LEWIS HAMILTON has started his own all-electric racing team to help raise awareness in climate change.
The F1 world champion has signed up to the all-electric Extreme E championship that will start racing next January in some of the most remote parts of the world.
The electric SUVs will race in some of the most challenging environments in the world
Lewis Hamilton also hopes to boost awareness of climate change when his X44 team contest the new championship
The championship is the idea of Formula E founder, Alejandro Agag, and has the backing of a scientific committee with climate experts from Cambridge and Oxford Universities.
They will advise on education and research programmes in each area to leave a lasting legacy.
Hamilton said: “Extreme E is an exciting new sustainability initiative, and this is a great opportunity to be involved from the outset as a team founder.
“Of course, my ambitions and commitments with Mercedes in Formula One mean that I won’t be operationally involved in X44.
“But I’m excited to play a different role in this new series, one that brings my vision for a more sustainable and equal world to life.
“Extreme E really appealed to me because of its environmental focus.
“Every single one of us has the power to make a difference, and it means so much to me that I can use my love of racing, together with my love for our planet, to have a positive impact.
“Not only will we visit remote locations facing the front line of the climate crisis, we will also work closely with these locations and leading climate experts to share our knowledge and leave behind a positive legacy in each location which goes far beyond the race track.
I am excited to use our platform to highlight the most serious issues facing our planet
Lewis Hamilton
“As Founder of X44, I am looking forward to building my team around important values such as sustainability and equality.
“None of us are perfect and we all have improvements to make, but I am excited to use our platform to highlight the most serious issues facing our planet and the solutions we can all be part of.”
SUV STANDARD
Here’s our lowdown to the championship, the vehicles and the venues as it revs up for next January.
THE SERIES
Extreme E is an off-road racing series that uses electric SUVs in remote parts of the world. There will not be fans at the tracks but will be televised and played through social media. Extreme E will engage with local charities to help conservation, preservation and environmental support.
THE CARS
All teams will use the same car. The Spark ODYSSEY 21 Extreme E E-SUV powered by an electric motor and capable of 0-60mph in 4.5 seconds. The cars will be stored and transported to each venue on board a ship that has an multi-million pound eco-friendly refit.
THE TRACKS
Ocean – Senegal – Lac Rose – 22–24 January 2021
Desert – Saudi Arabia – Sharaan, Al-Ula – 4–6 March 2021
Glacier – Nepal – Kali Gandaki Gorge – 6–8 May 2021
Arctic – Greenland – Kangerlussuaq – 27–29 August 2021
Rainforest – Brazil -Santarem, Para – 29–31 October 2021
Hamilton’s team – called X44 – his car number in F1, marks his first solo project in racing.
The cars will be battery powered 550bhp SUVs that will be stored and transported on a specially converted cargo ship called RMS St Helena.
While Hamilton will not be driving, he will be the owner of the team and comes after he expressed his desire to switch to electric road vehicles.
He currently has two regular electric road cars in his garage, a new Mercedes EQS and a Smart car.
The 35-year-old has become more environmentally focussed and used his social media to raise awareness on climate change.
He is also the co-owner of Neat Burger, the world’s first plant-based sustainable burger chain, who are sponsoring the series.
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Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk
