The Sainz family may have been a bit disappointed that Carlos Sainz Junior missed out on the podium at the Bahrain F1 GP last weekend, having been overtaken by BWT Alpine’s Fernando Alonso in the last quarter of the race. But they can still celebrate with Sainz Senior’s team taking their first ever win in the Extreme E all-electric off-road series over the weekend.
The ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team finished ahead of Veloce Racing and Rosberg X Racing (RXR) after a battle over the sands of NEOM in Saudi Arabia during the Desert X-Prix. The crew of Laia Sanz and Mattias Ekstrom dominated the race from start to finish, establishing a comfortable lead as Veloce Racing and RXR fought over the runners-up spot.
Extreme E enters its third season in 2023, with the series heading to new locations for the first time and revisiting some of the 2022 favourites. Uniquely, this motorsport event is not just about competition over rough terrain but also aims to drive awareness of climate change issues. It promotes sustainability and competing vehicles run only on electricity.
The extent to which sustainability and minimal impact on the environment are pursued can be seen in the way the logistical aspects. Instead of using aircraft, a ship was specially converted for the purpose to carry the vehicles, logistics equipment and paddock infrastructure to each location.
It was a fight to the finish in the Uruguay Natural Energy X Prix, final round of the Extreme E series for purpose-built electric rallycars. With championship contenders ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team and No.99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing already ruled out of the Final, only Rosberg X Racing and X44 Vida Carbon racing remained in contention to win this year’s Extreme E title.
And it was X44 Vida Carbon Racing which took championship glory although it finished third, with ABT CUPRA XE securing a maiden X Prix victory. X44, Lewis Hamilton’s outfit, had entered a Final that was missing three of the top four teams in the championship standings, including leaders RXR.
The Extreme E electric off-road racing series headed down will end its second season in South America, with the second last round held recently in Chile as the Antofagasta Minerals Copper X Prix. As with every round of Extreme E, the location for this round was chosen to highlight challenging climate issues that this region is facing. In this case, it was the Atacama Desert which is the driest (non-polar) region in the world.
Extreme E’s decision to race in this part of Chile was to shine a spotlight on the copper industry, and its importance to electric vehicles (EVs), like those racing in the event. As EVs rely heavily on copper not only for production but also for battery charging, Extreme E aims to highlight the development of sustainable alternatives.
Following the first round of the NEOM Island X-Prix on the island of Sardinia in Italy last week, the second round of the same event this weekend saw Rosberg X Racing (RXR) taking a with a late overtake to secure their second victory of Extreme E Season 2. X44 finished second and Genesys Andretti United Extreme E third after ABT CUPRA XE were disqualified following a safety infringement.
With team owner Nico Rosberg watching his team’s progress, a superb pass by Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky on ABT CUPRA XE’s Jutta Kleinschmidt sealed the win. Ahlin-Kottulinsky, and team-mate Johan Kristoffersson, who headed the standings prior to the double-header on the island off the coast of Italy, now have a lead of 37 points ahead of their nearest challengers No.99 GMC Hummer EV Chip Ganassi Racing, with X44 now up to third.
RXR also scored maximum points from Round 3, with the quickest combined time in the Continental Traction Challenge adding 5 points to their tally, bringing their total overall to 80 points.
“It is such a pleasure for me to work with this team. It reminds me of my F1 days. It’s been a great team effort with everyone giving their best and being at the height of their game. Both drivers have been performing at an incredibly high level. Johan was the star of Race 1 in NEOM. Mikaela was the star of this weekend with her speed and incredible pass for the win through the water during the last lap. I couldn’t be prouder, said former F1 world champion Rosberg.
“It was a phenomenal weekend for us, starting with a good qualifying and we were also very fast in the super sector. The car felt amazing all week and we have got to thank the team for that. They worked very hard, and it paid off. My run was smooth, but Nasser was incredibly fast, so I just tried to stay as close as possible to him to give Mikaela the best possible basis for her run, and she made good use of it with a fantastic move. It’s a team achievement that we can all be proud of,” added Kristoffersson.
The scene was set for a thrilling climax to the double-header as ABT CUPRA XE’s Al-Attiyah lined up in the favoured number 2 spot between Timmy Hansen (Genesys Andretti United Extreme E) and Sebastien Loeb (X44). On the other end of the start line, Kristofferson was joined by Carlos Sainz (ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team), following their dramatic collision in last round’s Final. In that incident, RXR received a 30-second penalty that pushed the team from first to third.
