Lewis Hamilton launches his own Extreme E racing team
Hamilton is founding the team, but will not have any real involvement.
Lewis Hamilton has announced that he’s launching his own team to compete in the Extreme E off-road racing series. Hamilton’s team, X44, will be part of the first Extreme E race season, which is expected to take place at the start of next year. The superstar will, however, not be participating directly with the team due to commitments with his own, fossil fuel-powered racing career.
Extreme E is a race series featuring electric monster trucks -- specifically the Odyssey 21 -- racing through regions at risk from climate change. These massive vehicles will be driving around glaziers, through rainforests and over deserts, helping preserve their fragile ecosystems for future generations. The vehicle itself is built by Spark Racing Technology, the French company that built Formula E’s first and second-generation cars.
“Extreme E really appealed to me because of its environmental focus,” said Hamilton, “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.” Hamilton announced that X44 would be built around the values of “sustainability and equality,” and will commit to Formula E’s existing plan to have one woman and one man driver tackling half of each race.
