The inaugural Extreme E season has been delayed by two months, with the season opener taking place in Saudi Arabia in March instead of Senegal’s Lac Rose race originally penned for January.
Series founder Alejandro Agag outlined calendar revisions – including Argentina replacing Nepal – during Extreme E’s virtual launch on Tuesday.
Agag said: “With just months to go until our first season we find ourselves unfortunately in a very different world. Coronavirus has brought the sports world to a standstill and every sport is trying to get to grips with how to get going again. It’s been a tough time to be starting a new sport and we’ve had challenges. We also spent a lot of time adapting plans and I’m pleased to say we are on track and committed to going racing early next year.”
The Saudi Arabia event was already on the calendar, but moves up from round two to kick-start the all-new off-road series. Senegal’s race goes in the opposite direction and runs on May 29/30.
“The opening race takes place on March 20-21 and we will be in the region of AlUla in Saudi Arabia,” said Agag. “Drivers will have to tackle sand, heat and arid conditions with a totally unforgiving test for the first outing.
“After Lac Rose we go onwards and upwards to the Arctic. Here we go to Kangerlussuaq on the southern, eastern tip of Greenland.
Photo: Andrew Shiva
“Seen as the frontline of the climate emergency our track stands in awe of the Russell Glacier. This track used to be covered by the ice, which has now long melted away and left behind rock stone and gravel. No motorsport has ever taken place here before.”
Brazil’s Amazon race moves forward one week and one slot on the schedule, running as round four of five instead of the finale.
The new final round is based out of Ushuaia, the world’s southernmost city.
Agag added: “The new location for Extreme E series one takes place, instead of Nepal [which was] in our original plans, we will head further south to Argentina where we will finish the season with a race in Tierra del Fuego, the most southern part of Patagonia. A poignant place to close our first season as we will see, first-hand the effect climate change is having on our ecosystems.”
2021 Extreme E calendar
1 Desert X-Prix Saudi Arabia, AlUla March 20/21
2 Ocean X-Prix Senegal, Lac Rose May 29/30
3 Arctic X-Prix Greenland, Kangerlussuaq August 28/29
4 Rainforest X-Prix Brazil Santarém Amazon October 23/24
5 Glacier X-Prix Argentina, Ushuaia December 11/12
