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25-10-30 Kristoffersson Positive About Extreme H Future After World Cup Debut
As a two-time Extreme E champion, the race win record holder in the category, and a champion and race winner in countless other series, Johan Kristoffersson is a man you want to listen to.
Following the inaugural FIA Extreme H World Cup, the Swede delivered his seal of approval, and offered his hopes for continued growth for the burgeoning event.
“I believe that Extreme H has a future to continue evolving and developing towards, maybe one day being a World Championship,” he said. “So it’s interesting and I'm curious to see what's going to happen next.
“I have strong belief that the people around Extreme H have every opportunity to do it, so I'm sure that if that's their target, they will be able to give it a good go to develop towards it. But at the moment, it is a World Cup, and it's a step in the right direction.”
As the world's first hydrogen-powered motorsport event, there were a lot of ‘firsts’ to take in at the event in Qiddiya city. But for an experienced campaigner like Kirstoffersson, who’s won in combustion cars – both in the traditional sense and in sustainably-fuelled cars – and electric, while the method of power was new, the task wasn’t.
“Between hydrogen, electric, combustion or renewable or whatever it is, in the end, when I sit in the car, my job is to take the car from point A to B in the fastest possible way. And if I do that better than all the others, I pick up the biggest trophy,”
Kristoffersson said. “So for me, it doesn't really matter if it's a diesel or jet engine, or if it's electric or whatever it is. In the end, it's the competition – that's why I'm there.
“But the way you work with the different technologies is quite interesting, and I believe that Extreme H will also evolve to be more and more open to the teams, potentially OEMs, to develop things around the car themselves, which is always very interesting.
“The H car started off from a lot of knowledge already from the E car, so we started from a much, much better place than what we did with E.”
With Extreme H’s Pioneer 25 being something of an evolution from Extreme E’s Odyssey 21, it wasn’t a totally new world for competitors to adapt to. But after four seasons with Rosberg X Racing, Kristoffersson was competing with his own KMS team which had to adjust to both Extreme E for the ‘Final Lap’ weekend, as well as the all-new Extreme H competition.
“We got a lot of information – RXR was very helpful in the transition from taking over the Extreme E car,” Kristoffersson said. “The car was actually the car that me and Michaela drove for Rosberg, so we got a lot of good information from them which definitely helped us to start.
“A lot of things were brand new to us, which was also a learning curve, we needed to learn things. We needed to also learn the Extreme H car. So there were a lot of new things, not only for the team, but also with the car, so it took some time before we understood everything.
“Other than that, for me it was more like a normal race weekend. I knew all the people from the beginning. Ole Christian [Veiby] knew, more or less, all the people as well, Mikaela [Ahlin-Kottulinsky] also knew all the people from KMS, so in terms of that there it was working smoothly.”
The overall level of the field has also improved since Extreme E’s debut in 2021, but Kirstoffersson feels that the sharp end of the field has always been close.
“I think it's always been very high, to be honest,” he said. “The top has always been tight, but I think maybe there are more teams that are challenging for podiums now than maybe there was before. So overall, maybe the level is a bit higher, but the top has always been really high, and I wouldn't say that the top is lower than it was either.”
Nevertheless, Kristoffersson headed to Saudi Arabia with a target on his back. Often the man everyone looks to beat, there were high expectations of him and his team. He and team-mate Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky duly delivered on that expectation with a win in the first race of the Extreme E weekend and top spot in the Extreme H Time Trial before an off in the final derailed their hopes of a podium.
“I try to do my homework before every race,” Kristoffersson said. “So in terms of that, I was definitely relaxed going there.
“Extreme E was good, but, but the H didn't turn out to be perfect. But at the same time, I think we, in hindsight, couldn't really do anything differently. We did our best. We prepared as well as we could.
“We didn't win, and that was our target, but Molly and Kevin did a very good job all weekend, and in the end, they were definitely worth the winners. That's how it is sometimes.”
25-10-27 Scheider and Andersson Deliver On Promise with Carl Cox Comeback
Timo Scheider and Klara Andersson have been fixtures in the ‘Extreme’ paddock for a number of years, and have both tasted varying levels of success in that time individually, but it wasn’t until the FIA Extreme H World Cup in Qiddiya City that the duo got the opportunity to celebrate together.
First teaming up for the SUN Minimeal outfit in the 2024 Extreme E season, the pair were just finding their feet when that season was cut short. Fast-forward to October 2025 and they joined forces once again for the returning Carl Cox Motorsport organisation. Pulling the strings behind the scenes was Scheider’s own Scheider Motorsport company, and for the German, reuniting with his team-mate from last year – along with many of the crew they were on that journey with – was key.
“I'm super proud that we brought Carl Cox Motorsport with Scheider Motorsport to the line,” Scheider said. “And on top of that, it was super nice to have three quarters of the team that we used last year back. And most importantly, it was key for myself to sign Klara again because we wanted to finally prove our combination, that this could and should be a successful combination, and that happened this time.”
