After two years filled with drama, excitement, and plenty of on-course action, Extreme E is set to return with its biggest campaign yet, as the 2023 season begins in NEOM, Saudi Arabia, in a month’s time.
Season 3 will deliver fresh faces, an exciting new team as superstar DJ Carl Cox enters the championship, and even more thrilling wheel-to-wheel action showcased across some of the toughest and most environmentally challenged terrains on the planet.
As the pioneering championship continues to evolve, Extreme E Season 3 promises to captivate on and off the course, whilst delivering on its overall purpose to address climate change through sport, starting with the Desert X Prix on 11-12 March.
His Royal Highness Prince Khalid Bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal, Chairman of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation and the Saudi Motorsport Company, commented: “We are very excited to welcome Extreme E back to the Kingdom for the third consecutive year of action-packed racing. This successful partnership goes well beyond the sporting element, however, as it builds on our shared long-term commitment to build a more sustainable future for all.
“In addition, it perfectly aligns with one of the most important pillars of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 to make the Kingdom a leader in the development and promotion of alternative energy sources and the preservation of the environment for future generations.”
Alejandro Agag, CEO and Founder of Extreme E, said: “Using our sport for purpose platform, Extreme E truly stepped things up another level last year and delivered some of the best racing action in the series so far. Now, we are ready to go and do it all again, with more ambition than ever before.
“Entering our third season, we are proud to welcome legendary DJ Carl Cox to the party and are excited to see his team, Carl Cox Racing, take on the rest of our star-studded grid. We have such a strong field in Extreme E for 2023, from our championship-winning outfits led by Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, respectively, to strong challenger line-ups in the likes of NEOM McLaren Extreme E, Veloce Racing, and ABT CUPRA XE preparing to push competition boundaries.
“We are thrilled to open the season once again in NEOM. The ambition for NEOM and its targets are the same values that we have in Extreme E. NEOM’s principle of sustainability will provide an environment for living in harmony with nature, and all this meets the values of our championship.
“With all this excitement we cannot lose sight of our overall purpose – this championship is a race for the planet. We are determined to build on the success our platform has had in raising awareness of climate issues and we are ready to take things even further as we explore the sustainable solutions that we can all be part of.”
NEOM is the centrepiece of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan to grow and diversify the Saudi economy and position the country as a leader in global sustainable development.
Built from the ground up, NEOM will be a new model for livability in the face of climate change, creating thriving businesses and reinventing environmental conservation. This will include the world’s first large-scale renewable energy system, pioneering the use of green hydrogen, as well as a world hub for clean energy generation research and innovation.
Beyond being a hub for sustainability, entrepreneurs and business leaders, NEOM is also set to be the home of adventure sports – creating active communities and a host destination for dynamic and challenging sports – Extreme E being among the first.
The sport infrastructure in NEOM will include the broadest spectrum of sports, from grassroots to high performance. NEOM’s ambitions also include a strong focus on environmental conservation, in line with the project’s plans to preserve 95 per cent of its natural environment.
NEOM’s involvement in Extreme E grew even further last season, becoming the title sponsor at NEOM McLaren Extreme E. The partnership with McLaren Electric Racing builds on NEOM’s growing involvement in electric motorsport and aims to establish NEOM as an innovative hub for global sport. A multi-year relationship with ENOWA was also announced, NEOM’s energy, water and hydrogen subsidiary, to introduce green hydrogen power to their global sustainable racing series.
ENOWA is the engine room for sustainable energy, water and hydrogen at NEOM. Green hydrogen is widely seen as the most promising green energy carrier for the future. This technology supports the transportation of renewable energy over long distances and the decarbonisation of major industries and infrastructure. Both work to implement innovative green hydrogen-based technologies to not only power the championship towards a 100 per cent “leave no trace” ambition but also to showcase the opportunities around this technology.
The Desert X Prix marks Extreme E’s third event in the region, pursuing the mutual goal of combining sustainability with global sporting events.
Jan Paterson, Managing Director of Sport at NEOM, added: “We are delighted to welcome Extreme E back to NEOM to kick off the 2023 season. Hosting Extreme E aligns with NEOM’s vision to become a unique host destination in the world for global sport by combining the principles of exciting competition with sustainable best practices.”
The opening round of the season will take place on the shores of the Red Sea close to the location of the 2022 NEOM Beach Games, which hosted over 300 athletes from 25 countries.
Teams will once again face a mostly sandy terrain, though a very different challenge and location to the deserts of the series’ past two visits to Saudi Arabia.
Many of the drivers will have experienced a shoreline course before, at the Ocean X Prix in Senegal in 2021, but all will have to be at the top of their game to meet the unique demands of this terrain.
NEOM will start the global voyage of Season 3, highlighting the impact of climate change and human interference in one of the most remarkable and remote locations in the world, whilst promoting the adoption of electric vehicles in the fight to help preserve the environment and protect the planet.
Alongside returning to Saudi Arabia, Sardinia, and Chile, Extreme E will also make its debut in Scotland, and possibly the USA or Brazil.
With less than five weeks to go until the opening X Prix of the campaign, Extreme E Season 3 is all set to be another spectacular campaign.
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