2021 Extreme E Championship Explained

The 2021 Extreme E Championship was the inaugural season of the Extreme E electric off-road racing series. It started on 3 April with the Desert X-Prix in Saudi Arabia.^[1]

Calendar

A provisional race schedule was announced on 17 December 2019, which would have seen a season start in January 2021 with an event in Senegal.^[2] But because of delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic the start of the season was pushed back to spring 2021, and a race in Patagonia was presented to replace a Nepal-based event.^[3] On 11 June 2021, both South American events –planned to be held in Ushuaia, Argentina and Santarém, Brazil– were cancelled, with championship CEO Alejandro Agag stating they are "seeking alternate destinations".^[4] In late July, the Island X-Prix on Sardinia was announced as the first replacement race.^[5] A Jurassic X-Prix, due to take place in Dorset, was revealed in October as the new season finale.^[6]

Round	Dates	Event	Location
1	3–4 April 2021	Desert X-Prix	Al-'Ula, Saudi Arabia
2	29–30 May 2021	Ocean X-Prix	Lac Rose, Senegal
3	28–29 August 2021	Arctic X-Prix	Kangerlussuaq, Greenland
4	23–24 October 2021	Island X-Prix	Sardinia, Italy
5	18–19 December 2021	Jurassic X-Prix	Dorset, United Kingdom

The following events were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic:

Original Dates	Event	Location
14–15 May 2021	Mountain X-Prix	Kali Gandaki Gorge, Nepal
23–24 October 2021	Amazon X-Prix	Santarém, Brazil
11–12 December 2021	Glacier X-Prix	Ushuaia, Argentina

Race format

A race weekend consists of two rounds of qualifying time trials on Saturday, followed by multi-car races on Sunday. At the Desert X-Prix all races were intended for three cars: a semi-final from which two teams advanced to the final, a "crazy race" from which only one team advanced and a shoot-out for the bottom three places, culminating in a three-car final.^[7] The format was tweaked for round two in Senegal, where two teams each from two semi-finals advance to the final which is competed by four teams. Additionally, a "super sector" is introduced, where five extra points are awarded to the fastest team through that sector over the whole weekend.^[8] Further alterations were introduced for round three in Greenland, most notably a five-car final with one team progressing from the erstwhile shoot-out, now called "crazy race". An intermediate classification points system was also implemented, with teams receiving points from 9 down to 1 according to their place in each qualifying session; the sum of these, rather than aggregate times, determining their overall qualifying position. These classification points would not contribute to overall championship points.^[9] Another rule adjustment was introduced at the season finale in Dorset to accommodate the short nature of the circuit, each session now consisting of three laps, with the starting driver, who in the final would be the female driver, taking the first two.^[10]

Teams and drivers

The following teams and drivers competed in the 2021 championship. All teams use one of the identical Odyssey 21 electric SUVs manufactured by Spark Racing Technology, with Chip Ganassi Racing running a modified bodywork.^[11] Each team consists of a male and a female driver, who share a car and have equal driving duties.^[12]

Team		Drivers	Rounds
Veloce Racing^[13]	5	Jamie Chadwick^[14]	1–2, 5
		Emma Gilmour^[15]	3–4
		Stéphane Sarrazin^[16]	1–4
		Lance Woolridge^[17]	5
Rosberg X Racing^[18]	6	Johan Kristoffersson^[19]	All
		Molly Taylor^[20]	All
JBXE^[21]	22	Jenson Button	1
		Kevin Hansen^[22]	2–5
		Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky^[23]	All
Andretti United Extreme E^[24] ^[25]	23	Catie Munnings	All
		Timmy Hansen^[26]	All
Hispano Suiza Xite Energy Team^[27] Xite Energy Racing^[28]	42	Christine GZ	All
		Oliver Bennett	All
Team X44^[29]	44	Cristina Gutiérrez	All
		Sébastien Loeb^[30]	All
Acciona Sainz XE Team^[31]	55	Carlos Sainz	All
		Laia Sanz	All
Segi TV Chip Ganassi Racing^[32]	99	Kyle LeDuc^[33]	All
		Sara Price	All
Abt Cupra XE^[34]	125	Claudia Hürtgen	1–2
		Jutta Kleinschmidt^[35] ^[36]	2–5
		Mattias Ekström^[37]	All

Championship reserve drivers! Drivers! Rounds

Jutta Kleinschmidt^[38]	1–2
Tamara Molinaro^[39]	3–5
Timo Scheider^[40]	All

Mid-season changes

• JBXE team owner Jenson Button only drove the first round and then replaced himself with Kevin Hansen.^[41]
• Claudia Hürtgen fell ill after the Ocean X-Prix shakedown and had to be replaced by championship reserve driver Jutta Kleinschmidt.^[42] Later it was announced that Kleinschmidt would take over the Abt Cupra seat for the remainder of the season.^[43]
• Jamie Chadwick missed rounds 3 and 4 because of W Series commitments and was replaced by Veloce reserve driver Emma Gilmour.^[44]
• Stéphane Sarrazin parted ways with Veloce prior to the final round of the season. He was replaced by the team's male reserve driver, Lance Woolridge.^[17]

