Extreme E’s final two rounds in South America have been called off owing to the COVID-19 situation in the region.
October’s Amazon X-Prix in Brazil and the season-ending Glacier X-Prix in Argentina will instead be postponed until next year, with the series currently searching for two new venues to make up the concluding leg of the five-part calendar.
The western Isles of Scotland are said to be one of the options the series is considering.
“We’ve been closely monitoring the situation regarding all Extreme E locations for 2021 and have chosen to make this pre-emptive decision on racing in South America this year,” said series founder and CEO Aledandro Agag.
“As a new series embarking on our opening Season, our priority is to deliver a five-race calendar of events which are safe and responsible for our global participants, partners and staff to travel to and attend.
“This was not a decision made lightly, however current travel advice and restrictions have also meant we have been unable to visit the race areas in advance to undertake the necessary reconnaissance visits, which are especially vital due to the remote nature of our operations.
“We will of course continue to support our important reforestation and agroforestry initiatives which are already well underway in the region thanks to the help of Dr Francisco Olivieira and our partnership with The Nature Conservancy in Brazil.
“We would also like to thank the local authorities in Brazil and Argentina who have been supportive throughout the whole process and we hope we can return in 2022.”