Extreme E 2022 Season Review

Like many a great sequel before it, the second season of Extreme E built on and improved upon the very strong foundations that were laid down in season one.

With nine of the ten teams on the podium over the year, new race winners, massive crashes, a title fight that went down to the very last lap and a key message at the heart of it all to bring the teams and drivers together in a united cause, Extreme E had it all.

Before we get to the racing though, there’s the main reason for Extreme E existing in the first place – helping to highlight and address a host of environmental issues tackling the areas in the world where Extreme E goes racing through its legacy projects.

Legacy Projects

Each location that Extreme E went to in 2022 went hand in hand with a legacy project run by Extreme E and carried out by their scientific committee along with the drivers themselves. In Saudi Arabia, they planted trees to help with local greening in the Neom Desert and to aid the reintroduction of Spiny Tailed Lizards.

In Sardinia, as part of their new partnership with Vodafone Business, Extreme E deployed long-life Low-Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) sensors. These quickly detect any fire and promptly send an alert to the authorities – a project that supports Vodafone Business’ sustainability efforts Meanwhile, other teams from the Extreme E grid took to diving themselves head first into the surrounding waters of the Mediterranean. In the Laguna di Norato area nearby, they were able to learn first-hand all about Posidonia oceanica (seagrass) and how Extreme E is helping to analyse and replenish seagrass beds in Sardinia.

For those of you who don’t know, Seagrass is thought to be one of the most rapidly declining ecosystems in the world, and Extreme E’s goal is to plant one million new plants of Posidonia oceanica by 2030.

Studies from the last ten years have shown that despite only occupying 0.04% of the ocean floor, seagrass stores 10% of the oceans carbon and can capture 30% more from the atmosphere than its tropical rainforest equivalent.

When Extreme E landed in Chile, the drivers got their hands dirty preparing the local habitat for the reintroduction of the Loa water frog in Calama, the gateway to the Atacama Desert. The Loa water frog is a critically endangered aquatic frog, native to the Loa River in Calama and is vital to the upkeep of ecosystems there. The longest river in Chile, The Loa, crosses the desert for 273 miles and is fundamental for life in Atacama. The Loa water frogs play important ecological roles including natural pest control and contributing to the food chains. Their disappearance could cause systemic impacts, in both aquatic and terrestrial environments.

Finally, in Uruguay, Extreme E took on a three-pronged approach towards its legacy efforts as it focused on marine conservation, ecotourism, and renewable energy awareness. The drivers visited both a colony of sea lions and fur seals, and a wind-farm run by the National Administration of Electrical Power Generation and Transmission (UTE)

To tackle these issues head on, Extreme E has partnered with the Organisation for Cetacean Conservation (OCC) as part of its Legacy Programme in the region. The OCC is a marine based NGO carrying out marine conservation, environmental education and awareness, responsible marine tourism and sustainable fishing. Extreme E will work with the OCC to help continue their efforts with their school education and itinerant exhibitions – driving the importance of marine life. Some of Extreme E’s funding will also go towards improving the OCC’s whale photo-ID catalogue, organising and processing existing material and generating new content. These ID catalogues are integral in helping track and monitor whale data in Uruguayan waters.

As you can tell from this brief overview into what Extreme E has been doing to help out in 2022, there’s great breadth and depth in what they are aiming to accomplish. With new locations on the calendar next year like Scotland and possibly the U.S, Extreme E will keep pushing the boundaries in this area and show that it’s not just in far flung locations where climate change’s impacts can be felt, but right in the heart of western civilization too. As the all electric off road racing series also grows in popularity too, it’s likely to attract more teams and therefore more fans which will help increase climate awareness in the motorsport world and hopefully feed into other categories such as the World Endurance Championship and Formula 1 so that they too can ensure they’re going above and beyond in doing their part for the planet.

As advertised at the top of this article though, Extreme E also has some racing and boy oh boy did it deliver this year. Read on for a team by team analysis and how 2022 unfolded for the expanded grid.

X44 Vida Carbon Racing

Team X44 win the team championship, with Cristina Gutierrez (ESP) / Sebastien Loeb (FRA), Team X44, after finishing 3rd in the race

After finishing second in the World Championship at the end of the inaugural 2021 Extreme E Season, X44 had a bone to pick in 2022. They began the year as they meant to go on by once again Qualifying in first place ahead of the Desert X Prix in Saudi Arabia, a 100% record they had carried over from 2021. Come race day however, Loeb and Gutierrez would slip from first down to third. Things would get worse for the outfit before they got better as they suffered a measly sixth place in the first part of the Sardinia Double Header.

