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\u201cWe were one of the first teams to sign up, because we believe in the innovative concept of Extreme E,\u201d says Hans-J\u00fcrgen Abt, Managing Partner of ABT Sportsline. \u201cAfter many months of intensive preparation, it\u2019s now getting serious and the adventure begins. It\u2019s great that ABT is once again involved as a pioneer right from the very beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Claudia H\u00fcrtgen: \u201cEven after 25 years, it feels like the first race\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Claudia H\u00fcrtgen summarizes her thoughts ahead of the season opener. \u201cEven after 25 years in motorsport, it feels like it does before the first race,\u201d says the only German driver in the field. She adds that formulating expectations is difficult. H\u00fcrtgen: \u201cThe car, the team, the race format and the surface, everything simply is new for us. We\u2019ve prepared intensively and are now looking forward to the race finally getting underway.\u201d For the Aachen native, who is one of the most successful racing drivers in Europe with successes in various touring and sports car championships, as well as several endurance races, among other things, the issue of sustainability also plays a major role alongside racing: \u201cOf course, I\u2019m a racing driver first and foremost and want to win races, but on the Extreme E tour, we are also learning in detail about many of the consequences of climate change.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mattias Ekstr\u00f6m: \u201cExtreme E is like a best-of of motorsport\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
DTM, Rallycross or the Dakar Rally: Mattias Ekstr\u00f6m has experienced and won a lot in his career. And yet, everything is different now. \u201cI\u2019m familiar with electric cars, races on sand and door-to-door battles, but I\u2019ve never experienced everything together like this. Extreme E is therefore like a best-of of motorsport for me,\u201d says the Swede, who is considered as one of the best and most versatile racing drivers in the world. He was part of ABT\u2019s DTM team from 2001 to 2017. He celebrated two titles with them, and in 2016, he won the drivers\u2019 title of the FIA World Rallycross Championship. For the past year, Ekstr\u00f6m has been an ambassador for the CUPRA brand. \u201cWhen the names CUPRA, ABT and Ekstr\u00f6m come together, there is no need to discuss goals at length: We are all racers and want to fight for trophies,\u201d says Ekstr\u00f6m. And also to raise awareness. \u201cTogether with the Extreme E family, we want to show people where the world is suffering or has already suffered.\u201d
\fSchaeffler and Stone Island join the team as new partners<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A long-standing and successful partnership is entering its latest instalment: Automotive and industrial supplier Schaeffler is also accompanying its involvement in Extreme E together with ABT Sportsline. The two brands have already formed a successful team in the Formula E electric racing series since the championship was founded in 2014 and are now also combining forces in the DTM with the entry of a race car for Schaeffler brand ambassador Sophia Fl\u00f6rsch. Schaeffler\u2019s logo is present on the e-CUPRA ABT XE1 and on the overalls of Claudia H\u00fcrtgen and Mattias Ekstr\u00f6m, among other things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sporty and fashionable around the world: When the ABT CUPRA XE team travels to events in the desert, Greenland or Patagonia, they do so in style: Stone Island bedecks the entire team with clothing for the trips. The Italian leisurewear label stands for extensive research in the fields of fibers and fabrics, as well as innovative design. The brand has redefined the concept of sportswear and achieved cult status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fully electric: e-CUPRA ABT XE1 ahead of its race debut<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This weekend, the e-CUPRA ABT XE1 will be presented for the first time in its final design and in real racing action. With its 400 kW (550 hp), the all-electric SUV accelerates from zero to 100 km\/h in just 4.5 seconds and masters gradients of up to 130 percent. The car was designed by Spark Racing Technology in France, while the standardized battery technology is supplied by Williams Advanced Engineering from the UK. The highlight: As a world first, the car is charged by a zero-emission energy source using hydrogen fuel cell technology. The system uses water and the sun to generate hydrogen, which can be used to charge all of the race cars independently from the grid. The only byproduct is water, which is used elsewhere on site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prominent competition: Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg and Jenson Button<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The competition that ABT CUPRA XE will be facing could hardly be more illustrious: Reigning Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton and 2016 world champion Nico Rosberg have brought their own teams to the starting line. As is also the case for the 2009 F1 champion Jenson Button, who will also be behind the wheel himself. They will be joined on the grid by such well-known names as Carlos Sainz, S\u00e9bastien Loeb, Timmy Hansen and Johan Kristoffersson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Racing for a Reason: The challenges of the Al-Ula region<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Extreme E is not just about motorsport, it\u2019s also about racing against climate change. The series and teams use each event to draw attention to particular challenges facing the region. The Desert X Prix takes teams to Saudi Arabia, home to the world\u2019s largest contiguous sand desert, and there to the Al-Ula region. The terrain is breathtaking and at the same time unforgiving with its extreme conditions. The effects of climate change here include rising temperatures and more frequent and prolonged droughts, as well as deforestation, overgrazing and unsustainable water use. About 12 million hectares of productive land become infertile every year, due to desertification and drought alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\fExtreme E live on ProSieben MAXX with Daniel Abt as an expert<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Extreme E has succeeded in attracting renowned television partners all over the world. For example, the BBC, Eurosport, FOX and Sky will broadcast the final races on Sunday. In Germany, ProSieben MAXX will be broadcasting live from Saudi Arabia on Sunday, April 4, starting at 12 noon. Daniel Abt will also be part of the broadcast as an expert. ABT partner CUPRA will present the broadcasts and accompany the commitment with a specially produced commercial under the slogan of: \u201cDon\u2019t limit your challenges. Challenge your limits\u201d. A complete list of all channels can be found here: www.extreme-e.com<\/p>\n\n\n\n
GridPlay: How the fans can support ABT CUPRA XE<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The best starting position in the final could be a deciding factor \u2013 and that lies in the hands of the fans. From March 31 until 60 minutes after the start of the \u201cCrazy Race\u201d on Sunday, fans can vote twice a day via the Extreme E website or on Twitter using the hashtags \u201c#GridPlay #ClaudiaH\u00fcrtgen\u201d or \u201c#GridPlay #MattiasEkstr\u00f6m\u201d. Once the votes are aggregated, the team with the most fans gets to choose its starting position. An additional strategic element: The teams that do not reach the final also play an important role by passing on their votes to a team of their choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Happy Birthday: Number #125 as a tribute to the company\u2019s anniversary<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ABT will be racing with the number 125 this season. \u201cOur company is celebrating its 125th birthday in 2021. We also want to celebrate this with the special number at our races all over the world,\u201d says Hans-J\u00fcrgen Abt. ABT was founded in 1896 as a horse smithy in Kempten and is now in the hands of the fourth and fifth generations. \u201cFrom horse-drawn carriages in the Allg\u00e4u winter to high-tech electric SUVs in the desert, that shows the impressive development of our company in over a century,\u201d says Abt. Mattias Ekstr\u00f6m has already been part of the ABT family for two decades. \u201cI have raced with many different numbers in my career. My favorite, of course, will always be number one, because that shows that you have achieved something great in the previous season,\u201d says the Swede. \u201cTo choose the number 125 for the birthday celebration year is a great idea and shows what a special meaning tradition has in the ABT family. Now, we also want to have something to celebrate at the races this year.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Showdown in the hot Saudi Arabian desert: This weekend (April 3\u20134), the new Extreme E electric off-road racing series will kick off its first season in Al-Ula. The Desert X Prix marks the start of a total of five events that will take the nine teams to Greenland, the Amazon region and Patagonia, among other … <\/p>\n