“To have a ten-race championship in Extreme E is a tantalising prospect for everyone on board and we believe the increased number of races will only enhance our series. We cannot wait for our opening races of the campaign in NEOM to get our biggest season yet underway for 2023.”
Season 3 will feature the pressure of five-car races in both Qualifying 1 and Qualifying 2. Qualifying Round 1 and Qualifying Round 2 will now both consist of two heats, five cars each. This means four wheel-to-wheel races will determine who comes out on top in what promises to be a nail-biting contest.
Intermediate Classification Points are awarded for Q1 and Q2, with a single Championship point awarded to the winners of each Heat – something that could prove crucial in the closing stages of the season.
This will be followed by the Grand Final, starring the top five teams from Qualifying, with the winner taking the top step of the podium. The remaining five teams will battle it out in Redemption Race, where all important Championship points are still at stake.
The excitement doesn’t stop there, with the doubleheader element, the above format will take place on both Saturday and Sunday, meaning two winners will be crowned at each race weekend.
James Taylor, Chief Championship Officer at Extreme E, added: “We’ve continuously improved the racing spectacle since launching Extreme E, but for Season 3 we wanted to create something spectacular and we feel this new sporting format achieves that.
“At each round, there will be double the opportunity for points and podiums - meaning a lot more to play for at each race weekend, while drivers and teams will have to navigate that racing tightrope of risk and reward to ensure they achieve the maximum result.
“Having a ten race championship should really close up those standings as the season progresses, meaning a thrilling Extreme E campaign should be in store for 2023 and we cannot wait for it to begin.”
Distances for each X Prix course and the number of laps will vary depending on the characteristics of the location, such as the terrain and the environmental conditions. What remains consistent is a driver changeover in the ‘Switch Zone’, taking place at the halfway point.
GridPlay will also be returning in Season 3, with grid positions for The Grand Final determined through the fan voting process. The teams that do not make it to The Grand Final must ‘gift’ their votes to their preferred team on The Grand Final grid. Grid position for the Redemption Race will be defined by the Intermediate Classification results, with the team that finished 6th choosing grid position first, followed by the team that finished 7th, and so on.
The Continental Traction Challenge will be returning in 2023 and will be crucial to the overall points total once again. The team that sets the fastest time, a combination of both the male and female drivers’ fastest times, through the allocated sector will win the Continental Traction Challenge and earn two championship points. This will run for each of the individual race days on Saturday and Sunday.
If any teams are tied in the Qualifying standings, their positioning will be determined by their time in the Continental Traction Challenge - the team with the quicker run through the allocated sector during Qualifying will receive the higher overall position.
An ‘ENOWA Hyperdrive’ boost will also be available to all drivers in the race. Activated when the driver presses a button on their steering wheel, they will enjoy an increase in power for a fixed amount of time – the timing for this will be a key decision.
With only weeks to go until the opening X Prix of the campaign, Extreme E Season 3 is all set to be another spectacular campaign.
To learn more about Extreme E, visit - www.Extreme-E.com
As Extreme E Season 3 draws ever closer, the championship is delighted to reveal an exciting new racing format for 2023 – ultimately showcasing double the racing action with no additional carbon footprint.
Each X Prix will now be a doubleheader and play host to back-to-back rounds across the weekend. This means double the opportunity for wins, podiums and crucial points across the ten race calendar over the course of the campaign, crucially without adding any additional carbon footprint, in line with the series’ goals to keep carbon footprint to a minimum.
Likened to ‘Star Wars Pod Racing meets Dakar Rally’, the series devised an innovative format unlike any other for Seasons 1 and 2, delivering some breath-taking competition. Season 3 sees the championship take things even further, with an all-new format designed to bring even more wheel-to-wheel racing out on the course.
Alejandro Agag, Founder and CEO at Extreme E, said: “Since launching Extreme E, we have worked hard to improve the level of racing out on course to ensure it is thrilling to watch with plenty of action.
“This new sporting format goes even further to deliver that, with now double the amount of racing action on some of the toughest courses in the world, leaving zero additional impact on the planet.
“To have a ten-race championship in Extreme E is a tantalising prospect for everyone on board and we believe the increased number of races will only enhance our series. We cannot wait for our opening races of the campaign in NEOM to get our biggest season yet underway for 2023.”
Season 3 will feature the pressure of five-car races in both Qualifying 1 and Qualifying 2. Qualifying Round 1 and Qualifying Round 2 will now both consist of two heats, five cars each. This means four wheel-to-wheel races will determine who comes out on top in what promises to be a nail-biting contest.
Intermediate Classification Points are awarded for Q1 and Q2, with a single Championship point awarded to the winners of each Heat – something that could prove crucial in the closing stages of the season.
This will be followed by the Grand Final, starring the top five teams from Qualifying, with the winner taking the top step of the podium. The remaining five teams will battle it out in Redemption Race, where all important Championship points are still at stake.
