Hamilton's Racing Team Exits Extreme E Series Immediately

The X44 team, which derives its name from Hamilton’s racing number, has been a competitor in Extreme E since its launch in 2021, achieving championship victory in 2022. The series aimed to highlight climate change issues by organising off-road races featuring electric SUVs, establishing itself as a prominent contender in the motorsport world.

However, the series is set to be replaced by a new hydrogen-powered championship, leading to the discontinuation of Extreme E after the 2024 season, despite significant support from the FIA.

Hamilton’s team opts out of final season

Following their championship win in 2022 with Sebastien Loeb and Cristina Gutierrez driving, Hamilton’s X44 team has chosen to withdraw from the competition a year ahead of its conclusion, foregoing the chance to compete for another title.

Over the years, X44 has rivalled teams owned by Hamilton’s ex-teammates Nico Rosberg and Jenson Button, both of whom have also invested in Extreme E teams.

In their departure announcement, X44 reflected on their journey: “We’ve had an incredible three seasons competing as X44, winning multiple races and even a world championship.

“Thank you to our drivers Cristina, Fraser and Seb, and all our talented team-mates who worked hard to help us achieve everything we did.

“Even more than the results on track, we’re proud to have been part of a bigger conversation about how to make motorsport more sustainable, of our success in giving people from all kinds of backgrounds an opportunity to thrive in this team, and of the legacy our team owner Lewis Hamilton will leave behind with the Racing for All programme.”

The upcoming series set to succeed Extreme E has been named Extreme H, showcasing SUVs driven by hydrogen power. This represents another eco-friendly innovation likely to become more prevalent in motorsport.

“Although we won’t be competing ourselves in 2024, we’ll be cheering on the series from the sidelines and keeping an eye on the exciting developments at Extreme H,” X44 concluded.

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Mark is a staff writer specialising in the history of Formula 1 races. Mark researches most of our historic content from teams to drivers and races. He has followed Formula 1 since 1988, and admits to having a soft spot for British drivers from James Hunt and Nigel Mansell to Lando Norris. He loves a great F1 podcast and has read pretty much every drivers biography.