As the teams set off, Sainz (father of the Ferrari F1 driver) experimented by taking his electrically-powered ODYSSEY 21 down the furthest possible lane on the right, away from Kristofferson’s car. The Spaniard’s gamble did not pay off, and he came out at the back of the pack as the cars merged into the single lane.
Meanwhile, Al-Attiyah stayed on the preferred line which proved the better one as he surged to the front of the group. Kristofferson kept the ABT CUPRA car in sight, followed by Loeb. After the 3 leading cars was Hansen holding fourth as he chased them along the rough and muddy course.
The ABT CUPRA XE driver picked his lines well and opened by a gap of 5 seconds, which was the same gap that Kristofferson had with Loeb. Further back, Sainz’ car had a problem and the ACCIONA | SAINZ XE car dropped off the back of the pack and eventually come to a stop out on track.
It was still a 4-way battle as the leading cars entered the Switch Zone until disaster struck for ABT CUPRA XE. During the mandatory driver switch, Jutta Kleinschmidt failed to properly buckle her seatbelt as she entered the car. This would later lead to the team’s disqualification from the Final, after they finished second on the course. ABT CUPRA’S loss of the lead occurred when an incredible overtake was done by from RXR’s Ahlin-Kottulinsky in the closing stages of the race.
ABT CUPRA XE’s disqualification also promoted X44 into second and secured Genesys Andretti United Extreme E the third place, their first top three finish of the season. It was a huge boost for both teams after a difficult start to the Sardinian double-header.
Last year, the Extreme E all-electric off-road series was largely dominated by the Rosberg X Racing (RXR) team owned by former F1 world champion Nico Rosberg. This year, in its second season, the series may see stronger rivals although it was still RXR that won the opening round in Saudi Arabia in February.
The second round – dubbed the NEOM Island X Prix – was held on the island of Sardinia in Italy. This is a double-header event which marks Extreme E’s European destination for Season 2. Sardinia provides a completely contrasting landscape to the other rounds, providing a harder compact surface with many rocks and bushes plus riverbeds, meaning drivers have many natural obstacles to navigate.
No.99 GMC Hummer EV Chip Ganassi Racing took a maiden victory as the RXR team was penalised for Johan Kristoffersson’s collision with Carlos Sainz Snr. that took the ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team out of the race.
Kyle LeDuc and Sara Price inherited their first win in the stop-start event final that also saw XITE ENERGY Racing claim a first top-three finish. During the race, a red flag was waved following a big accident for ACCIONA | SAINZ as RXR’s Kristoffersson collided with Sainz Snr. in the early stages.
It was the Spaniard who managed to edge in front of the pack from the start as the teams’ racing lines merged. But as the course narrowed, Sainz Snr. collided with Kristoffersson and was sent into a roll. This brought out the red flag at the end of the first lap and, ultimately, a 30-second penalty for the championship leaders.
Sainz Snr. managed to walk away from the accident, while Kristoffersson continued in the race despite substantial damage to his ODYSSEY 21. He received a full check-up in hospital as a precaution and was cleared and released the same day.
Amongst the chaos, LeDuc found himself in second place on track for No.99 GMC Hummer EV, ahead of XITE Energy Racing’s Timo Scheider and the trailing Hedda Hosas in the JBXE car as the teams entered the Switch Zone.
In similar fashion to the Desert X Prix Final, the race restarted for a 1-lap shootout, with the 4 teams released at intervals that matched how they had entered the Switch Zone. No.99 GMC Hummer EV’s Price began her chase of RXR’s Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky in pursuit of that elusive maiden victory for her team.
Despite missing bodywork from the front of her purpose-built vehicle (which is the same for all the teams), Ahlin-Kottulinsky extended the lead given to her by teammate to cross the line on track in first. However, following a Stewards’ investigation, RXR was demoted to third, giving victory to No.99 GMC Hummer EV, while XITE Energy Racing has their best series result to date.
Even with the penalty, Nico Rosberg’s outfit still leads the championship with 50 points after two rounds. His drivers once again secured the extra 5 points for going quickest in the Continental Traction Challenge. No.99 GMC Hummer EV are now their nearest challengers, 13 points behind.
“If you look at the numbers, we went from first in practice, to last in qualifying – and back to first as the race winners. It was a rollercoaster ride… I don’t know how to put it into words… but we all did our job today. We have a great GMC HUMMER EV team where everyone works so hard. We’re ready to take this success and apply it to the next race this weekend.” said LeDuc.