The excitement doesn’t stop there, with the doubleheader element, the above format will take place on both Saturday and Sunday, meaning two winners will be crowned at each race weekend.
James Taylor, Chief Championship Officer at Extreme E, added: “We’ve continuously improved the racing spectacle since launching Extreme E, but for Season 3 we wanted to create something spectacular and we feel this new sporting format achieves that.
“At each round, there will be double the opportunity for points and podiums - meaning a lot more to play for at each race weekend, while drivers and teams will have to navigate that racing tightrope of risk and reward to ensure they achieve the maximum result.
“Having a ten race championship should really close up those standings as the season progresses, meaning a thrilling Extreme E campaign should be in store for 2023 and we cannot wait for it to begin.”
Distances for each X Prix course and the number of laps will vary depending on the characteristics of the location, such as the terrain and the environmental conditions. What remains consistent is a driver changeover in the ‘Switch Zone’, taking place at the halfway point.
GridPlay will also be returning in Season 3, with grid positions for The Grand Final determined through the fan voting process. The teams that do not make it to The Grand Final must ‘gift’ their votes to their preferred team on The Grand Final grid. Grid position for the Redemption Race will be defined by the Intermediate Classification results, with the team that finished 6th choosing grid position first, followed by the team that finished 7th, and so on.
The Continental Traction Challenge will be returning in 2023 and will be crucial to the overall points total once again. The team that sets the fastest time, a combination of both the male and female drivers’ fastest times, through the allocated sector will win the Continental Traction Challenge and earn two championship points. This will run for each of the individual race days on Saturday and Sunday.
If any teams are tied in the Qualifying standings, their positioning will be determined by their time in the Continental Traction Challenge - the team with the quicker run through the allocated sector during Qualifying will receive the higher overall position.
An ‘ENOWA Hyperdrive’ boost will also be available to all drivers in the race. Activated when the driver presses a button on their steering wheel, they will enjoy an increase in power for a fixed amount of time – the timing for this will be a key decision.
With only weeks to go until the opening X Prix of the campaign, Extreme E Season 3 is all set to be another spectacular campaign.
To learn more about Extreme E, visit - www.Extreme-E.com
23-02-21 Rosberg
X Racing retains Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky and Johan Kristoffersson
for Extreme E Season 3
Inaugural Extreme E winners and Season 2 runners-up Rosberg X Racing (RXR) have retained their driver line-up for the forthcoming campaign. Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky and Johan Kristoffersson will be back behind the wheel for the team founded?by 2016 Formula 1™ World Champion Nico Rosberg.
RXR were narrowly denied back-to-back championship honours in the Extreme E Season 2 finale, when victory at the Uruguay Natural Energy X Prix last November went the way of Sir Lewis Hamilton’s X44 Vida Carbon Racing.
Mechanical issues at the Antofagasta Minerals Copper X Prix meant the team failed to start in an Extreme E Final for the first time. This misfortune in the penultimate round, combined with falling short of a spot in the Final in Uruguay, saw Åhlin-Kottulinsky and Kristoffersson finish just two points behind Season 2 champions Sébastien Loeb and Cristina Gutiérrez.
Their pace in the RXR ODYSSEY 21 was never in doubt. Out of the five X Prix in the calendar, the Swedish duo finished as fastest qualifiers three times, and took the top step of the podium twice – at the season-opener in NEOM, Saudi Arabia, and the second round of the Sardinian double-header. What's more, the pair scored the quickest combined time in the Continental Traction Challenge in three out of the five race weekends.
Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky, RXR, said: “Joining RXR last year was a dream come true. I learnt so much from Johan and the team, so to come back for another season is fantastic. I can’t wait to get behind the wheel and give it everything I’ve got. It’s going to be an epic season!”
Nico Rosberg, Rosberg X Racing Founder and CEO, said: “I’m super happy that Mikaela and Johan have signed for another season. With the experience and track record of both drivers, we will be prepared for the battle and hopefully make for some exciting action on track. Last year, we sadly didn't take home the championship trophy, but this year we plan on giving it our all!”
Johan Kristoffersson, RXR, said: “I am very happy to continue with RXR. I am confident that we can build on our experience and come back stronger than ever. Having Mikaela on my side for another season is an extra motivation. She’s a great person on and off the track and and she has really impressed me with her development and her will to work.”
Kristoffersson, who has now secured five wins for RXR across two seasons, is the most-decorated FIA World Rallycross Championship driver in history and secured his fifth World Rallycross crown in 2022. Since joining World Rallycross in 2014, Kristoffersson has amassed 35 wins and 50 podiums.
Alongside his Extreme E and World Rallycross championship wins, Kristoffersson has won titles in the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship (STCC), Superstars International Series, and Porsche Carrera Cup Scandinavia. The Swede brings extensive experience and skill in multiple disciplines to his Extreme E efforts, as RXR bid for their second title this year.