Results and standings

X-Prix

Round	Event	Qualifying 1	Qualifying 2	Qualifying Overall	Semi-Final 1	Semi-Final 2	Crazy Race		Final
1	Desert X-Prix	Rosberg X Racing	Team X44	Team X44	Rosberg X Racing	Andretti United XE	Abt Cupra XE	not awarded	Rosberg X Racing	Report
2	Ocean X-Prix	Team X44	Team X44	Team X44	Rosberg X Racing	JBXE	Chip Ganassi Racing	Chip Ganassi Racing	Rosberg X Racing	Report
3	Arctic X-Prix	Team X44	Rosberg X Racing	Team X44	Team X44	Andretti United XE	JBXE	Andretti United XE	Andretti United XE	Report
4	Island X-Prix	Team X44	Team X44	Team X44	Chip Ganassi Racing	Rosberg X Racing	JBXE	Team X44	Rosberg X Racing	Report
5	Jurassic X-Prix	Team X44	Team X44	Team X44	Team X44	Rosberg X Racing	Andretti United XE	Team X44	Team X44	Report

Scoring systemPoints are awarded to the top nine drivers based on aggregate qualifying standings, as well as the top nine finishers. From the second round on, an additional 5 points are given to the fastest team in the Super Sector over the whole weekend.

Position	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th
Qualifying	12	11	10	9	8	7	6	5	4	5
Race day	25	19	18	15	12	10	8	6	4

Only the best four X-Prix results count towards the drivers' championship.

Drivers' Championship standings

Driver DES OCE ARC ISL JUR Points Q R Q R Q R Q R Q R 1 nowrap align="left" Johan Kristoffersson Molly Taylor 3 1 2 1 3 5 2 1 2 4 2 Cristina Gutiérrez Sébastien Loeb 1 3 1 4 1 4 1* 5 1 1* 3 Catie Munnings Timmy Hansen 4 2 8 9 4* 1 6 6 7 3 4 nowrap align="left" Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky 6 6 4 3 8 2 7 3 5 2 4 Kevin Hansen 4 3 8 2 7 3 5 2 102 5 Carlos Sainz Laia Sanz 2 4 9 8 6 3 4 7 3 5 6 Mattias Ekström 8 7 3 5 2 7 3 2 4 7 6 Jutta Kleinschmidt 3 5 2 7 3 2 4 7 87 7 Sara Price 7 8 7* 7 7 9 5 4 8 8 7 Stéphane Sarrazin 9 WD 5 2 5 6 8 8 60 8 Kyle LeDuc 7 8 7* 7 7 9 5 4 8 8 9 Christine GZ Oliver Bennett 5 5 6 6 9 8 9 9 9 9 10 Jamie Chadwick 9 WD 5 2 6 6 48 11 Emma Gilmour 5 6 8 8 29 12 Jenson Button 6 6 17 12 Lance Woolridge 6 6 17 13 Claudia Hürtgen 8 7 WD WD 13 Driver DES OCE ARC ISL JUR Points

valign=top

Key Colour Result Gold Winner Silver 2nd place Bronze 3rd place Green Other points position Black Disqualified (DSQ) White Did not start (DNS) Withdrew (WD) Race cancelled (C) * – Fastest in Super Sector|} Teams' Championship standings Team DES OCE ARC ISL JUR Points Q R Q R Q R Q R Q R 1 Rosberg X Racing 3 1 2 1 3 5 2 1 2 4 155 2 Team X44 1 3 1 4 1 4 1* 5 1 1* 155 3 JBXE 6 6 4 3 8 2 7 3 5 2 119 4 Andretti United Extreme E 4 2 8 9 4* 1 6 6 7 3 117 5 Abt Cupra XE 8 7 3 5 2 7 3 2 4 7 100 6 Acciona Sainz XE Team 2 4 9 8 6 3 4 7 3 5 100 7 Veloce Racing 9 WD 5 2 5 6 8 8 6 6 77 8 Segi TV Chip Ganassi Racing 7 8 7* 7 7 9 5 4 8 8 74 9 Hispano Suiza Xite Energy Team Xite Energy Racing 5 5 6 6 9 8 9 9 9 9 63 Team DES OCE ARC ISL JUR Points External links

