This weekend’s Antofagasta Minerals Copper X Prix marks a step into the unknown for Extreme E, as it holds its first ever race in South America.
Antofagasta, Chile, is the setting for what promises to be a thrilling fourth round of Extreme E Season 2 and a step into the unknown for the ten teams looking to find glory in the Atacama Desert.
Championship leaders, Rosberg X Racing (RXR), have been in imperious form so far this season, having secured 75 points after winning two of the three X Prix of 2022. Claiming yet another victory this weekend (24-25 September) will ensure the remarkable feat of back-to-back Extreme E titles with one round still to go.
Nevertheless, there will be plenty of opposition for them out on track, with just two points separating second and fourth in the standings. No.99 GMC Hummer EV Chip Ganassi Racing (43 points), ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team (42 points) and X44 Vida Carbon Racing (41 points) will be keen to ensure the championship battle goes down to the wire in Uruguay (26-27 November).
Such is the shorter layout of the course in Chile that each driver will complete two laps each during the races – treating viewers to a four-lap fight out on the course where tactics and race craft will be more crucial than ever.
Alejandro Agag, Founder and CEO of Extreme E, said: “I am thrilled that our first ever race in South America is finally here.
“Racing in Chile is going to be a unique experience for our championship and we must pay tribute to those who have welcomed the series to the continent and have been enthused with what we are trying to accomplish. I look forward to seeing some exciting wheel-to-wheel action out on the course – I have been given a sneak preview of the course and I think the fans are going to love it!”
Anticipation has been building ahead of the Antofagasta Minerals Copper X Prix. In the lead up to the series’ first South American race, Chief Championship Officer James Taylor, alongside representatives from Antofagasta Minerals and Antofagasta Regional Government, visited downtown Antofagasta with the series’ ODYSSEY 21 and formally launched the event. There they gave the locals their first taste of Extreme E, highlighting the importance of the fight against climate change and the key role of the region of Antofagasta.
As part of the event the regional governor of Antofagasta, Ricardo Díaz, proposed the city as the capital of electromobility – fitting for Extreme E’s first Chilean X Prix.
James Taylor, Chief Championship Officer, said: “We have raced in extreme parts of the world, in Saudi Arabia, Southern Italy, and now in Antofagasta, Chile. We chose this city because of the importance of copper for electric cars, as well as how the region has become a leader in materials that help fight climate change.”
Antofagasta Minerals, Extreme E’s hosts for the Antofagasta Minerals Copper X Prix, and its Centinela operation are on a mission to develop mining for a better future and will use the event to showcase their innovative, sustainable and inclusive methods which are transforming this crucial industry.
Situated north of the capital, Santiago, the city of Antofagasta is closely linked with mining activity. Since the mid-19thCentury, copper mining has dominated the focus of the area, but more recently has shifted towards one of innovative and sustainable mining.
The race itself will take place within the Atacama Desert, south of the Centinela mine, which is 700 miles north of capital, Santiago. This is the driest (non-polar) region in the world.
Extreme E’s decision to race in this part of Chile was instigated by the challenging climate issues that this region is facing, in addition to shining a spotlight on the Copper industry and its importance to electric vehicles.
Agag added: “Every Extreme E race seeks to launch a message, and in Chile it is the importance of raw materials for the transition in mobility and the transition to sustainability.
“Copper is undoubtedly one of the raw materials that will play the most important role in the transition to electric cars. An electric car uses four times more copper than a normal car (a combustion car), because we hope that soon electric cars will be the normal cars. This is why copper is such an important part of the necessary mobility transition.
“It is also very important to show that mining is undergoing a transformation process that is making it more sustainable, and it is important to show how this is happening.”
With the series stepping into the unknown, GridPlay will be crucial at the Antofagasta Minerals Copper X Prix.
With the series stepping into the unknown, GridPlay will be crucial at the Antofagasta Minerals Copper X Prix.
GridPlay puts fans at the centre of the action, giving them an opportunity to use their vote to influence the outcome of the racing. Fans can vote for their favourite drivers, and the team with the most votes gets to hand-pick their spot on the starting line for the Final. The team with the most fan votes gets the opportunity to pick its grid position for the Final first, followed by the team with the second most votes and so on.
Of the Extreme E grid, only four have raced in Chile previously. However, given the nature of the series plus a totally new location, any previous background knowledge will go out of the window for the Antofagasta Minerals Copper X Prix.
With the difference in altitude, unique terrains, more laps and a brand new course to contend with, Extreme E’s South American racing debut promises to be a special one
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