Prior to joining RXR, Åhlin-Kottulinsky competed for JBXE, claiming third place in the first-ever Extreme E season. The Swede started her career with Rallycross, before moving to the circuit to become the first woman to win a race in the German Scirocco R-Cup in 2014.
Only four years later, she made history with a race win in the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship as the first female driver to ever compete in the series. In 2021, she finished second in the STCC, having secured four wins during her time competing in the championship.
2022 marked a strong season for Åhlin-Kottulinsky in multiple disciplines, with first place finishes in the Rally Jameel and Sprint Challenge Scandinavia alongside third in Nitro Rallycross.
Åhlin-Kottulinsky also continues in her role as test driver for Extreme E’s Founding Partner Continental, helping to develop the CrossContact tyre for the series’ ODYSSEY 21 e-SUVs.
Kristoffersson and Åhlin-Kottulinsky’s success in the sport was acknowledged last year when both were awarded the Motor Prince Medal, alongside fellow Extreme E driver Timmy Hansen. Åhlin-Kottulinsky is the first ever female driver to receive this honour.
Kristoffersson and Åhlin-Kottulinsky will kick of their Extreme E Season 3 campaign in the NEOM season-opener on 11-12 March.
To learn more about Extreme E, visit - www.Extreme-E.com
Inaugural Extreme E winners and Season 2 runners-up Rosberg X Racing (RXR) have retained their driver line-up for the forthcoming campaign. Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky and Johan Kristoffersson will be back behind the wheel for the team founded?by 2016 Formula 1™ World Champion Nico Rosberg.
RXR were narrowly denied back-to-back championship honours in the Extreme E Season 2 finale, when victory at the Uruguay Natural Energy X Prix last November went the way of Sir Lewis Hamilton’s X44 Vida Carbon Racing.
Mechanical issues at the Antofagasta Minerals Copper X Prix meant the team failed to start in an Extreme E Final for the first time. This misfortune in the penultimate round, combined with falling short of a spot in the Final in Uruguay, saw Åhlin-Kottulinsky and Kristoffersson finish just two points behind Season 2 champions Sébastien Loeb and Cristina Gutiérrez.
Their pace in the RXR ODYSSEY 21 was never in doubt. Out of the five X Prix in the calendar, the Swedish duo finished as fastest qualifiers three times, and took the top step of the podium twice – at the season-opener in NEOM, Saudi Arabia, and the second round of the Sardinian double-header. What's more, the pair scored the quickest combined time in the Continental Traction Challenge in three out of the five race weekends.
Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky, RXR, said: “Joining RXR last year was a dream come true. I learnt so much from Johan and the team, so to come back for another season is fantastic. I can’t wait to get behind the wheel and give it everything I’ve got. It’s going to be an epic season!”
Nico Rosberg, Rosberg X Racing Founder and CEO, said: “I’m super happy that Mikaela and Johan have signed for another season. With the experience and track record of both drivers, we will be prepared for the battle and hopefully make for some exciting action on track. Last year, we sadly didn't take home the championship trophy, but this year we plan on giving it our all!”
Johan Kristoffersson, RXR, said: “I am very happy to continue with RXR. I am confident that we can build on our experience and come back stronger than ever. Having Mikaela on my side for another season is an extra motivation. She’s a great person on and off the track and and she has really impressed me with her development and her will to work.”
Kristoffersson, who has now secured five wins for RXR across two seasons, is the most-decorated FIA World Rallycross Championship driver in history and secured his fifth World Rallycross crown in 2022. Since joining World Rallycross in 2014, Kristoffersson has amassed 35 wins and 50 podiums.
Alongside his Extreme E and World Rallycross championship wins, Kristoffersson has won titles in the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship (STCC), Superstars International Series, and Porsche Carrera Cup Scandinavia. The Swede brings extensive experience and skill in multiple disciplines to his Extreme E efforts, as RXR bid for their second title this year.
Prior to joining RXR, Åhlin-Kottulinsky competed for JBXE, claiming third place in the first-ever Extreme E season. The Swede started her career with Rallycross, before moving to the circuit to become the first woman to win a race in the German Scirocco R-Cup in 2014.
Only four years later, she made history with a race win in the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship as the first female driver to ever compete in the series. In 2021, she finished second in the STCC, having secured four wins during her time competing in the championship.
2022 marked a strong season for Åhlin-Kottulinsky in multiple disciplines, with first place finishes in the Rally Jameel and Sprint Challenge Scandinavia alongside third in Nitro Rallycross.
Åhlin-Kottulinsky also continues in her role as test driver for Extreme E’s Founding Partner Continental, helping to develop the CrossContact tyre for the series’ ODYSSEY 21 e-SUVs.
Kristoffersson and Åhlin-Kottulinsky’s success in the sport was acknowledged last year when both were awarded the Motor Prince Medal, alongside fellow Extreme E driver Timmy Hansen. Åhlin-Kottulinsky is the first ever female driver to receive this honour.
Kristoffersson and Åhlin-Kottulinsky will kick of their Extreme E Season 3 campaign in the NEOM season-opener on 11-12 March.