Anything can happen in Extreme E though and just a few days later, they found themselves back up on the Podium in second place for the second round in Sardinia. A supreme win in Chile at the following round saw them well and truly still in the Championship fight. When the finale arrived in Uruguay, the odds were stacked against them thanks to the other three teams, principally old rivals Rosberg X Racing, having such a big lead over them.

A massive crash during qualifying for Gutierrez made it look like it was all over for the British Team. But with some good luck coming their way and some excellent driving by both Loeb and Gutierrez in the final Crazy Race of 2022, they saw off Rosberg X Racing and made it into the final.

Here they would only need to finish third as the extra five Championship Points they’d gained from that weekend’s Continental Traction Challenge had proven to be of extreme importance. Despite coming over the line in fourth place, a seven second penalty for Genysis Andretti United boosted them up to third place and the Championship was sealed.

After an incredibly strong debut year in 2021, Loeb and Gutierrez doubled down in 2022 and whilst the luck wasn’t always in their favour, it came good for them at just the right time. For Loeb, Extreme E is now yet another racing category he can say he’s won and completes a pretty magical year for the Frenchman in terms of success. For Gutierrez, it’s a massive confidence booster and she once again proves that she’s earned the right to be there right alongside Loeb, competing at the highest level of off road motorsport. For the fans, it’s brilliant as well because we get to see a different team win the Championship and doing so when it looked incredibly unlikely. It would appear now that, with one Championship apiece, the Hamilton Vs Rosberg Saga will continue into 2023. Bring it on.

Rosberg X Racing

With a Title to defend, Rosberg X Racing definitely brought their A Game in 2022. Interestingly though, ahead of the new season, Molly Taylor was dropped from the team in favour of Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky. Mikaela had a brilliant rookie year in 2021 but with how crucial Molly had been in 2021 to winning the title, the driver switch took many by surprise. But as the season progressed, the move appeared to have paid off.

For three of the five X Prix this season, they spoiled X44’s spotless record of being the top qualifier, claiming it for themselves in both rounds in Sardinia and in Chile. They also won two X Prix (more than anyone else this year) in Saudi Arabia and at the second round in Sardinia. Sardinia would prove to be quite controversial due to Kristoffersson’s crash with Carlos Sainz Sr. (for more on that, read my Sardinia review here: Extreme E – Main Talking Points from Italy ) That subsequent demotion to fifth cost them on points that could’ve made all the difference come the end of the season.

An uncharacteristic sixth place in Chile also scuppered their Championship hopes somewhat, despite still leading the Standings by a whopping margin – again proving how vital the whole weekend is when it comes to scoring points.

It was their Championship to lose coming into Uruguay and well…spoilers, they did. A crash in qualifying forced them into the Crazy Race where more drama and door to door racing left them with a severely wounded car. As they made their way into the switch zone, the team exceeded the number of personnel allowed into that zone in an attempt to repair the damage and were ultimately disqualified as a result.

In a weekend where it’s incredibly difficult to not score any points at all, Roberg X Racing found a way. They lost the Championship by two points and were understandably dismayed about it – so much so that both drivers were very unsportsmanlike during the podium ceremony and didn’t participate in the celebrations with X44 Vida Carbon Racing and Acciona Sainz.

As with their rivals last year, when the 2023 campaign kicks off, Rosberg X Racing will surely be looking to come back with a vengeance.

Acciona Sainz

Acciona Sainz flew under the radar somewhat in 2022. For four of the five rounds, they finished inside the top five, twice on the podium in second place – in Saudi Arabia and Chile respectively. Carlos Sainz Sr. did what he does best and showed that there’s plenty of life left in this particular old dog yet. Laia Sanz meanwhile continued to improve at an impressive rate, in only her second full season racing on four wheels instead of the usual two to which she has been most accustomed to for the duration of her racing career.

A seventh place finish in Uruguay ended their Championship hopes but had they made it to the final race, it could very well have been them and not X44 Vida Carbon Racing on that top step.

This is a team that shouldn’t be underestimated in 2023 and with that X Prix win still proving elusive for them, they’ll be more determined than ever to achieve it.

Hummer GV Chip Ganassi Racing

Sara Price (USA) / Kyle Leduc (USA), Chip Ganassi Racing, 1st position, celebrate with their team on the podium

2021 was pretty horrific for the American Extreme E team. With a best finish of fourth that felt like much worse because of the car failure that took them out of the lead and put them there, it seemed like they’d taken all of the bad luck for all of the other teams combined. Kyle Le Duc and Sara Price were retained for the 2022 season and my oh my, was it a reversal of fortunes for them that put a smile on everyone’s faces.

Fourth place was now where they began their season – a strong result for the team. But the best was yet to come as the team won the first round of racing in Sardinia in what easily became one of the fan favourite moments of the year. After such hardships for the team, it was fantastic to see and so well deserved. A lowly seventh place followed by another fourth place left them mathematically in title contention but it wasn’t to be as the team finished in sixth place come Uruguay.

Still, fourth place overall in the Championship is an excellent improvement from eighth in 2021 and the team should be incredibly proud of what they’ve been able to achieve this year.

Newcomer RJ Anderson (who stood in for Le Duc in Uruguay due to scheduling conflicts) did a brilliant job and fell easily into Extreme E on his debut, even with one of the car doors flying off mid race! Both Le Duc and Price continued to evolve as drivers and their sheer hunger for success definitely contributed to this and made them a joy to watch all year.

Hopefully this is the start of some real forward momentum for the team and they can be up there fighting for wins regularly in 2023. America could well be on the calendar in 2023 and if it is, is it too much to ask for them to win there? I think not.

Neom McLaren XE

Emma Gilmour (NZL), NEOM McLaren Extreme E, and Tanner Foust (USA), NEOM McLaren Extreme E, celebrate 2nd Position

The new kids on the block for 2022, McLaren were thrown in at the deep end with a crash in the final race of the weekend in Saudi Arabia ruining what would have been an incredible debut for the Papaya Army. Emma Gilmour became McLaren’s first ever female driver with stunt driver and all round legend Tanner Foust joining her as the team’s male driver. The experienced pair proved to be a safe pair of hands for the team that was packed with potential.

Tenth place and sixth place in Sardinia wasn’t a fair representation of what they were capable of and were it not for some unfortunate time penalties in Chile, they would have won the race. However, things finally came good in the end as they were able to secure second place in Uruguay, having got their crashing out of the way early in the weekend during practice and not crashing when it mattered. This meant that Emma then also became the first female driver to ever claim a podium for Mclaren and the fact that she’s a New Zealander makes that extra special.

Hopefully this dynamic duo will return in 2023. Only eleven points off fourth place this year, they could very well be outside Championship contenders. Watch this space.

Genysis Andretti United

Catie Munnings (GBR) / Timmy Hansen (SWE), Genesys Andretti United Extreme E

With a dream team of Timmy Hansen and Catie Munnings, it’s quite unfair that they’ve had a season that can be best described as close but no cigar. With three seventh places and an unlucky fourth place at the final race of the season due to a switch zone infringement, their highlight of the year came at the second race of the Sardinian Double Header.

There’s no doubting the sheer skill and talent both drivers have (the team wouldn’t have extended their contracts otherwise) but it’s very much been a character building season for them and after winning a race in Season I, we know they’ve got what it takes to put the cat among the pigeons. Best not to say too much else on 2022 for them and focus on 2023.

Xite Energy Racing

Now here’s a team that’s had a topsy turvy year. Ollie Bennet kicked off the year driving for his team where he was meant to be joined by Klara Andersson. A bout of Covid prevented her from doing this however and that saw Championship Driver Tamara Molinaro hop in instead, a seat she would keep for the rest of the season. Sixth place was all they could manage in Saudi Arabia, not bad all things considered.

Ollie then put Timo Scheider (the other Championship reserve driver) into his seat for the next three rounds as he went and focused more on Nitro RX. Timo and Tamara made an excellent pairing, so much so that they finished on the podium in second place in Sardinia, beaten only by Chip Ganassi. The podium is one that will stay with them forever as a pre race bet meant that by getting on the podium, they’d have to get matching tattoos – they got the chemical formula for adrenaline in case you’re interested.

Tenth, ninth and eighth was the best the team could manage for the rest of the year though, with Timo making way for Argentinian GT Driver Ezequiel Pérez Companc as he made his Extreme E debut come Uruguay. With a more stable driver line-up, perhaps more can be extracted from the team. Tamara should definitely stay and Timo should come back as their chemistry and shared experiences this year could prove vital for making a step up the pecking order in 2023.