Notes and References

1. Web site: One month until Extreme E series crowns its first ever race champion in Saudi Arabia. 2021-03-04. automobilsport.com.
2. Web site: Extreme E unveils schedule for inaugural season. www.motorsport.com. en. 2019-12-17.
3. Web site: Argentina replaces Nepal, first Extreme E round delayed. 2020-10-26. dirtfish.com.
4. Web site: Extreme E: South American races update. Extreme E. 11 June 2021.
5. Web site: Extreme E adds Island X-Prix in Sardinia to its calendar. dirtfish.com. 2021-07-30.
6. Web site: Extreme E reveals Jurassic X Prix season finale. SportsPro. 12 October 2021. 12 October 2021.
7. Web site: Dust concerns force major Extreme E format change. dirtfish.com. 31 March 2021.
8. Web site: Extreme E set for Ocean X Prix. 24 May 2021. extreme-e.com.
9. Web site: Five-car Final for Arctic X Prix. 17 August 2021. extreme-e.com.
10. Web site: Female drivers to start final Extreme E round following rules adjustment. Autosport. Kew. Matt. 16 December 2021. 16 December 2021.
11. Web site: GMC's Hummer EV to sponsor, provide livery to Chip Ganassi in Extreme E. NBC Sports. 26 January 2021.
12. Web site: Extreme E takes lead on gender equality in motorsport. 2020-04-20. extreme-e.com.
13. News: Adrian Newey: Formula 1 designer to join Extreme E. 19 September 2019. Lewis. Niamh. BBC Sport . 19 September 2019.
14. Web site: Jamie Chadwick to race in Extreme E with Veloce. 2020-11-25. bbc.com.
15. Web site: Veloce Racing's reserve driver Gilmour steps up to the plate for Arctic X Prix. 2021-08-16. extreme-e.com.
16. Web site: Veloce completes its Extreme E line-up with Sarrazin. 2021-01-21. dirtfish.com.
17. Web site: Veloce drops Sarrazin for Extreme E finale in Dorset. Autosport. Kew. Matt. 2021-12-02. 2021-12-02.
18. Web site: Nico Rosberg to launch own Extreme E team. 2020-10-22. bbc.com.
19. Web site: Rallycross champion Johan Kristoffersson will drive for Nico Rosberg in Extreme E. 2020-12-02. nbcsports.com.
20. Web site: Taylor joins Rosberg Extreme E squad. 2020-12-09. motorsport.com.
21. Web site: Jenson Button joins Extreme E as driver and team owner for 2021 season. 2021-01-25. skysports.com.
22. Web site: JBXE announces driver swap for Senegal. 2021-05-21. extreme-e.com.
23. Web site: Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky joins JBXE. 2021-03-12. extreme-e.com.
24. Web site: Andretti Autosport Joins Extreme E Team. 17 April 2020. Extreme E. 17 April 2020.
25. Web site: Introducing Andretti United Extreme E Team. 23 July 2020. Extreme E. 23 July 2020. 25 November 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201125023414/https://www.unitedautosports.com/extreme-e. dead.
26. Web site: Andretti United Extreme E confirms drivers Catie Munnings and Timmy Hansen. extreme-e.com. 2020-09-28.
27. Web site: Hispano Suiza replaces HWA in debut season of Extreme E. 2020-12-15. motorsportweek.com.
28. Web site: XITE ENERGY RACING re-brand ready for Extreme E's Dakar challenge. 2021-05-28. Mailchimp.
29. Web site: Lewis Hamilton founds Extreme E team. 2020-09-08. extreme-e.com.
30. Web site: Lewis Hamilton's Extreme E team hires Sebastien Loeb and Cristina Gutierrez. 2020-11-12. bbc.co.uk.
31. Web site: ACCIONA, Carlos Sainz and QEV Technologies team up to compete in Extreme E. 2020-11-30. extreme-e.com.
32. Web site: Chip Ganassi Racing Commits to Extreme E. 6 May 2020. Extreme E. 6 May 2020.
33. Web site: Chip Ganassi Racing confirm Extreme E driver line-up with Kyle LeDuc signing. 2020-07-16. www.extreme-e.com.
34. Web site: Claudia Hürtgen completes ABT CUPRA XE driver line-up. 10 December 2020. Extreme E. 10 December 2020.
35. Web site: Extreme E on Twitter. 28 May 2021. Twitter. 28 May 2021.
36. Web site: Jutta Kleinschmidt to race for ABT CUPRA XE. 24 June 2021. Extreme E. 3 July 2021.
37. Web site: ABT confirms Mattias Ekström as male driver and CUPRA as main partner. 14 September 2020. Extreme E. 14 September 2020.
38. Web site: Extreme E announces Jutta Kleinschmidt as Advisor and Championship Driver. Extreme E. 17 March 2021. 30 August 2021.
39. Web site: Tamara Molinaro joins Extreme E as Championship Driver. Extreme E. 6 July 2021. 30 August 2021.
40. Web site: Double DTM champion Scheider signed as XE reserve driver. Autosport. Kew. Matt. 15 March 2021. 30 August 2021.
41. Web site: Kevin Hansen replaces Jenson Button for next XE event. dirtfish.com. 2021-05-21.
42. Web site: Abt driver Hurtgen out of Senegal XE round with virus, Kleinschmidt to sub in. autosport.com. 2021-05-28.
43. Web site: Kleinschmidt to replace Hurtgen for full XE season at Abt. motorsport.com. 2021-06-24.
44. Web site: Chadwick to miss Arctic Extreme E as Gilmour gets Veloce drive. motorsport.com. 2021-08-16.