Extreme E: Extremely new and different 🎥
PREMIERE AT EASTER Electric motorsport is an irritant for many petrolheads. Meanwhile, more and more racers are also saying that new formats are needed Extreme E, which debuts in Saudi Arabia on Easter weekend. Extreme E is a mix of rallycross and Baja racing in all-electric SUV racers. A female and a male pilot take turns sharing the cockpit. [...]
Extreme E is a mixture of rallycross and Baja racing in all-electric SUVs. A female and a male driver take turns sharing the cockpit.
Behind Extreme E is Alejandro Agag, the "maker" of Formula E. But instead of city circuits, the new series races in remote places around the world - and aims to promote sustainability.
Five exceptional venues
The "X Prix" will be raced in the desert, along the ocean (May 29-30: Lac Rose, Senegal), in the Arctic (August 28-29: Kangerlussuaq, Greenland), along the Amazon (October 23-24: Para, Brazil) and at the foot of a glacier in Tierra del Fuego (December 11-12: Argentina).
The first event will be the "Desert X Prix" in the Saudi Arabian desert around the AlUla oasis on April 3 and 4.
Renowned teams and drivers
Interest in this new format is considerable. Formula 1 record holder Lewis Hamilton is sending his own racing team to the starting line with record rally world champion Sébastien Loeb. Formula 1 champions Nico Rosberg and Jenson Button are doing the same and have set up their own teams.
Successful GT driver Claudia Hürtgen and two-time DTM champion Matthias Ekström will take the wheel for Abt Cupra XE. The multiple rally champion and Dakar winner Carlos Sainz is also on board.
These are the nine teams and pairings:
- ABT CUPRA XE - #125 - Mattias Ekström / Claudia Hürtgen
- ACCIONA | Sainz XE Team - #55 - Carlos Sainz / Laia Sanz
- Andretti United - #23 - Timmy Hansen / Catie Munnings
- Segi TV Chip Ganassi Racing - #99 - Kyle LeDuc / Sara Price
- Hispano Suiza XITE Energy Team - #42 - Oliver Bennett / Christine Giampaoli
- JBXE - #22 - Jenson Button / Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky
- Rosberg X Racing - #6 - Johan Kristoffersson / Molly Taylor
- Veloce Racing - #5 - Stéphane Sarrazin / Jamie Chadwick
- X44 - #44 - Sébastien Loeb / Cristina Gutiérrez
Big names are on standby as backup drivers. Dakar winner Jutta Kleinschmidt and two-time DTM champion Timo Scheider are on standby in case a regular driver is unable to drive.
Reference to ecological consequences of climate change
The Extreme E wants to draw attention to the ecological consequences of climate change and therefore travels to places where this problem of nature is clearly evident. This sounds paradoxical, but the series itself wants to make a contribution by going beyond CO2 neutrality.
It also says it uses zero-emission fuel cell technology based on hydrogen to charge the racing vehicles. The ship St. Helena, a former mail freighter, serves as the paddock and means of transport.
In its premiere season, the car will be driven on a standardized vehicle type called the Odyssey 21. The electric SUV has a peak output of 550 hp. This accelerates the 1.6-ton bolide from zero to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds. The extreme vehicle can handle gradients of up to 52 degrees. The teams can work out the best possible setup individually via suspension, tire pressure and differential settings, for example.
Mattias Ekström and the Cupra brand represented by Team ABT are for one of the most extreme and demanding motorsport adventures in the world.
Fans have a say
TV cameras are always on hand to capture the action. Agag and his team have signed numerous television contracts. In Switzerland and Germany, the Extreme E is shown in the "Ran Racing" format on Pro Sieben Maxx.
The fact that unconventional paths are being taken is also shown by the regulations. Without further ado, a fan vote was introduced for the finals in which the spectators can interactively decide on the grid position. The team with the most votes gets to choose the positioning.
Duel of the sexes
The first day of the race weekend will see qualifying races, each of which will run over two laps. Here, the position in the grid is still drawn by lot. After one lap, the drivers change and their teammates take over the wheel. The allocation is left to the teams.
A duel of the sexes is therefore guaranteed. On the respective second day of competition, the semifinals and the final are on the program. The X Prix winner receives 25 championship points, the tenth still one point.
Hopefully excitement comes
And how will the racing be? Here we can be curious.
Daniel Abt, a proven e-motorsport expert: "It's hard to say. What I do know is that the people behind it are the same people who are behind Formula E. And they know how to create something like this. And they know how to create something like this."
Text: Björn-Lars Blank
