New driver line-up: Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky and Johan Kristoffersson
New partners: RXR welcomes Allianz and 8Six400
New race format: Extreme E’s Season two promises even more action on track
New projects: RXR’s #DrivenByPurpose campaign continues to drive positive change
Neustadt, 17. February 2022. The first-ever Extreme E Champion, Rosberg X Racing, is ready to return to the stage and defend its title. After a sensational victory in the inaugural Extreme E season, RXR heads into this weekend’s Desert X Prix in Saudi Arabia with a lot of news on board.
At the premiere outing of the 2022 Extreme E season, the team will be welcoming Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky as the new driver alongside Johan Kristoffersson. The Swedish pairing will compete for RXR in Extreme E’s second edition, battling for victory with nine other teams in five races across three continents. The new season promises even more action on track with qualifying sessions held as multi-car races instead of timed laps and shorter overall racecourses.
RXR heads into the first X Prix of 2022 with two new partners, Allianz and 8Six400. As official partner of RXR, Allianz shares the team's values of trust and sustainability working towards a better place to live for the generation to come. The Allianz Group is one of the world's leading insurers and asset managers with 120 million private and corporate customers in more than 70 countries, offering a broad range of personal and corporate insurance services, ranging from property, life, and health insurance to assistance services to credit insurance and global business insurance. Allianz holds the leading position for insurers in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index. 8six400’s partnership with Rosberg X Racing Extreme E will demonstrate and deliver a complete collection of team wear and merchandise crafted from recycled and organic cotton. Launched at Le Mans in 2021, 8six400 is the first sustainable motorsport apparel brand bringing a full collection of sustainably made team wear and merchandise that captures the brand’s belief but also speaks to the shared values between RXR and 8Six400.
RXR’s commitment to leave a lasting positive impact at every race location is showcased in the first instalment of the team’s 2022 #DrivenByPurpose campaign. Resulting from its collaboration with Turquoise Mountain in 2021, RXR showcases a ceramic charm made by women from the AlUla Craft School using natural mud from the Tabuk region and stamped with the RXR hashtag (#RXR). RXR has been supporting Turquoise Mountain in its effort to restore endangered historic communities and revive traditional crafts by providing viable commercial platforms for trade.
The Desert X Prix will take place in the deserts of NEOM from 19th to 21st February 2022. Covering a 26,500-square-kilometre area in northwest Saudi Arabia, NEOM is being built from the ground up, introducing a new model for urban sustainability, powered by 100% renewable energy, and utilising green technology to build water capabilities and maximise usage efficiency.
Speaking ahead of the Desert X Prix, Rosberg X Racing Team Principal, Kimmo Liimatainen commented: “It’s great to kick off the next season in Extreme E, and we are obviously very excited and eager to compete again for the title. The team has been working hard over the winter to make sure we start in the strongest position possible. Despite the pressure as championship title holders facing many new contenders, our approach remains the same. We have got reason to feel very confident and we’re excited to start racing.”
Rosberg X Racing driver, Johan Kristoffersson, said: “It’s great to be back in Saudi Arabia for the second Extreme E season. I feel like the Championship title from last year still gives me a lot of confidence and great personal motivation. Now it’s all about defending it and I can’t wait to push the ODYSSEY 21 to its limits once again.”
Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky, Rosberg X Racing driver, said: “I’m super excited to start the new season with RXR. The atmosphere within the team is fantastic and I am very eager to get going. It’s a great racecourse here in NEOM with quite a few tricky elements, but this is what makes Extreme E so special. I am looking forward to a phenomenal first race weekend!”
The action begins on Friday with Shakedown (19:00-19.30 GMT), before qualifying sessions begin on Saturday at 08:00GMT while the races take place on Sunday from 09.00 to 14.00 GMT. For information on how to watch the Desert X Prix, please visit https://www.extreme-e.com/en/broadcast-information.