To learn more about Extreme E, visit - www.Extreme-E.com
23-02-14 Anticipation
builds with one month to go until Extreme E Season 3
After two years filled with drama, excitement, and plenty of on-course action, Extreme E is set to return with its biggest campaign yet, as the 2023 season begins in NEOM, Saudi Arabia, in a month’s time.
Season 3 will deliver fresh faces, an exciting new team as superstar DJ Carl Cox enters the championship, and even more thrilling wheel-to-wheel action showcased across some of the toughest and most environmentally challenged terrains on the planet.
As the pioneering championship continues to evolve, Extreme E Season 3 promises to captivate on and off the course, whilst delivering on its overall purpose to address climate change through sport, starting with the Desert X Prix on 11-12 March.
His Royal Highness Prince Khalid Bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal, Chairman of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation and the Saudi Motorsport Company, commented: “We are very excited to welcome Extreme E back to the Kingdom for the third consecutive year of action-packed racing. This successful partnership goes well beyond the sporting element, however, as it builds on our shared long-term commitment to build a more sustainable future for all.
"In addition, it perfectly aligns with one of the most important pillars of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 to make the Kingdom a leader in the development and promotion of alternative energy sources and the preservation of the environment for future generations.”
Alejandro Agag, CEO and Founder of Extreme E, said: “Using our sport for purpose platform, Extreme E truly stepped things up another level last year and delivered some of the best racing action in the series so far. Now, we are ready to go and do it all again, with more ambition than ever before.
“Entering our third season, we are proud to welcome legendary DJ Carl Cox to the party and are excited to see his team, Carl Cox Racing, take on the rest of our star-studded grid. We have such a strong field in Extreme E for 2023, from our championship-winning outfits led by Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, respectively, to strong challenger line-ups in the likes of NEOM McLaren Extreme E, Veloce Racing, and ABT CUPRA XE preparing to push competition boundaries.
“We are thrilled to open the season once again in NEOM. The ambition for NEOM and its targets are the same values that we have in Extreme E. NEOM’s principle of sustainability will provide an environment for living in harmony with nature, and all this meets the values of our championship.
“With all this excitement we cannot lose sight of our overall purpose – this championship is a race for the planet. We are determined to build on the success our platform has had in raising awareness of climate issues and we are ready to take things even further as we explore the sustainable solutions that we can all be part of.”
NEOM is the centrepiece of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan to grow and diversify the Saudi economy and position the country as a leader in global sustainable development.
Built from the ground up, NEOM will be a new model for livability in the face of climate change, creating thriving businesses and reinventing environmental conservation. This will include the world’s first large-scale renewable energy system, pioneering the use of green hydrogen, as well as a world hub for clean energy generation research and innovation.
Beyond being a hub for sustainability, entrepreneurs and business leaders, NEOM is also set to be the home of adventure sports – creating active communities and a host destination for dynamic and challenging sports - Extreme E being among the first.
The sport infrastructure in NEOM will include the broadest spectrum of sports, from grassroots to high performance. NEOM's ambitions also include a strong focus on environmental conservation, in line with the project's plans to preserve 95 per cent of its natural environment.
NEOM’s involvement in Extreme E grew even further last season, becoming the title sponsor at NEOM McLaren Extreme E. The partnership with McLaren Electric Racing builds on NEOM’s growing involvement in electric motorsport and aims to establish NEOM as an innovative hub for global sport. A multi-year relationship with ENOWA was also announced, NEOM’s energy, water and hydrogen subsidiary, to introduce green hydrogen power to their global sustainable racing series.
ENOWA is the engine room for sustainable energy, water and hydrogen at NEOM. Green hydrogen is widely seen as the most promising green energy carrier for the future. This technology supports the transportation of renewable energy over long distances and the decarbonisation of major industries and infrastructure. Both work to implement innovative green hydrogen-based technologies to not only power the championship towards a 100 per cent “leave no trace” ambition but also to showcase the opportunities around this technology.
The Desert X Prix marks Extreme E’s third event in the region, pursuing the mutual goal of combining sustainability with global sporting events.
Jan Paterson, Managing Director of Sport at NEOM, added: “We are delighted to welcome Extreme E back to NEOM to kick off the 2023 season. Hosting Extreme E aligns with NEOM’s vision to become a unique host destination in the world for global sport by combining the principles of exciting competition with sustainable best practices."
The opening round of the season will take place on the shores of the Red Sea close to the location of the 2022 NEOM Beach Games, which hosted over 300 athletes from 25 countries.
Teams will once again face a mostly sandy terrain, though a very different challenge and location to the deserts of the series’ past two visits to Saudi Arabia.
Many of the drivers will have experienced a shoreline course before, at the Ocean X Prix in Senegal in 2021, but all will have to be at the top of their game to meet the unique demands of this terrain.
NEOM will start the global voyage of Season 3, highlighting the impact of climate change and human interference in one of the most remarkable and remote locations in the world, whilst promoting the adoption of electric vehicles in the fight to help preserve the environment and protect the planet.
