Extreme E to return to Sardinia for Rounds 7 and 8 of Season 3
Aug. 29, 2023
Off Road Racer Staff
Extreme E has today confirmed that the championship will return to Sardinia on 16-17 September for the penultimate X Prix, Rounds 7 and 8, of the 2023 campaign
With Italy now a permanent fixture on the Extreme E calendar – the championship having raced there in all three seasons so far – returning to Sardinia for Rounds 7 and 8 is a fantastic opportunity to race in a spectacular location and use existing infrastructure.
Sardinia has been the scene of some of the series’ most dramatic moments since launching in 2021. An exciting new course will be designed specifically for this event, which will once again be based in the familiar setting of the Italian Army Training area at Capo Teulada in Sulcis-Iglesiente, and hosted in collaboration with Automobile Club d’Italia (ACI), Regione Sardegna, and the Italian Army.
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JULY 09: Amanda Sorensen (USA) / RJ Anderson (USA), GMC Hummer EV Chip Ganassi Racing, leads Hedda Hosas (NOR) / Andreas Bakkerud (NOR), JBXE during the Island X-Prix on July 09, 2023. (Photo by Sam Bagnall / LAT Images)[/caption]
Alejandro Agag, Founder and CEO of Extreme E, said: “It’s exciting news that Extreme E will be heading back to Sardinia for the next rounds of the championship in September. Sardinia has been the setting for some thrilling on-track moments since we launched Extreme E and always provides incredible racing, with yet more expected when we return in September.
“What’s more, given what has been happening across Europe with the extreme heat and weather patterns experienced throughout the continent, there is an important climate story to tell.
“As a global championship, it remains our ambition to host a race in the USA in the future, as well as in other regions across South America, such is the passion for motorsport there. Nevertheless our return to Chile, which was a hugely successful event for Extreme E in 2022, will go ahead in December as our Season 3 Finale.
“I must pay tribute to the support of the Automobile Club d'Italia, the Italian military, and Regione Sardegna who have been integral in enabling us to go racing in Sardinia. They have been such accommodating partners and hugely flexible to allow us the opportunity to return. We are grateful for such a trusted long-term partnership and we are delighted to return to Sardinia for more spectacular racing in September.”
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JULY 08: Catie Munnings (GBR) / Timmy Hansen (SWE), Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E, leads Laia Sanz (ESP) / Mattias Ekstrom (SWE), Acciona | Sainz XE Team during the Island X-Prix on July 08, 2023. (Photo by Colin McMaster / LAT Images)[/caption]
A return to Sardinia for Rounds 7 and 8 will also mark the backdrop for Extreme E’s most competitive championship yet, with leaders ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team heading the standings with 109 points, just four clear of nearest challengers and Season 1 Champions Rosberg X Racing. Veloce Racing, two-time winners in 2023, are a further 10 points back in third.
James Taylor, Chief Championship Officer at Extreme E, added: “We are extremely grateful to the Automobile Club d’Italia, Regione Sardegna, and the Italian Army to be able to return to Sardinia for the next rounds of the 2023 championship.
“Extreme E has developed a strong relationship with the region across a number of years and they have always been incredibly supportive of our series, enabling us to go racing once more on the island.
“The championship is reaching a critical stage, and Sardinia has always delivered on-track, so we look forward to our latest X Prix there in September.”
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JULY 09: Klara Andersson (SWE) / Sebastian Loeb (FRA), Abt Cupra XE, leads Cristina Gutierrez (ESP) / Fraser McConnell (JAM), X44 Vida Carbon Racing during the Island X-Prix on July 09, 2023. (Photo by Colin McMaster / LAT Images)[/caption]
As a sport for purpose championship with raising awareness of the climate crisis at its heart, the island of Sardinia has been facing multiple challenges throughout the summer as a result of a heatwave across southern Europe. Temperatures in the central Mediterranean have reached record highs, with Sardinia experiencing peaks in mid-July of up to 46 degrees celsius.
The World Meteorological Organisation warned at the time that the heatwave in Europe could continue for a further month, while wildfires, which were so destructive to the Italian island previously, have been prevalent in a number of European countries this year.
Extreme E will confirm its latest legacy initiative in Sardinia in due course, however the series will look to revisit programmes already underway in conjunction with MEDSEA (Mediterranean Sea and Coast) Foundation. This includes its blue and green carbon projects, which focus on wildfire detection alongside partner Vodafone Business, highlighting the importance of seagrass, as well as its newly-launched forest for bees initiative to attract pollinator species – the first of its kind in Sardinia.
Further information regarding Rounds 7 and 8 in Sardinia on 16-17 September will be announced in the coming weeks.