Alejandro Agag awarded ‘Pioneering and Innovation’ accolade at 2021 Autosport Awards
Alejandro Agag was presented with a prestigious industry accolade last night as he accepted the ‘Pioneering and Innovation’ Award at the 2021 Autosport Awards.
The award, presented by Mahindra Racing, is presented to the company or person that has developed an outstanding and innovative product, service, or event. The winner is the candidate whose pioneering work the judges believe has led to significant progress in the sport.
Alejandro is well-known for his ventures in the establishment and promotion of electric motorsport following his exploits in founding Formula E, which is now in its eighth season, Extreme E, and the E1 powerboating series, which is scheduled to launch in early 2023.
Extreme E, which got underway for the first time in 2021, sees electric SUVs competing in extreme environments around the world which have already damaged or affected by climate and environmental issues. The five-race global voyage highlights the impact of climate change and human interference in some of the world’s most remote locations and promotes the adoption of electric vehicles in the quest for a lower carbon future for the planet.
As well as being a crucial platform for showcasing innovation and climate solutions, Extreme E became the first gender-equal sporting format when it stipulated that all teams must include one male and one female driver, with each driver completing a lap apiece in races, with a driver swap incorporated mid-way.
After being presented the award on stage by McLaren CEO Zak Brown, Alejandro Agag said: “Firstly, I want to thank the Extreme E team who have worked so hard to set this ground-breaking new series up. It has been so difficult to set up a championship taking place in some of the most remote corners of the planet, even without the additional challenge of doing this during the pandemic
“One of the innovations we are most proud of at Extreme E is the racing format. It’s about gender equality, it’s about men and women racing equally as a team and both being decisive in victory. We have seen incredible talent shine in this platform and I think the female drivers have really been the stars of Extreme E, such as Catie Munnings, Molly Taylor, Sara Price, and many more. Thank you on behalf of all our drivers, and to all my team for this award.”
The 2021 Autosport ‘Pioneering and Innovation’ Award adds to a successful inaugural Season for Extreme E, which has also been awarded; Motorsport UK- Environmental Sustainability Award 2021; Leaders Sports Awards - Sustainability Award; Broadcast Sport Awards - Best Sport Production of the Year; Broadcast Tech Innovation Awards - Technical Innovation (Sport); Broadcast Tech Innovation Awards - Creative Use of AR/VR; Sports Business Awards - Sports Innovation (Silver Award), and Sports Business Awards - Sustainability in Sport (Bronze Award).
Season 2 of Extreme E starts in NEOM, Saudi Arabia with the Desert X Prix on 19-20 February, 2022.
