Extreme E gears up for title fight at Chilean finale

• Acciona | Sainz XE Team head to the race weekend at the top of the standing with 139 points
• Rosberg X Racing, Veloce Racing, No. 99 GMC Hummer EV Chip Ganassi Racing and X44 Vida Carbon Racing also in title contention
• News driver line-ups for JBXE and NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team
• Extreme E returns to South America for it’s third event on the continent
• Chilean organisation Antofagasta Minerals continue to pave the way in sustainable mining

Championship leaders ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team (ASXE) and runners up Rosberg X Racing (RXR) are the favourites to take the title, with only three points separating them both. It has been a close battle between these teams all year, and at the last X Prix in September Nico Rosberg’s outfit managed to close the points gap after a tough Round 8 for ASXE in Sardinia.

There are three further teams mathematically in contention, and Veloce Racing, No. 99 HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing, and X44 Vida Carbon Racing will be chasing the points needed for championship glory. Anything can happen in Extreme E, and the final two rounds of Season 3 promise to be nail-biters.

Alejandro Agag, Founder and CEO of Extreme E, said: “We are all set for our best finale yet as we return to the Atacama Desert in Chile.

“It has been a competitive season of Extreme E from the very start, with four of our championship contenders taking two X Prix wins each across the year and many other teams securing podiums. It has been fantastic to watch the grid go from strength to strength as the championship approaches its fourth season.

“It is fitting that we are completing the season in Chile, a country which is so crucial in the push for electrification and the development of sustainable mining techniques to help achieve that environmental progress.”

The Antofagasta Minerals Copper X Prix takes place in Calama, a small mining city situated on the Loa River in an extremely arid region by the Atacama Desert. Chile is one of the world's largest copper producers in the world, and three of the largest copper mines in the world are within 50 kilometres of Calama, with many of the cities’ inhabitants involved in the industry.

Copper is an essential part of the EV industry due to its high conductivity, durability, and malleability. Hybrid and fully electric vehicles require a higher amount of copper wiring to be powered.

After the success of the penultimate round in Chile in Season 2, the all-electric off-road series returns to see what action the challenging South American terrain will bring.

While Extreme E returns to familiar surroundings, there has been an exciting shake-up amongst the team’s driver line-ups. Two of the series’ established stars will be donning different race suits, in what promises to be an intriguing prospect.

Starting alongside NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team’s Tanner Foust in Chile will be Veloce Development Driver Hedda Hosås, who makes the move from JBXE to compete for the British squad at the Season 3 finale.

Hosås replaces Emma Gilmour, who continues to recover from an injury suffered at the previous X Prix in Sardinia. Gilmour was ruled out of competing in Extreme E’s second Island X double-header following a crash in Free Practice.

Stepping into the Norwegian’s seat at Jenson Button’s outfit will be former Championship Driver Tamara Molinaro, who is no stranger to an Extreme E race day having competed for multiple teams to-date.

All of the championship’s 20 drivers and world-class teams will return to the Atacama Desert to take on what is considered to be the most popular course in the series - and which promises to bring this year’s Extreme E championship to a breath-taking final crescendo.  

The three-kilometre layout, set in the driest place on the planet and in an inherently remote setting, will once again feature multiple elevation changes, variations in gradient, high-speed corners, and jumps. And as it did last year, will result in arguably the calendar’s fastest, most thrilling race course for Extreme E’s world class drivers and teams.

Nels von Schnakenburg, Technical Manager at Continental for Extreme E, added: “As the official tyre partner of Extreme E, Continental is proud to continue supplying the world's first electric SUV racing series.

"With the title decider approaching and five teams in contention, we're excited to see who will come out on top. Our tyres have been specifically designed to handle the extreme conditions of each race, and we're confident that they will help the teams perform at their best.

“We wish all the competitors the best of luck and can't wait to see who will be crowned the next Extreme E champions.”

Extreme E’s return to South America is set to showcase a special finale to a spectacular season of racing.

The crowning of the 2023 champions will be live across ITV and STV in the UK, while outside of the UK please visit here for broadcaster details.