Alongside returning to Saudi Arabia, Sardinia, and Chile, Extreme E will also make its debut in Scotland, and possibly the USA or Brazil.
With less than five weeks to go until the opening X Prix of the campaign, Extreme E Season 3 is all set to be another spectacular campaign.
To learn more about Extreme E, visit - www.Extreme-E.com
After two years filled with drama, excitement, and plenty of on-course action, Extreme E is set to return with its biggest campaign yet, as the 2023 season begins in NEOM, Saudi Arabia, in a month’s time.
Season 3 will deliver fresh faces, an exciting new team as superstar DJ Carl Cox enters the championship, and even more thrilling wheel-to-wheel action showcased across some of the toughest and most environmentally challenged terrains on the planet.
As the pioneering championship continues to evolve, Extreme E Season 3 promises to captivate on and off the course, whilst delivering on its overall purpose to address climate change through sport, starting with the Desert X Prix on 11-12 March.
His Royal Highness Prince Khalid Bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal, Chairman of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation and the Saudi Motorsport Company, commented: “We are very excited to welcome Extreme E back to the Kingdom for the third consecutive year of action-packed racing. This successful partnership goes well beyond the sporting element, however, as it builds on our shared long-term commitment to build a more sustainable future for all.
"In addition, it perfectly aligns with one of the most important pillars of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 to make the Kingdom a leader in the development and promotion of alternative energy sources and the preservation of the environment for future generations.”
Alejandro Agag, CEO and Founder of Extreme E, said: “Using our sport for purpose platform, Extreme E truly stepped things up another level last year and delivered some of the best racing action in the series so far. Now, we are ready to go and do it all again, with more ambition than ever before.
“Entering our third season, we are proud to welcome legendary DJ Carl Cox to the party and are excited to see his team, Carl Cox Racing, take on the rest of our star-studded grid. We have such a strong field in Extreme E for 2023, from our championship-winning outfits led by Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, respectively, to strong challenger line-ups in the likes of NEOM McLaren Extreme E, Veloce Racing, and ABT CUPRA XE preparing to push competition boundaries.
“We are thrilled to open the season once again in NEOM. The ambition for NEOM and its targets are the same values that we have in Extreme E. NEOM’s principle of sustainability will provide an environment for living in harmony with nature, and all this meets the values of our championship.
“With all this excitement we cannot lose sight of our overall purpose – this championship is a race for the planet. We are determined to build on the success our platform has had in raising awareness of climate issues and we are ready to take things even further as we explore the sustainable solutions that we can all be part of.”
NEOM is the centrepiece of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan to grow and diversify the Saudi economy and position the country as a leader in global sustainable development.
Built from the ground up, NEOM will be a new model for livability in the face of climate change, creating thriving businesses and reinventing environmental conservation. This will include the world’s first large-scale renewable energy system, pioneering the use of green hydrogen, as well as a world hub for clean energy generation research and innovation.
Beyond being a hub for sustainability, entrepreneurs and business leaders, NEOM is also set to be the home of adventure sports – creating active communities and a host destination for dynamic and challenging sports - Extreme E being among the first.
The sport infrastructure in NEOM will include the broadest spectrum of sports, from grassroots to high performance. NEOM's ambitions also include a strong focus on environmental conservation, in line with the project's plans to preserve 95 per cent of its natural environment.
NEOM’s involvement in Extreme E grew even further last season, becoming the title sponsor at NEOM McLaren Extreme E. The partnership with McLaren Electric Racing builds on NEOM’s growing involvement in electric motorsport and aims to establish NEOM as an innovative hub for global sport. A multi-year relationship with ENOWA was also announced, NEOM’s energy, water and hydrogen subsidiary, to introduce green hydrogen power to their global sustainable racing series.
ENOWA is the engine room for sustainable energy, water and hydrogen at NEOM. Green hydrogen is widely seen as the most promising green energy carrier for the future. This technology supports the transportation of renewable energy over long distances and the decarbonisation of major industries and infrastructure. Both work to implement innovative green hydrogen-based technologies to not only power the championship towards a 100 per cent “leave no trace” ambition but also to showcase the opportunities around this technology.
The Desert X Prix marks Extreme E’s third event in the region, pursuing the mutual goal of combining sustainability with global sporting events.
Jan Paterson, Managing Director of Sport at NEOM, added: “We are delighted to welcome Extreme E back to NEOM to kick off the 2023 season. Hosting Extreme E aligns with NEOM’s vision to become a unique host destination in the world for global sport by combining the principles of exciting competition with sustainable best practices."
The opening round of the season will take place on the shores of the Red Sea close to the location of the 2022 NEOM Beach Games, which hosted over 300 athletes from 25 countries.
Teams will once again face a mostly sandy terrain, though a very different challenge and location to the deserts of the series’ past two visits to Saudi Arabia.
