Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg will compete against each other once again as team owners in new Extreme E series..
Rising through the ranks of F1 from 2006 - 2017, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg had what some may say a love-hate relationship which ended in 2017 when Rosberg beat Hamilton for the F1 championship and then promptly retired. Lewis however has subsequently gone on to claim a world record seventh F1 championship title but it seems the pair are once again set to become rivals this time however as team owners in a new Extreme E electric off-road series.
Rosberg team, Rosberg Xtreme Racing, is rooted in Team Rosberg, a German Touring Car Masters (DTM) team founded in 1994 by Rosberg's father and 1982 F1 champion, Keke Rosberg. Hamilton's team X44 is named with reference to Lewis’s own racing number X44 .
Extreme E, will begin racing in early 2021 in five remote locations; arctic, desert, rainforest, glacier, and coastal; with aims to draw attention to areas that have sustained already damage or are severely under threat of climate change from a range of serious issues including melting ice caps, deforestation, desertification and rising sea levels.
Teams will race an electric SUV named ODYSSEY 21, which can go from 0-100km/h in 4.5 seconds, at gradients of up to 130 percent. It is manufactured by Spark Racing Technology, with a battery produced by Williams Advanced Engineering, a niobium-reinforced steel alloy tubular frame, and purpose built tyres, designed by Continental Tyres, which are the most extreme the company has ever produced.
Extreme E is utilising its sporting platform for the purpose of promoting electrification, sustainability, and equality. The series goal is to highlight the impact of climate change in some of the world’s most remote environments, promote the adoption of electric vehicles to pave the way for a lower carbon future, and provide a world-first gender equal motorsport platform.
In addition to raising awareness for climate issues, the series has established a Legacy Programme which involves working alongside the communities in its locations to leave positive impact dependent on local needs. Overseen by an independent Scientific Committee composed of leading climate experts from Oxford and Cambridge Universities, Extreme E will provide a template for how racing, and the wider sports industry, can have a positive impact on the planet.
