BUTTON TO STAND DOWN FROM XE DRIVE IN SENEGAL TO FOCUS ON TEAM
Timmy Hansen to race for the JBXE squad before F1 champ returns in Greenland
World Rallycross event winner Kevin Hansen will replace 2009 Formula 1 World champion Jenson Button in the JBXE Racing squad for the second round of the Extreme E series in Senegal this weekend.
Button, who raced alongside team-mate Mikaela AhlinKottulinsky in the first-ever XE event in Saudi Arabia last month, will focus on his role as team principal for the series’ second round.
Hansen, younger brother of 2019 World RX champion
Timmy Hansen – who races for the Andretti United squad in XE and finished on the podium in the opening round with Catie Munnings – has raced a rallycross Supercar since 2016.
He claimed the European Rallycross Championship title, a World RX event win in Abu Dhabi and Nitro RX victory in 2019.
He has been part of the XE Drivers’ Programme since the concept’s inception and has good experience of the singlemake ODYSSEY 21 machine.
“I’m delighted to announce that an opportunity has arisen for Kevin to compete for JBXE in Senegal,” said Button. “I’m obviously wearing two hats with JBXE as both a driver, but also team owner, and it’s the latter which means having the opportunity to put Kevin in the car for this race was one I didn’t want to pass up. He’s an exciting driver and I can’t wait to see him representing JBXE in Senegal and I look forward to being back behind the wheel in Greenland.”
Hansen said: “I’ve been so involved in developing the car since the beginning, from the early testing programme right to Aragon last year, so to get this opportunity now with Jenson is so nice and I’m super excited to get to Senegal and see what I can do.”