GMC is a division of General Motors and is participating in the Extreme E series with Chip Ganassi Racing to showcase the all-electric Hummer EV which was unveiled in October 2020. The Extreme E championship is for vehicles powered only by electricity and a specially-developed all-electric vehicle inspired by the Hummer EV will be used.
GMC’s association with Chip Ganassi Racing will be for a number of years. The event regulations specify that there must be one male and one female member, and both must also perform driving duties. To meet this requirement, the team has off-road racers Kyle LeDuc and Sara Price.
“I can’t think of a better fit than showcasing the look of GMC’s HUMMER EV in Extreme E with Chip Ganassi Racing,” said Jim Campbell, General Motors US Vice-President, Performance and Motorsports. “Both GMC HUMMER EV and the Extreme E series are designed to be revolutionary – to challenge perceptions of electric vehicles and to showcase their true capability.”
Reigning Extreme E champions Rosberg X Racing (RXR) continued their winning ways with overall victory in the opening round of the all-electric off-road series in NEOM, Saudi Arabia. This is the second season of Extreme E and for this season, RXR (owned and managed by Nico Rosberg, the former F1 champion) retained the services of Johan Kristoffersson with a new team-mate. Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky.
The pair were the victors in a Final of two halves, as a red flag was brought out at the end of the first lap following a big accident for McLaren XE’s Tanner Foust who, in a bid for third place clipped the back of the RXR car driven by Ahlin-Kottulinsky and then rolled his ODYSSEY 21 on the opening lap.
The race resumed for a one-lap shootout, with the four teams released at intervals that matched how they had entered the Switch Zone. X44’s Cristina Gutierrez attempted to close down Laia Sanz in the ACCIONA | Sainz XE Team car, while Kristoffersson closed the gap on the two Spaniards from third.
The RXR driver soon passed Gutierrrez on the inside, setting his sights on Sanz. As the Desert X Prix entered its closing stages, Kristoffersson took a wide line into the second to last corner for an aggressive overtake on Sanz and secure a dramatic win ahead of ACCIONA | Sainz XE Team, with X44 completing the podium.
Chip Ganassi Racing came fourth having secured a spot in the Final with a win in Semi-Final 2, and McLaren XE finished fifth despite Foust’s crash having made an excellent comeback from Qualifying to win the Crazy Race.
“It feels really good, but every week feels good. Every time we go for a race, we have the aim to win, but the competition is so high this year, especially with McLaren coming in, which raises the bar even higher. We learned quite a lot last year, but now things are even tighter we’ll have to work even harder. I’m just very happy to start off the season with maximum points,” said Kristoffersson.
RXR’s win was not surprising as the team set the pace in the first qualifying session. It was a dramatic first session over the 6.9-km course which was disrupted by a red flag following a crash for Veloce Racing’s Christine GZ. The Spanish driver, partnering Lance Woolridge, had looked strong throughout their Qualifying run, but the huge crash denied them a shot at the top spot. GZ was able to exit the car but sustained an injury to her foot.
There was also drama in the first of the new 5-car Heats in Qualifying 2. Sebastian Loeb and ACCIONA | Sainz XE Team’s Carlos Sainz Snr. delivered the strongest starts with Nasser Al-Attiyah running third ahead of Sara Price, all taking very different racing lines up the hill.
As the front three pulled away, the ABT Cupra XE car passed Sainz on the inside, but Nasser Al-Attiyah’s pace caused him to miss the flag and, in recovering, he collided with the Spaniard. Sainz brought the damaged ODYSSEY 21 back to the Switch Zone before retiring from the Heat. After the Stewards reviewed the collision, ABT CUPRA XE were classified last of the 4 runners in Heat 1, with the team relegated to ninth overall.
Championship Standings after Round 1
1. Rosberg X Racing – 30 points
2. Acciona | Sainz XE Team – 18 points
3. X44 – 15 points
4. Chip Ganassi Racing – 12 points
5. McLaren XE – 10 points
6. Genesys Andretti United Extreme E – 8 points
7. XITE Energy Racing – 6 points
8. ABT Cupra XE – 4 points
9. JBXE – 2 points
10. Veloce Racing – 1 point
Following the opening round, the next one will be held in Sardinia, Italy, on May 7/8. The long gap between rounds is partly because the cars and equipment travel by a ship to reduce the carbon footprint of the event which is also being used to promote climate and environmental issues on the planet.
Hydrogen is in the air all the time but lately, the gas that is the lightest element has been ‘in the air’, so to speak, with companies like Toyota running a hydrogen-fuelled engine in the Super Taikyu race series in Japan, Renault teasing a hydrogen-powered concept car, and Toyota and Yamaha having a project to adapt a Lexus V8 to run on the gas instead of petrol.