Many of the drivers will have experienced a shoreline course before, at the Ocean X Prix in Senegal in 2021, but all will have to be at the top of their game to meet the unique demands of this terrain.
NEOM will start the global voyage of Season 3, highlighting the impact of climate change and human interference in one of the most remarkable and remote locations in the world, whilst promoting the adoption of electric vehicles in the fight to help preserve the environment and protect the planet.
Alongside returning to Saudi Arabia, Sardinia, and Chile, Extreme E will also make its debut in Scotland, and possibly the USA or Brazil.
With less than five weeks to go until the opening X Prix of the campaign, Extreme E Season 3 is all set to be another spectacular campaign.
To learn more about Extreme E, visit - www.Extreme-E.com
23-02-07 Turning
racing tyres into living space: Founding Partner Continental opens basketball
court made from recycled Extreme E tyres
Founding Partner of Extreme E, Continental Tyres, has opened a cutting-edge and sustainably built basketball court in the Linden-Süd district of Hanover, Germany.
This is no ordinary court – the innovative new build has been constructed using 200 recycled racing tyres from the first season of the Extreme E electric racing series, which Continental supports as a main sponsor.
Since its inception, a core value of Extreme E and its supporting partners has been sustainability, which has been actioned through examples such as electrification, legacy programmes, and a Scientific Committee. Being able to give new life to these old racing tyres is a further impactful development to this goal and demonstrates the significance of a major manufacturer adapting to match a purpose driven mission.
Ali Russell, Chief Marketing Officer at Extreme E, said: “We are delighted with this initiative from our partner Continental, which pushes the boundaries of how we can re-purpose resources in a way that will benefit so many people.
“Over the past two Extreme E season campaigns, it has become clear that both creative thinking and a great deal of ingenuity is required to deliver the solutions necessary to combat the climate crisis. This fantastic initiative certainly achieves that.”
Continental’s partnership with Extreme E has already seen the launch of two generations of the pioneering CrossContact racing tyre – credited as a fundamental development in pushing the boundaries in tyre technology.
In its second year of partnership, Continental launched its most sustainable tyre ever, the second generation of the Extreme E CrossContact.
The application of old PET bottles, making up 100% of the tyre carcass, and a new silica material created from rice husks, a waste product from agriculture, pushes the boundaries in tyre technology ahead of plans to integrate the new technology into volume production of various Continental premium tyres later this year.
This high-level basketball court has taken this innovation one step further, turning old tyres into the foundation of the sporting and social space, in line with the aim of “turning racing tyres into living space”. This, in sum, strives to give people a lively place to play, burn off energy, and train.
Christian Kötz, Member of the Executive Board Tires at Continental, said: “These tyres raced in Saudi Arabia, Greenland, and Senegal. Now, in the form of a basketball court, they are helping to bring young people together and get them excited about sport.
“We’re delighted that the Extreme E tyres are getting a second life after the end of their racing career. Circularity – in this case the reuse and continued use of tyres – is an important area, and one in which Continental is working hard.”
The court was created as part of a collaboration between the city of Hanover, property construction company Hanova, the BasKIDball project, the VIA Linden, and Serve the City Hannover associations and the SV Linden 07 club, on whose premises the half-court has been built. Elastomer processing company REGUPOL handled the transformation of the tyres into rubber paving blocks, and the court was assembled by Hanover-based company Kretschmer.
Belit Onay, Hanover’s Mayor, added: “We would like to thank Continental and all those involved for this new basketball court, which creates a new space for kids and young people and brings sport and sustainability together in the same conversation.
“Initiatives like this show what is possible when so many people help to turn a community project into reality in our city. I’m grateful for all their contributions.”
Christian Kötz and Belit Onay led the official opening. After the first few passes on the court, Kötz and Onay then handed it over to the children from the BasKIDball project, a Germany-wide initiative that aims to use sport to break through barriers and shine the spotlight on the social side of group participation.
BasKIDball stands for values such as team spirit and trust, health, and fairness. With the social aspect playing a central role, it is fitting that Continental will support this approach with the help of Extreme E resources, as all involved stand for progression, sustainability and equality.
To learn more about Extreme E, visit - www.Extreme-E.com
Founding Partner of Extreme E, Continental Tyres, has opened a cutting-edge and sustainably built basketball court in the Linden-Süd district of Hanover, Germany.
This is no ordinary court – the innovative new build has been constructed using 200 recycled racing tyres from the first season of the Extreme E electric racing series, which Continental supports as a main sponsor.
Since its inception, a core value of Extreme E and its supporting partners has been sustainability, which has been actioned through examples such as electrification, legacy programmes, and a Scientific Committee. Being able to give new life to these old racing tyres is a further impactful development to this goal and demonstrates the significance of a major manufacturer adapting to match a purpose driven mission.
Ali Russell, Chief Marketing Officer at Extreme E, said: “We are delighted with this initiative from our partner Continental, which pushes the boundaries of how we can re-purpose resources in a way that will benefit so many people.
