Formula 1 champion Jenson Button has announced that he will participate in Extreme E, an international off-road competition with electric SUVs that takes place in the most remote locations in the world. At 41, the pilot launched his own team, called JBXE.
In addition to Button, the competition will also feature other exponents of motorsport, such as Lewis Hamilton (current Formula 1 title holder) and Nico Rosberg (2016 champion).
Formula E in the off-road version
In general, the Extreme E is an off-road version of Formula E, a category of motorsport of the International Automobile Federation (FIA) that has exclusively electric single-seater cars. In fact, both competitions share the same creator: the Spanish businessman Alejandro Agag.
Extreme E teams will use the Odyssey 21 electric SUV, shown in the image above, to cross deserts, glaciers, forests and other remote environments. Unlike Formula E, each car will have two drivers, a man and a woman, who will be changed in the middle of the race. Race results will be announced on weekends, with two qualifiers on Saturday and two semifinals and a final on Sunday.
Motorsport and sustainability
With the competition, the FIA intends to combine modern and radical motorsport with sustainability. To this end, the event’s organizers will draw attention to climate change during the races, working together with local partners.
Initially, Extreme E would start on January 23, in Dakar, Senegal. However, in October, the competition was postponed to April 3 and scheduled in Saudi Arabia. Now, scheduled for May 20, the event has returned to its initial location.
The plans for the second half of the year will include several locations around the world, such as Brazil (23 October) and Argentina (11 December). It is worth noting, however, that the schedule remains subject to change due to the covid-19 pandemic.
