Building on the success of its debut year in 2021, Extreme E Season 2 ‘The Race For the Planet’ promises to captivate on and off track on a whole new level, whilst delivering on its overall purpose to tackle climate change through sport, starting with the Desert X Prix in NEOM, Saudi Arabia, this weekend (19-20 February).

NEOM was chosen as a location by Extreme E, not only for its picturesque desert landscape and its shared values of sustainability and innovation, but also because this sport-for-purpose championship aims to highlight the causes of desertification, the loss of biological diversity and the importance of resilience because of the impacts of climate change. In addition, the distinct and diverse desert terrain of NEOM will also ensure it is an all-new challenge for the drivers and their ODYSSEY 21 electric SUVs.

Extreme E explained…

The Series has devised an innovative format unlike any other, likened to ‘Star Wars Pod Racing meets Dakar Rally.’ Designed to put driver performance firmly in focus, the five X Prix of Extreme E Season 2 will feature the pressure of five car races for qualifying on Day One.

Depending on where you finish in your qualifying race, you will get points awarded for Q1 and Q2. This gives an Intermediate Classification that will decide the order for which cars progress through to Semi Final 1, Semi Final 2 and the Crazy Race on Day Two. The top two teams from each Semi Final and the winner of the Crazy Race progress to the Final.

Every round will incorporate two laps over a total distance of approximately 14 kilometres. In a motorsport world-first, teams will field one male and one female driver, promoting gender equality and a level playing field amongst competitors. The teams will determine which driver goes first to best suit their strategy and driver order selections are made confidentially, with competitors kept in the dark as to other teams’ choices until the last possible moment. Contests between males and females will therefore be ensured.

Both drivers will complete one lap behind the wheel of the ODYSSEY 21 electric SUV, with a driver changeover, the ‘Switch’, included after the first lap. A ‘Hyperdrive’ boost will also be available to each driver on each lap of the race. Activated when the driver presses a button on their steering wheel, they will enjoy an increase in power for a fixed amount of time. The timing for this will be a key decision.

Full sporting format and points as follows:

Saturday morning
Qualifying 1 Heats 1 and 2: each 5 cars over 2 laps with a Switch
NB Positions for Qualifying 1 allocated through a lottery

Saturday afternoon
Qualifying 2 Heats 1 and 2: each 5 cars over 2 laps with a Switch
NB Positions for Qualifying 2 allocated through finishing positions from Qualifying 1

Intermediate Classification points, which do not contribute to overall Championship points, will be awarded after each of the Qualifying Rounds according to the following scale: 

1st – 5 points 

2nd – 4 points 

3rd – 3 points 

4th – 2 points 

5th – 1 point

The combined points of each Team’s runs in Qualifying Rounds 1 and 2, will determine the overall Intermediate Classification at the end of Qualifying, which will determine which Teams go into Semi Final 1, Semi Final 2 and the Crazy Race. 

1st – Semi-Final 1 

2nd – Semi-Final 2 

3rd – Semi-Final 2 

4th – Semi-Final 1 

5th – Semi-Final 1 

6th – Semi-Final 2 

7th – Crazy Race 

8th – Crazy Race 

9th – Crazy Race 

10th – Crazy Race

Sunday 
Semi-Final 1 – Three-car race with top two cars going through to the Final 
Semi-Final 2 – Three-car race with top two cars going through to the Final 
Crazy Race – Four-car race with first place going through to the Final 

Final – Five-car Final with the top three going to the podium

Championship points 

1st: 25 points (winner of the Final) 

2nd: 18 points (2nd place in the Final) 

3rd: 15 points (3rd place in the Final) 

4th: 12 points (4th place in the Final) 

5th: 10 points (5th place in the Final) 

6th: 8 points (3rd place from Semi-Final 1 or Semi-Final 2)* 

7th: 6 points (3rd place from Semi-Final 1 or Semi-Final 2)* 

8th: 4 points (2nd place in the Crazy Race) 

9th: 2 points (3rd place in the Crazy Race) 

10th: 1 point (4th place in the Crazy Race) 
 * The team finishing third in Semi-Final 1 or Semi-Final 2 that sets the faster Continental Traction Challenge time shall be deemed to be the 6th place finisher.

Continental Traction Challenge 
The team that sets the fastest time through the allocated sector in Qualifying, Semi-Finals, Crazy Race and Final, will win the Continental Traction Challenge and earn five Championship points. 

If any teams are tied in the qualifying standings their positioning will be determined by their time in the Continental Traction Challenge - the team with the quicker run through the allocated sector receiving the higher overall position in qualifying. 

As previously stated, the team finishing third in Semi-Final 1 or Semi-Final 2 that sets the faster Continental Traction Challenge time shall be deemed to be the 6th place finisher.

Teams and drivers
The 10 teams and 20 drivers for the Desert X Prix are as follows: 

• ABT CUPRA XE – Nasser Al-Attiyah / Jutta Kleinschmidt

• ACCIONA | Sainz XE Team – Carlos Sainz Snr. / Laia Sanz

• Genesys Andretti United Extreme E – Timmy Hansen / Catie Munnings

• Chip Ganassi Racing – Kyle LeDuc / Sara Price

• McLaren XE – Tanner Foust / Emma Gilmour

• JBXE – Kevin Hansen / Molly Taylor

• Rosberg X Racing – Johan Kristoffersson / Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky

• Veloce Racing – Lance Woolridge / Christine GZ

• X44 – Sébastien Loeb / Cristina Gutiérrez

• XITE ENERGY RACING – Oliver Bennett / Tamara Molinaro