“Over the past two Extreme E season campaigns, it has become clear that both creative thinking and a great deal of ingenuity is required to deliver the solutions necessary to combat the climate crisis. This fantastic initiative certainly achieves that.”
Continental’s partnership with Extreme E has already seen the launch of two generations of the pioneering CrossContact racing tyre – credited as a fundamental development in pushing the boundaries in tyre technology.
In its second year of partnership, Continental launched its most sustainable tyre ever, the second generation of the Extreme E CrossContact.
The application of old PET bottles, making up 100% of the tyre carcass, and a new silica material created from rice husks, a waste product from agriculture, pushes the boundaries in tyre technology ahead of plans to integrate the new technology into volume production of various Continental premium tyres later this year.
This high-level basketball court has taken this innovation one step further, turning old tyres into the foundation of the sporting and social space, in line with the aim of “turning racing tyres into living space”. This, in sum, strives to give people a lively place to play, burn off energy, and train.
Christian Kötz, Member of the Executive Board Tires at Continental, said: “These tyres raced in Saudi Arabia, Greenland, and Senegal. Now, in the form of a basketball court, they are helping to bring young people together and get them excited about sport.
“We’re delighted that the Extreme E tyres are getting a second life after the end of their racing career. Circularity – in this case the reuse and continued use of tyres – is an important area, and one in which Continental is working hard.”
The court was created as part of a collaboration between the city of Hanover, property construction company Hanova, the BasKIDball project, the VIA Linden, and Serve the City Hannover associations and the SV Linden 07 club, on whose premises the half-court has been built. Elastomer processing company REGUPOL handled the transformation of the tyres into rubber paving blocks, and the court was assembled by Hanover-based company Kretschmer.
Belit Onay, Hanover’s Mayor, added: “We would like to thank Continental and all those involved for this new basketball court, which creates a new space for kids and young people and brings sport and sustainability together in the same conversation.
“Initiatives like this show what is possible when so many people help to turn a community project into reality in our city. I’m grateful for all their contributions.”
Christian Kötz and Belit Onay led the official opening. After the first few passes on the court, Kötz and Onay then handed it over to the children from the BasKIDball project, a Germany-wide initiative that aims to use sport to break through barriers and shine the spotlight on the social side of group participation.
BasKIDball stands for values such as team spirit and trust, health, and fairness. With the social aspect playing a central role, it is fitting that Continental will support this approach with the help of Extreme E resources, as all involved stand for progression, sustainability and equality.
To learn more about Extreme E, visit - www.Extreme-E.com
23-01-27 ABT
CUPRA XE confirms Klara Andersson and Nasser Al-Attiyah for Extreme E Season
3ABT CUPRA XE have confirmed that Klara Andersson will be continuing
alongside five-time Dakar winner Nasser Al-Attiyah for the team in Extreme
E Season 3.
The young Swede secures her spot after two impressive performances at the end of last season whilst deputising for Jutta Kleinschmidt. A podium finish on debut at the penultimate round in Chile, and the team’s maiden victory at the season finale in Uruguay, saw Andersson and ABT CUPRA XE finish the year as they mean to go on.
Having completed its second season, which culminated in sixth-place in the championship standings, the ABT CUPRA XE team is focused on achieving more podiums in its third Extreme E campaign in 2023.
Klara Andersson, ABT CUPRA XE, said: “I am super excited to join ABT CUPRA XE for the full Extreme E season in 2023.
“It is an amazing team - I have done two races already for ABT CUPRA XE stepping in for Jutta, and those went very well. I am extremely excited to join full-time and race alongside Nasser again. He’s an amazing driver and person overall, and so I am really happy to continue the momentum that we got last year in Chile and Uruguay.?
“We want to fight for the Extreme E title. That’s what every team wants and we will do our best to perform as well as we can."
Nasser Al-Attiyah, ABT CUPRA XE, said: "We are ready for the 2023 season and I am really happy that Klara is joining me behind the wheel at ABT CUPRA XE.
"I am very excited and really looking forward to fighting for the championship this year. We have updated the livery - which looks amazing - and we are ready to drive, get out there on track and take some wins for the team."
The Swedish-Qatari duo will be looking to make an impact, and a new livery for their ODYSSEY 21 will certainly be turning heads. A multi-layered and chameleonic body colour, combining a deep purple and neon yellow, will take to the Extreme E grid for Season 3.
This season, the team’s car features an updated livery to match the UrbanRebel, the ABT CUPRA GEN3 Formula E car and the CUPRA e-Racer. This is testament to how Extreme E is enhancing CUPRA’s electrification research while promoting electrification, sustainability, environmental awareness, and gender equality.
The Tavascan XE hints at CUPRA’s design for the future series production CUPRA Tavascan, the brand’s second 100% electric model, which will hit European and overseas markets in 2024.
