The Extreme E off-road championship for electric SUVs has introduced a new race format for the coming season – with all five events now running as double-headers.
As with its first two seasons, the series will continue to race on temporary courses in remote locations that have been impacted by climate change, with every team using the battery electric Spark Odyssey buggy.
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Previously, Extreme E events featured the ten single-car teams taking part in qualifying and a number of heat races on Saturday, with the semi-finals, a ‘last-change’ crazy race and the final on Sunday.
The new format is far simpler with two separate rounds on each day of the event, both of which will feature the same streamlined format.
Each day will start with two rounds of qualifying, with each round comprising a pair of five-car heats. The winner of each heat will receive a championship point. The top five teams after qualifying will then take part in the Grand Final, with the other five teams taking part in a Redemption Race.
Separate event winners will be declared for each event. Series bosses said that holding a pair of events at each venue has effectively doubled the size of the championship, without increasing its carbon footprint.
Extreme E boss Alejandro Agag said: “To have a ten-race championship in Extreme E is a tantalising prospect for everyone on board and we believe the increased number of races will only enhance our series.”
Teams will continue to field a single car shared by a male and female driver, who will switch at the midpoint of each race.
Extreme E’s GridPlay fan vote concept will remain, although this time it will be used to determine the grid positions for the Grand Final. There will also be a Continental Traction Challenge, with the car that sets the fastest time on a section of the course gaining two championship points. The Extreme E season will begin in Saudi Arabia on March 11/12.
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