Former Formula 1 pilot, and indeed World Champion, Niko Rosberg is making a return to racing through his newly formed Rosberg Xtreme Racing team. The RXR team will compete in the inaugural Extreme E season in 2021, Rosberg announced on his Twitter on October 22; a video followed:
Rosberg retired from Formula 1 racing in 2016 after winning the world championship that year. The Finnish-German has since then shifted his focus onto sustainable energies but never wavered far from the wheel. The team confirmed a collaboration with the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation as they join forces to combat the negative results of climate change. The Extreme E championship will be held worldwide, focusing on areas where ecosystems are the most threatened by global warming.
Speaking of his team’s entry into the all-electric off-road SUV racing championship, Rosberg said: “We are thrilled to unveil Rosberg Xtreme Racing as the latest addition to Extreme E… The series represents an amazing opportunity to not only drive awareness but also inspire action in the fight against climate change – the single biggest threat to our planet today.”
Before Niko Rosberg made his surprise departure from the pinnacle of motorsport, an exciting rivalry was born between Mercedes-AMG teammate Lewis Hamilton and himself. Many motorsport pundits attribute Hamilton’s current untouchable form to that rivalry which concluded at its peak. Hamilton, the current favourite to win the 2020 world championship, has already established his own team into the XE championship. ‘X44’ will be among the nine teams to race in the name of sustainability and its existence alongside RXR will surely reignite the rivalry between the two champions.
The first race of the debut Extreme E season has been postponed to March 2021 as a result of the global pandemic. Nevertheless, the wait will most certainly be worth it as a compelling lineup of competitors and locations should combine to create a colossal first for this excitingly fresh alternative to electrical racing. Sorry, Formula-E.
Featured Image: the all-electric 550bhp ODYSSEY 21 will be the official machine competing in the first ever Extreme E championship, this particular one dons the RXR team livery