Xavi Serra, Head of CUPRA Racing, said: “Our second season saw us make serious progress in terms of understanding how we work best as a team. We ended the season with a run of strong results, and we’re keen to build on that. Our goals are clear: We are here to fight for the titles. Adding Klara to the team provides race win experience, and I can’t wait to see both her and Nasser out competing once more.”
Now in his second season for ABT CUPRA XE, five-time Dakar winner Al-Attiyah continues alongside World RX rising star Andersson.
Al-Attiyah has seen great success during his time in motorsport, becoming the 2006 Production World Rally Champion, WRC-2 Champion in 2014 and 2015, a 16-time Middle East Rally Champion, five times winner of the FIA World Cup for Cross-County Rallies, and winner of the Dakar in 2011, 2015, 2019, 2022 and this year’s 2023 edition.
Getting behind the wheel at the Antofagasta Minerals Copper X Prix marked a long-awaited series debut for the Swedish protégé, having made her first appearance at the Season 1 Rookie Test with ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team.
As well as competing in Extreme E last year, Andersson enjoyed a strong 2022 season. The 22-year-old currently competes in World RX as the first permanent female competitor in WRX history with Construction Equipment Dealer Team.
Andersson recorded her best WRX result to date by finishing third in Portugal – becoming the first-ever female driver to step on the podium in the championship's history.
The Tavascan XE complete with new livery will be showcased with Andersson behind the wheel during the Race of Champions this weekend (28-29 January) in Pite Havsbad, Sweden.
To learn more about Extreme E, visit - www.Extreme-E.com
The young Swede secures her spot after two impressive performances at the end of last season whilst deputising for Jutta Kleinschmidt. A podium finish on debut at the penultimate round in Chile, and the team’s maiden victory at the season finale in Uruguay, saw Andersson and ABT CUPRA XE finish the year as they mean to go on.
Having completed its second season, which culminated in sixth-place in the championship standings, the ABT CUPRA XE team is focused on achieving more podiums in its third Extreme E campaign in 2023.
Klara Andersson, ABT CUPRA XE, said: “I am super excited to join ABT CUPRA XE for the full Extreme E season in 2023.
“It is an amazing team - I have done two races already for ABT CUPRA XE stepping in for Jutta, and those went very well. I am extremely excited to join full-time and race alongside Nasser again. He’s an amazing driver and person overall, and so I am really happy to continue the momentum that we got last year in Chile and Uruguay.?
“We want to fight for the Extreme E title. That’s what every team wants and we will do our best to perform as well as we can."
Nasser Al-Attiyah, ABT CUPRA XE, said: "We are ready for the 2023 season and I am really happy that Klara is joining me behind the wheel at ABT CUPRA XE.
"I am very excited and really looking forward to fighting for the championship this year. We have updated the livery - which looks amazing - and we are ready to drive, get out there on track and take some wins for the team."
The Swedish-Qatari duo will be looking to make an impact, and a new livery for their ODYSSEY 21 will certainly be turning heads. A multi-layered and chameleonic body colour, combining a deep purple and neon yellow, will take to the Extreme E grid for Season 3.
This season, the team’s car features an updated livery to match the UrbanRebel, the ABT CUPRA GEN3 Formula E car and the CUPRA e-Racer. This is testament to how Extreme E is enhancing CUPRA’s electrification research while promoting electrification, sustainability, environmental awareness, and gender equality.
The Tavascan XE hints at CUPRA’s design for the future series production CUPRA Tavascan, the brand’s second 100% electric model, which will hit European and overseas markets in 2024.
Xavi Serra, Head of CUPRA Racing, said: “Our second season saw us make serious progress in terms of understanding how we work best as a team. We ended the season with a run of strong results, and we’re keen to build on that. Our goals are clear: We are here to fight for the titles. Adding Klara to the team provides race win experience, and I can’t wait to see both her and Nasser out competing once more.”
Now in his second season for ABT CUPRA XE, five-time Dakar winner Al-Attiyah continues alongside World RX rising star Andersson.
Al-Attiyah has seen great success during his time in motorsport, becoming the 2006 Production World Rally Champion, WRC-2 Champion in 2014 and 2015, a 16-time Middle East Rally Champion, five times winner of the FIA World Cup for Cross-County Rallies, and winner of the Dakar in 2011, 2015, 2019, 2022 and this year’s 2023 edition.
Getting behind the wheel at the Antofagasta Minerals Copper X Prix marked a long-awaited series debut for the Swedish protégé, having made her first appearance at the Season 1 Rookie Test with ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team.
As well as competing in Extreme E last year, Andersson enjoyed a strong 2022 season. The 22-year-old currently competes in World RX as the first permanent female competitor in WRX history with Construction Equipment Dealer Team.
Andersson recorded her best WRX result to date by finishing third in Portugal – becoming the first-ever female driver to step on the podium in the championship's history.
The Tavascan XE complete with new livery will be showcased with Andersson behind the wheel during the Race of Champions this weekend (28-29 January) in Pite Havsbad, Sweden.
To learn more about Extreme E, visit - www.Extreme-E.com
