https://arab.news/wfgzh
- First season of electric SUV series started in AlUla, Saudi Arabia, and ends with a fifth event in UK
DORSET: Rosberg X Racing (RXR) are the champions of the first-ever season of Extreme E, securing the title after finishing fourth in the season-ending Jurassic X Prix in Dorset, UK.
Despite finishing level on 155 points with Jurassic X Prix winners X44, RXR’s Johan Kristoffersson and Molly Taylor claimed the championship of the electric SUV series due to having more X Prix victories over the course of the campaign — which kicked off with the Desert X Prix in AlUla, Saudi Arbaia — with three wins from five events.
Sebastien Loeb and Cristina Gutierrez finally took their first Extreme E win at their fifth attempt, as well as five extra points for being fastest through the Continental Traction Challenge at the Jurassic X Prix, but it was not enough for Lewis Hamilton’s X44 to wrestle the championship lead from RXR.
Jenson Button’s JBXE and Andretti United Extreme E completed the podium places in the final by finishing second and third, respectively, while ACCIONA | Sainz finished behind the newly crowned champions RXR in fifth.
“It’s fantastic; this has been a new racing series, new team, and new locations, but we’ve worked so hard to get here, and to be champions really feels amazing,” said Kristoffersson. “Molly (Taylor) drove excellently today, managing the challenging conditions and I knew that all that remained for me was to not make any mistakes and bring the car home safely. We’re delighted to be champions and look forward to celebrating with the team.”
Meanwhile, his team-mate Taylor said: “It feels amazing to be the first-ever championship winners of Extreme E. This season has been brutal, racing in some of the most remote parts of the world in truly extreme conditions, but we’ve worked together as a team and we’re delighted with this result. The nerves were definitely there today but Johan and I kept our eyes on the final prize, and the whole team effort across many months has brought us to this point today.”
Former Formula One champion Nico Rosberg, RXR founder and CEO, said: “We are so delighted to be crowned the inaugural Extreme E Champions and I am really proud of the entire RXR team. The team has worked so hard all season and performed consistently, racing in some of the world’s most remote locations. To be champions is such an honor.”
He added: “A massive congratulations to our drivers, Molly Taylor and Johan Kristoffersson, who have been excellent all season. We came into Extreme E to raise awareness of climate change, and promote sustainability, but also as a racing team, we want to win and so we will remember this feeling forever.”
Alejandro Agag, founder and CEO of Extreme E, was happy with the way the first season of Extreme E panned out in the middle of pandemic, saying the season had seen some “incredible moments” since its launch in Saudi Arabia.
“Congratulations to RXR — they did a great job in winning the first-ever Extreme E Championship,” he said. “I must also say well done to X44 who were the victors at the Jurassic X Prix today and really deserved the win after being the fastest qualifiers at every X Prix this season. We are now looking forward to what we hope will be a fantastic season two.”
Final championship standings
1. Rosberg X Racing (155 points, three X Prix wins)
2. X44 (155 points, one X Prix win)
3. JBXE (119 points)
4. Andretti United Extreme E (117 points)
5. ABT CUPRA XE (100 points)
6. ACCIONA | Sainz XE Team (100 points)
7. Veloce Racing (77 points)
8. SEGI TV Chip Ganassi Racing (74 points)
9. XITE Energy Racing (63 points)