Extreme E AlUla Race
EXTREME E IS A RADICAL NEW EVENT IN MOTORSPORTS RACING; A FIVE-RACE SERIES THAT UNFOLDS ACROSS THE GLOBE
THE DESERT X PRIX IN ALULA TOOK PLACE 3 - 4 April, 2021
To minimise local impact, Extreme E races was not open to spectators.
Anticipate the epic action of motor racing and a familiar lineup. Drivers for the 9 Desert X Prix teams represented champions from a variety of motorsport disciplines. However, fans will also get a next-generation twist: not only will Extreme E bring short, sharp, wheel-to-wheel racing to a global audience over its five races, but it will also highlight the worldwide climate emergency as it does so.
In fact, each Extreme E race destination was chosen with a different environmental issue in mind. AlUla’s Desert X Prix highlighted desertification, the degradation of arid land as a result of climate change and human activity. AlUla’s commitment to responsible development, not to mention its longstanding passion for motorsports and dramatic natural landscape, means that AlUla was an ideal setting for Extreme E’s inaugural race.
Emphasising its environmental stewardship, Extreme E featured electric SUVs powered by a pioneering hydrogen fuel cell technology that enabled the race fleet to be charged using zero-emission energy.
Rosberg X Racing Takes First in Inaugural Extreme E Race, Desert X Prix
Johan Kristoffersson and Molly Taylor of Rosberg X Racing became the first winners of the inaugural Extreme E motorsports race, Desert X Prix in AlUla on 3-4 April.
Using a switchback move to undercut the competition on the first turn of the final, Kristoffersson quickly took the lead. He handed the car over to Taylor with a 30-second advantage. Taylor picked up right where her teammate left off, winning the race 23 seconds clear of the competition.
“What an amazing start to the season,” Taylor said in a press release. “It feels a bit surreal, with so much anticipation and preparation leading into the weekend and we all came here not really knowing what to expect. It was definitely extreme. It was the first time we had experienced terrain like that, and on every lap, the course was changing – there were so many different variables to deal with. We just wanted to make the most of the little time we had in the car – every single kilometre.”
Timmy Hansen and Catie Munnings driving for Andretti United took second (+23.73s). X44’s Sebastian Loeb and Cristina Gutiérrez, who battled power steering issues throughout the final, finished third (+1m38.09s).
“We’ve worked so hard on this for many years, and finally everything has come together this weekend,” Founder and CEO of Extreme E Alejandro Agag said in a press release. “It really has been beyond my wildest expectations. If I had written a script for the perfect weekend, I could not have come up with anything better than what we have witnessed these past two days – I’ve never seen such extreme racing in my life.”
With the first of the five-race series in the books, Extreme E will turn its attention to Lac Rose in Senegal for the Ocean X Prix on 29-30 May. The Season 1 calendar will feature three more races throughout the year: Arctic X Prix in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland (28-29 August), Amazon X Prix in Pará, Brazil (23-24 October) and Glacier X Prix in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina (11-12 December).
Rosberg X Racing leads the championship standings with 35 points. X44 comes in second with 30 and Andretti United rounds out the top three with 28 points.
Drivers for the nine Desert X Prix teams represented champions from a variety of motorsport disciplines. Along with must-see racing, Extreme E is working to highlight the worldwide climate emergency throughout its races.
In fact, each Extreme E race destination was chosen with a different environmental issue in mind. AlUla’s Desert X Prix highlighted desertification, the degradation of arid land as a result of climate change and human activity. AlUla’s commitment to responsible development, not to mention its longstanding passion for motorsports and dramatic natural landscape, means that AlUla was an ideal setting for Extreme E’s inaugural race.
Emphasising its environmental stewardship, Extreme E featured electric SUVs powered by a pioneering hydrogen fuel cell technology that enabled the race fleet to be charged using zero-emission energy.
Championship Standings
- Rosberg X Racing (Johan Kristoffersson / Molly Taylor) 35 points
- X44 (Sébastien Loeb / Cristina Gutiérrez) 30 points
- Andretti United (Timmy Hansen / Catie Munnings) 28 points
- ACCIONA | Sainz XE Team (Carlos Sainz / Laia Sanz) 26 points
- Hispano Suiza XITE Energy Team (Oliver Bennett / Christine Giampaoli Zonca) 20 points
- JBXE (Jenson Button / Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky) 17 points
- ABT Cupra XE (Mattias Ekström / Claudia Hürtgen) 13 points
- Segi TV Chip Ganassi Racing (Kyle LeDuc / Sara Price) 12 points
- Veloce Racing (Stéphane Sarrazin / Jamie Chadwick) 8 points
About the ODYSSEY
The championship car is a fully electric SUV, named ODYSSEY 21. In order to withstand the harsh conditions, the car’s peak 400 kw (550 hp) output is capable of firing the 1650-kilogram, 2.3-metre wide electric SUV from 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds, at gradients of up to 130 percent.
Each vehicle comprises a common package of standardised parts, manufactured by Spark Racing Technology with a battery produced by Williams Advanced Engineering. This encompasses a niobium-reinforced steel alloy tubular frame, as well as crash structure and roll cage, whilst tyres, built for the extreme conditions are designed by founding partner Continental Tyres.
Race Calendar
Race: Desert X Prix
Location: Saudi Arabia
Date: 3 – 4 April 2021
Race: Ocean X Prix
Location: Senegal
Date: 29 - 30 May 2021
Race: Arctic X Prix: Kangerlussuaq
Location: Greenland
Date: 28 - 29 August 2021
Race: Amazon X Prix
Location: Para, Brazil
Date: 23 - 24 October
Race: Glacier X Prix
Location: Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
Date: 11 - 12 December 2021
Race Format
Each race, which will be known as an X Prix, will incorporate two laps over a distance of approximately 16 kilometres. Four teams, with two drivers – one male, one female – completing a lap apiece in-car, will race head-to-head in each race over the two-day event. Each driver will complete one lap behind the wheel of the ODYSSEY 21 electric-SUV, with a changeover incorporated into the race format, and it’s up to the teams to determine driver and co-driver to best suit their strategy.
Another innovative feature of the race will be the Hyperdrive. This will award an additional boost of speed to the team who performs the longest jump on the first jump of each race. Hyperdrive power can be used by that team at any point in the race.
Qualifying takes place on day one to determine the top four runners who will progress through into Semi-Final 1 and the bottom four competitors who will go on to take part in Semi-Final 2: the unique ‘Crazy Race’.
The crazy race will be a tooth-and-nail, all-or-nothing fight, with only the quickest team progressing into the Final, while the top three will make it through from Semi-Final 1. The winner of the Final – the fastest combination of team, drivers, car and engineers over the epic two-day battle – will then be crowned the X Prix Winner.
