The Extreme E series, known for its focus on off-road electric racing, is undergoing significant changes with the withdrawal of two teams: Lewis Hamilton's X44 and Chip Ganassi Racing. This news comes just before the start of the fourth season in Saudi Arabia, scheduled for February 17 and 18.
The X44 team, initially led by Prodrive and later by Rodin Carlin in 2023, stood out on the tracks by winning the drivers' title in 2022 with Sebastien Loeb and Cristina Gutierrez. Last season saw Gutierrez and Fraser McConnell finish fourth in the overall standings.
Extreme E is preparing for a major transformation, shifting to hydrogen power with the launch of Extreme H in 2025. This new era will maintain the current infrastructure and staff of the series. Regarding driver movements, Cristina Gutierrez has joined the McLaren team, partnering with Mattias Ekstrom, while Fraser McConnell will replace Ekstrom at the Acciona Sainz team, alongside Laia Sanz.
The X44 team has not specified the reasons for its departure, but in a statement, they expressed pride in the three seasons they participated in, highlighting their contribution to the dialogue on sustainability in motorsports and diversity in their team. Lewis Hamilton, the team owner, leaves a legacy with the Racing for All program.
Chip Ganassi Racing, another prominent team in the series, has also confirmed its withdrawal from Extreme E for the upcoming season. In a statement, they thanked Extreme E for hosting their GMC HUMMER EV entry and expressed their interest in following the development of the series. The focus is now on the evolution of Extreme E towards hydrogen-powered off-road vehicles, planned for 2025 and beyond.
Ganassi, involved from the start of the championship, achieved a notable victory in Sardinia in 2022 with Kyle LeDuc and Sara Price. Following LeDuc's withdrawal for health reasons, Amanda Sorensen and RJ Anderson took over the driving, finishing fifth in last season's standings.
The Extreme E series continues to attract new teams, such as the one backed by Swiss food producer SUN AG, the SUN Minimeal Team, which will feature Timo Scheider as driver and team director, and rallycross racer Klara Andersson.
