When the dust clears

FORMULA EXTREME OWNERS, DRIVERS AND INCUMBENTS

ROSBERG X RACING (RXR)

Founded by 2016 F1 champion turned eco-entrepreneur Nico Rosberg, RXR is the inaugural winner of the 2021 championship. Molly Taylor, 2016 Australian Rally Champion, is the only Australian driver to compete in the championship, while teammate Johan Kristofferson comes to the squad with four World Rallycross championship titles.

X44

Continuing the F1 ace theme, X44 was formed by seven-times F1 champion Lewis Hamilton and is run by three-times WRC champions Prodrive. Driver Cristina Gutierrez was the first Spanish woman to enter the gruelling Dakar rally in 2017 and she joined forces with nine-time WRC champion and allround driving legend Sebastien Loeb.

JBXE

JBXE brings yet more Formula 1 heritage to the Extreme E series via founder Jenson Button. Button drove in the first round of the Extreme E tournament but elected to hand over the reins for subsequent races. Instead, the allSwedish driver team is formed by circuit and Rallycross driver Mikaela Ahlinkottulinsky and fellow Rallycross competitor Kevin Hansen.

ANDRETTI UNITED

Created by combining two established motorsport authorities, Andretti United joined Andretti Autosport and United Autosports, bringing together a diverse range of racing experience including Indycar, Formula E, World Endurance and Le Mans. European Rally Championship Ladies’ champion Catie Munnings pairs with 2019 World Rallycross champion Timmy Hansen.

ABT CUPRA

The first team to partner with an OE manufacturer, ABT brings together DTM and Formula success with Spanish performance car brand Cupra. Driver Jutta Kleinschmidt was the first and only woman to win the Dakar rally, while teammate Mattias Ekstrom is another driver to bring a World Rallycross championship title to the Extreme E competition.

ACCIONA SAINZ

The Acciona half of this partnership brings significant EV experience as the first team to enter an electric vehicle in the Dakar rally in 2017, while cofounder and driver Carlos Sainz adds a legendary rally background to the team. Fellow Spaniard Laia Sanz swapped two wheels for four when she joined the team with a rich background in off-road motorcycle racing.

VELOCE RACING

Veloce Racing brings some big motorsport names to the Extreme E fold, including Formula E champion and F1 driver Jean-Eric Vergne and legendary F1 designer Adrian Newey as part of the team. Over the course of the year, Veloce swapped drivers in and out of the seat, concluding the season with 23-year-old Brit Jamie Chadwick and South African off-road ace Lance Woolridge.

SEGI TV CHIP GANASSI RACING

Founder Chip Ganassi brings an impressive portfolio to the series with 20 championships across numerous circuit series. It’s only the second Extreme E team to partner with a road-car manufacturer with a lightly modified shell inspired by Hummer. The driver pairing is comprised of US motorcycle racer Sara Price and six-times Pro4 Championship winner Kyle LeDuc.

XITE ENERGY RACING

Xite Energy resurrects the vintage Spanish car brand Hispano-Suiza following the company’s apparent revival and the reveal of the all-electric Carmen at the 2019 Geneva motor show. Christina Giampaoli Zonca brings a breadth of experience in off-road competition alongside Oliver Bennet who has competed in the American, British and World Rallycross championships.

MCLAREN

Towards the end of the 2021 season, iconic motorsport heavyweight McLaren announced it would join the second season of Extreme E. New Zealand’s Emma Gilmore and US ace Tanner Foust are the drivers. The commitment of the British brand is indicative of the level of interest in this fledgling form of motorsport, and McLaren surely won’t be the last brand to join Extreme E.