Should you need more proof, just go back and watch Tamara’s James Bond esque save on two wheels during the race in Chile that was quite simply, epic.

JBXE

Here’s another team that needs a little more continuity to help it succeed. When Rosberg X Racing dropped her, Molly Taylor came over to JBXE to race alongside Kevin Hansen in Saudi Arabia. Bad luck and a crash for Kevin meant they would end the weekend in P9. Molly then stepped away from Extreme E and was replaced by exciting newcomer Hedda Hossas who remained there for the rest of the season.

She and Kevin were able to get the team to bounce back in style as they finished in third place in Sardinia, an incredible result that meant the world to the team and perfectly captured what Hedda could do behind the wheel of the Odyssey. Kevin’s sheer joy st the result of coming back to Extreme E following his injury was also top tier sporting television. The rest of the season would be spent at the bottom of the pack though with Kevin leaving the team (more on that later) to be replaced by new Championship Reserve Driver Fraser McConnell.

Having rookies in the team has its costs and that became evident in the second half of the season. But despite that, Hedda in particular improved a lot and deserves a shot to stay with the team next year. Continuity is key while getting new drivers in, no matter how experienced, means starting from again from scratch. As to who should be racing with her, that’s anyone’s guess!

ABT Cupra

Abt Cupra XE take 1st Position, Klara Andersson (SWE), Abt Cupra XE, and Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT), Abt Cupra XE, win the final race

Jutta Kleinschmidt returned for 2022, joined by Dakar Legend Nasser Al Attiyah. Their season got off to a spicy start with contact between Nasser and Sainz in Saudi Arabia that reignited a decades long old rivalry that was simply sublime to watch.

However, the first part of their season was frought with disappointment as an eighth place was followed by a ninth place and a disqualification in Sardinia due to a safety belt infringement. The drama wasn’t over yet though as the team secured their first podium of the year in Chile with a third place finish. But this came at the cost of Jutta getting injured and having to sit out the final race of the weekend and the final race of the year in Uruguay.

Enter Stage Left, Klara Andersson. Klara is one of the most exciting drivers of her generation and after Covid eliminated her from taking part in Extreme E way back in Saudi Arabia, she too had a score to settle – and boy did she! Jumping in at the last minute, Klara got a third place podium with Nasser on her debut in Chile – and she wasn’t done yet.

Focusing on nailing her first full weekend in Extreme E and working with Nasser, the pair worked away quietly and confidently, building up some serious momentum as the weekend unfolded. With no path to winning the Championship, they had nothing to lose by going all out. The result? ABT Cupra’s first win in Extreme E! It was a supremely dominant performance by both of them and surely means that several teams must be ringing Klara’s phone like mad to sign her up for a full time seat next season. I reckon she should stay with ABT Cupra and Nasser for the same reasons I mentioned earlier – consistency. Having an experienced driver and a rookie together can work wonders and it already has for this team. So why rock the boat?

Veloce

Down at the bottom sadly sits Veloce. The only team not to score a podium this season, they managed a best result of fifth in 2022 at the finale in Uruguay. Their year didn’t start out great with Christine GZ having a gigantic crash in Saudi that broke her foot and meant that it still wasn’t 100% perfect when it was time to go racing again in Sardinia. Bad luck plagued them all season long as they became the new Chip Ganassi. Ahead of the final round, both GZ and Lance Woolridge were released from the team, replaced by Kevin Hansen and Molly Taylor on a long term contract.

Clearly focused fully on 2023, Molly and Kevin are a very safe pair of hands for the team and if anyone can change Veloce’s fortunes, it’s them. GZ meanwhile has become a Championship Reserve driver for Extreme E but if any of the other teams are looking to make a change or if XE Sports still isn’t sure who to pick as they enter the sport, GZ would be a no brainer.

Extreme E in 2022 then was nothing short of spectacular. For a series only in its second season, it’s proven that it has well and truly earned its place on the global motorsports calendar. It even did me the courtesy of living up to my preview piece from earlier this year where I touted it as the year where we’d see Hansen Vs Hansen and that’s exactly what we got, particularly in the final race of the year.

As for what to expect in 2023? I have no idea because literally anything can happen in Extreme E – and it always does. So all I know for certain is that it’ll be one heck of a season and I’ll be watching every minute of it. You should too.

Author: Thiemo Albers-Daly