Now Extreme E, the all-electric off-road series, has revealed also plans to launch an off-road hydrogen Championship in 2024. To be called ‘Extreme H’, it will run alongside Extreme E, currently in its second season, and will be a world-first for motorsport. Development for the Extreme H vehicle is already underway, with goals to have a prototype launched in early 2023.
Evolution of Extreme E
“Extreme E was designed to be a testbed for innovation and solutions for mobility. It has become increasingly clear to us that creating a hydrogen racing series is a natural evolution of our mission to showcase the possibilities of new technologies in the race to fight climate issue,” said Alejandro Agag, CEO of Extreme E.
“Together with the current Extreme E Teams, we will decide in the coming months the best way to integrate the hydrogen-powered cars into the racing weekend. Two separate categories, full transition to hydrogen or joint racing are all options on the table,” he added.
Elaborating further, Agag said: “Extreme E is an FIA International Series and our intention is to work closely again with the FIA and the Automobile Club de Monaco on the development of Extreme H. Sport is the fastest and most effective platform for driving innovation and, by using the existing Extreme E platform, we can also utilise our transport, talent and operations to ensure we are minimising footprint in the process. This effectively means we can have double the race action, with marginal additional impact.”
Fuel cell for electric power
The Extreme H car will retain the same powertrain and chassis used in Extreme E. The key differentiating factor will be that a hydrogen fuel cell will replace the battery as the principal energy source. This propulsion concept has already been commercialized with models such as the Mirai by Toyota and Insight by Honda.
Green hydrogen sources will be used to power the Extreme H fuel cells, created using a combination of solar and water. This technology is already being used behind the scenes in Extreme E, where it provides the energy source to the vehicle’s batteries.
“It is fitting to launch the concept of Extreme H here in NEOM, Saudi Arabia (where the first round of the 2022 season is being held], a place with huge ambition around clean energy solutions, and the perfect example of a location which can and will become home to large-scale green hydrogen production and distribution,” Agag added.
Commenting on the new initiative, Jenson Button, Team Owner of the JBXE Extreme E team, said: “For Extreme E to be evolving into Extreme H is incredibly exciting and a brilliant step forward in such a short space of time for the series. To see racing of this calibre powered by Hydrogen cells, which will allow for even more racing with less impact, is remarkable.”
The MCL36 is McLaren Racing’s new Formula 1 car for the 2022 world championship which sees significantly changed technical regulations. The new regulations – which include a switch to 18-inch wheels – have forced the engineers to completely overhaul their designs but the FIA expects that the racing will become closer and more exciting for fans.
With aerodynamics being crucial to performance, Formula 1 cars are designed with features to generate as much downforce as possible. At the same time, this must be achieved without sacrificing performance so it’s a challenge which engineers faced when developing the MCL36.
Gulf Oil racing car inspiration
The new bodywork, described as having ‘speed and elegance… very vibrant’ by McLaren CEO Zak Brown uses similar colours as before but with a different livery. It has ‘Fluro Papaya’ as the dominant colour which will certainly make the car easily identifiable on the track. The blue (lighter than in 2021) is similar to that used by Gulf Oil in its racing cars before, and the racing link with the oil company goes back to 1968.
More sustainable fuel
McLaren will continue to use the Mercedes power unit in the MCL36 which, apart from being improved, has been retuned to run on E10 fuel instead of E5. This is the most significant regulation change of the hybrid era began in 2014. The change is part of the FIA’s move towards making motorsports a sustainable activity and fuels must use sustainable ethanol. The engineers have had to optimize the combustion process but just how well the engine will run on E10 fuel will only be known during official pre-season testing towards the end of this month.
The drivers are the same ‘Commonwealth pair’ as in 2021 – Daniel Ricciardo from Australia and Lando Norris from Britain. Ricciardo, who finished 8th in the Drivers’ Championship last year, began racing in 2011, while Norris, aged 22, entered F1 with McLaren in 2019.
McLaren Racing finished fourth in the championship last year with their highest points finish since 2012 that included one race win during the year. They have 20 world championship titles to their name and will be trying just as hard in 2022 to add another. The new regulations are helpful, in a way, in levelling the playing field again as each team has to now start to make their car more competitive from essentially the same ‘base’. The promise of closer racing could also be advantageous for some drivers.
