One of the vocations with which he was born Extreme E It was to compete in some of the wildest places on Earth, racing in landscapes where you would never have thought you could. Well, perhaps the next one will be the most attractive date of all, especially after the suspension of the American tour through the Brazilian Amazon and Argentine Patagonia. Because electric SUVs race this weekend in Greenland the Arctic X-Prix three months after doing it in Senegal. Surrounded by ice in summer, there would be no other way.
The Danish island located in the North of America with just over two million square meters and almost 59,000 inhabitants (a density of 0.026 inhabitants / km2), receives the electrical championship in Kangerlussuaq. The track has been laid out on a large plain with the Russell Glacier as a backdrop. and its choice, in addition to its spectacular nature, is due to the fact that it is one of the main focuses in the fight against climate change, because the Greenland ice, which covers 80% of its territory, is melting by leaps and bounds.
Awareness first and competition later, and related to this, Extreme E it appears again with changes in its format in the third appointment of the season to try to make a more fair dispute. The first novelty occurs in the classification, which will no longer be ordered by the accumulated times of the two sessions, but by the points obtained in them. With this, it is avoided that those who cannot set a time due to accident or breakdown (as happened to Laia and Sainz in Dakar) do not see their aspirations condemned as soon as they start.
And that’s not all, because the final of the event will be five cars! Two will advance from the first semifinal (in which those classified in first, fifth and sixth place will fight), another two from the second (with second, third and fourth) and a last from the Crazy Race, the consolation final that until now had no greater prize than being seventh and from which it will even be possible to fight for the final victory. No one will be able to complain about the lack of opportunities and, moreover, the show is won because there is always something at stake.
Rosberg’s RXR at the fore
With 71 points and the two disputed victories to his credit, Molly Taylor and Kristoffersson, the drivers of Nico Rosberg’s RXR team, lead the championship of Extreme E, but despite the superiority shown for now, they cannot relax … They have Cristina Gutiérrez (returning after back injury) and Loeb with Hamilton’s X44 just 14 points behind. Christine GZ is fifth with Hispano Suiza and Laia Sanz y Sainz’s Acciona is sixth. Button will return to the wheel after not being in Dakar and Jamie Chadwick, in Spa with the W Series, is replaced in Veloce by Emma Gilmour.
Arctic X-Prix Schedules
Friday 08/27
- 21: 00-21: 30 – Shakedown
Saturday 08/28
- 13: 30-15: 30 – Classification 1
- 18: 00-20: 00 – Classification 2
Sunday 08/29
- 12: 00-13: 30 – Semifinals
- 16: 00-18: 00 – Final
*Spanish time.