Extreme E will close out their five-round series on December 19 with the Jurassic X Prix in Bovington, on the south coast of England, only a couple of hours away from where the St Helena began its odyssey on a worldwide tour to blend racing and social responsibility in February. The Jurassic X Prix replaces the Glacier X Prix, originally scheduled to take place in Argentina, but was forced to cancel because of challenges facing South America and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
It will be the second race in Europe following next week’s Island X Prix in Italy, which replaces Brazil’s Amazon X Prix.
“I’m very excited by this race location – our first event on UK soil,” said Alejandro Agag, Extreme E Founder and CEO. “This move is a poignant shift in our mission to race in remote, far-away places to highlight the effects of climate change, as more increasingly, the issues we talk about are literally happening in our backyards so it felt like the right time to bring the spotlight home, and help the army reduce its own carbon footprint.
“The world needs to move forward when it comes to the combustion engine and many other practices, and what better way to symbolize that than with a Jurassic themed X Prix. Unless we push forward with climate and sustainability action, certain species risk becoming extinct, and that is something we simply cannot ignore any longer.”
As with next week’s Island X Prix in Sardinia, Italy, the UK event will be held on a military base near the coast. Extreme E is working with the British Ministry of Defense and Army, which has recently announced a climate change and sustainability strategy designed to lessen their environmental impact. This is part of the UK’s goal to have a net zero carbon footprint by 2050, an initiative named the ‘Race to Zero’.
“It is brilliant news that Extreme E’s Season finale will be held in the UK,” said England native Jenson Button, Team Principal of JBXE. “I’ve been lucky enough to race on UK soil a number of times throughout my career and those memories will always be incredibly special to me.
“Heading off-road at Bovington will be a totally different experience but equally as special as I’ll be the one watching and supporting Kevin (Hansen) and Mikaela (Ahlin-Kottulinsky) and the rest of the JBXE team as we push for a strong finish to the season.
“After back-to-back podiums, if we can carry that form into Sardinia and put ourselves in the mix for the final race then we could be in store for an amazing finish.”
Each Extreme E race has a unique call to action. For the Jurassic X Prix, it will be the ‘Count Us In’ campaign that challenges series fans to reduce their own carbon footprints.
“I’m really looking forward to having our final round of Extreme E here in the UK,” said Catie Munnings, driver for Andretti United Extreme E. “The race course will only be a three-hour drive from my home in Kent so it’ll be nice to be able to race on home soil after what’s been a whirlwind of a year. With the United Autosports side of the business based in the UK, it’s also great to be able to have what will effectively be like a home race for the team too. Hopefully Timmy and I can do the team proud.
“The weather in December could be very wet and who knows, maybe there’s a chance of some snow too. It will certainly be very muddy and slippery but I grew up driving quad bikes and thrashing around in old vehicles at my family home, including learning to drive in muddy fields in the UK, so these sort of conditions will suit me well.”
BREAKING: Bovington in Dorset, UK to host the Jurassic X Prix, the Season 1 finale on 18-19 December!#ExtremeE #JurassicXPrix
— Extreme E (@ExtremeELive) October 12, 2021