IndyCar and Extreme E challengers
Also unveiled at their base in England was the team’s IndyCar and Extreme E challengers. In addition, the livery of team’s esports programme, McLaren Shadow, was also shown to the world. The team also presented the 2022 Arrow McLaren SP team of Pato O’Ward and Felix Rosenqvist who will start their 2022 IndyCar campaign at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, Florida, on February 27.
The McLaren Extreme E all-electric off-road racer will be used for the second season of the all-electric off-road series which began last year. The drivers will be Emma Gilmour from New Zealand, and 4-time US rallycross champion, Tanner Foust. Gilmour, who has also taken part in the WRC, becomes the first female McLaren racing driver, in-line with the team’s commitment to showcase and inspire diversity in motorsport. The McLaren Extreme E team will be on the starting line for the first round of the 2022 Extreme E Championship at the Desert X-Prix in Saudi Arabia next weekend.
The Extreme E series, which is the off-road version of Formula E, will enter its second season this year after an exciting inaugural season in 2021. Although 3 of the original venues on the calendar could not be used due to concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic, the organisers still managed to finish the season with 5 rounds in different parts of the world.
This year, there will again be 5 rounds with 7 teams taking part; last year, 9 teams took part. Each team has to have one male and one female, with both taking turns to drive on the competitive stages.
Two Dakar Rally veterans
The Abt CUPRA XE team, which finished 5th overall last year, is among the entrants and its drivers will be Nasser Al-Attiyah and Jutta Kleinschmidt. Both drivers are veterans in off-road events, with Qatari Al-Attiyah having won the Dakar Rally 4 times, his most recent win being this year’s event. German driver Kleinschmidt, who drove for the team in 4 rounds last year, is also a Dakar Rally (2001) winner and is still the only woman to win the world’s toughest rally.
Updated rallycar
The duo will use the new CUPRA Tavascan XE which was shown in concept form about 5 months ago. It is an updated version of the 2021 rallycar and is powered by a 54 kWh battery pack, placed behind the cockpit which contributes to an optimal vehicle weight distribution. It can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in around 4 seconds.
The CUPRA Tavascan XE is more sustainable and environmentally-focussed than before. It comes equipped with 3D-printed parts to improve adaptability and make repairing the vehicle far easier and quicker, a crucial consideration when the event venues are in remote areas.
While the bodywork of the all-electric racing vehicle hints at the design language that will be seen on the future series production CUPRA Tavascan, the platform is similar to that used by other teams. Known as ODYSSEY 21, it has a common package of standardised parts and is manufactured by Spark Racing Technology. This encompasses a niobium-reinforced steel alloy tubular frame, as well as crash structure and roll cage, whilst the tyres are designed especially for the extreme conditions by Continental Tyres, a founding partner of the series.
“I’m very excited,” said Al-Attiyah, 51, who has won over 60 rallies and 13 titles. “I believe this is going to be a massive experience for me as the Extreme E Championship is a step forward towards a better future. I’m proud to have joined the CUPRA tribe for this adventure, and I know we can do a great job. The team’s background, combined with the experience of Jutta and me, can consolidate all the great work so far. We are really determined, and the goal is to win. I can’t wait to be sat in the car and start having fun. Let’s make the most of this opportunity!”
First round in Saudi Arabia again
The first round of the 2022 Extreme E series will be on February 19 and 20 in Neom, Saudi Arabia, which should be familiar territory to Al-Attiyah and Kleinschmidt. His closest rival in the desert would be Sebastian Loeb, who has won the World Rally Championship 9 times and is familiar with the Dakar Rally. Loeb’s team mate in the X44 Team, Cristina Gutierrez, has also participated in the Dakar Rally and Extreme E last year. Another veteran off-road driver with experience in Saudi Arabia is Carlos Sainz, who will be in the Acciona | Sainz XE team.
The other side of Extreme E
As in the first season, transportation of the vehicles and other equipment to each location is by ship. This is to minimise the carbon footprint Extreme E and though slower, travel by sea is a less carbon-intensive equivalent compared to using aircraft. The ship, called the St. Helena, has been re-engineered to be more efficient and includes a Science Laboratory for use by the researchers who follow the series and conduct environmental studies at each location.
Apart from providing the excitement of motor racing, Extreme E will also be used to raise awareness of environmental and climatic challenges that the world faces, particularly looking at the ecosystems selected for the races. In the case of Saudi Arabia, where the first round will be held, focus will be on the desertification there which epitomises the challenges of the global climate crisis and the importance of regreening and encouraging resilient ecosystems.