For Andersson, reuniting with Schieder and their 2024 crew was an opportunity to prove a point.
“I was also happy to see most of the guys back in the team,” said the 2022 Energy X Prix winner. “I think we're all hungry to show our true potential. From the get go, to see the hard work that the boys put into the car, both the Extreme E car and the Extreme H car, they were really on top of their game and really tried to give me and Timo the best chance possible to finally bring home that big trophy.
“It was a bit like a fairytale ending that finally, after all the hard work, we could stand there on the podium and celebrate with the whole team and get some reward for all the hard work.”
After a best result of second in the second race of Extreme E's Final Lap, Carl Cox Motorsport steadily work their way to a crescendo in Extreme H, taking third in the Head-to-Head competition, and second in their second Multi-Car race, before racing to a landmark podium finish in the World Cup-deciding eight car final.
“I think everyone in the paddock talked about this eight car final, to have eight cars was super exciting,” Scheider said of the headline race. “As a driver, you start to think maybe it's even better to be in the second row, you start to already think about those things, if there is a higher chance or better chance, instead of going from the first row full outside or maybe second row inside or middle, as we had been, which brought me straight to P2 after Turn 3.
“It was pretty cool, I really liked it. We saw the eight car final was no problem at all, also due to the track layout. If the track would have been too tight and too narrow, it probably would be more difficult, but I think it was perfectly done in the end.”
Andersson had to watch from the sidelines in the first half of the race before getting her chance behind the wheel, watching as Scheider navigated from the middle of the second row of the grid and avoiding the chaos to manoeuvre the Carl Cox car into second place on the opening lap – a position that she would bring the home in after her two-lap stint at the end.
“I remember standing in the Command Centre and my heart was beating so fast – I had no idea what was going to happen, because we were straight in the middle, second row in the middle,” she said. “But it was so cool to see and I was so proud to see Timo’s moves in the first few corners that put us in a good spot for the rest of the Final.
“I was nervous because I can't do anything,” she added. “It's one team against another. And eight cars, it's not easy. We hadn't tried this before. But that final had everything: It had good fights, it had some low visibility at some points and some chevrons were down, but we survived, and I think it was a great end to the two weeks.”
It was two weeks with a lot of challenges. Not only was there the Final with all teams participating, but multiple formats for the drivers to tackle, something which hadn’t been done previously in Extreme E.
“When the idea came up that this format will happen, that we have different kinds of races in this one event, I felt like it was a pretty cool idea,” said Scheider. “It's a good way to have a World Cup, which is worth more than anything we have done so far. And of course, it's always more exciting when you have a new challenge.”
Andersson added, “I'm a big fan of the old Q1 format in Extreme E. I love the time trial, because even though I'm a rallycross driver and I love the side-by-side racing, it's still something very unique and special in the highest level of motorsport, when it's just you on track alone and you fight against the clock and you have no other variables affecting you.
“I think it's exciting to have all these different things, you need to be good at everything, and you need to also be clever in the choices that you make.”
As well as the format, Scheider and Andersson had to get to grips with a new car: The hydrogen-powered Pioneer 25, and both came away from the event impressed by their new office.
“It's so nice to feel the trust in the car in a different way than the Extreme E car, especially when it comes to multi-car racing,” said Andersson. “If you want to overtake someone, you can really go near the limit and trust the car underneath you in a different way, which was brilliant.
Scheider said that the improved car helped raise the overall competitive level of the entire grid, too.
“It was 100 percent clear from the first few metres we did that in terms of handling, it’s such a big improvement,” he said. “It's different with this new hydrogen system, tut the centre of gravity and everything is way lower, you're centered in the car as a driver and this made everything so much easier and felt way more like a race car compared to the Extreme E.
“The field squeezed a little closer together because the drivability of the car is easier for everyone. So for us, it was clear that the field would be very tight on lap times due to the handling of the car.
All the teams showed great performance, it was the first time that it was not so clear. There were even new teams and drivers with less experience suddenly being super quick, and suddenly you had a surprise on the results, so it made you think of more drivers and teams being competitive and risky.
“It spiced up the situation a lot, and sometimes it's also good not to know exactly what's going to come, because this is more interesting for the spectators and also for us.”
Trophy in hand, Scheider and Andersson left Qiddiya proud of a job well done, and full of praise for an event that has been several years in the making. And now they want more.
“It’s been a long journey which, luckily, is still going, because the general world of motorsport is not easy at the moment,” said Scheider. “So I have to say a big, big hats off to all the organisation for getting this event done.
“Five years ago it started with an idea; I remember when Alejandro [Agag, Founder] and James [Taylor, Chief Championship Officer] put me somewhere in the desert and said, ‘try to find a track layout out here’. We started with a 12 kilometre track in al-Ula five years ago, that was the beginning of everything, and then we had these last couple of years with championships developing.
“I’ve been in racing for more than 35 years now, and I can say this kind of energy inside the paddock is so different to everything else I’ve experienced. Even though you're a competitor, it’s always like, ‘let's go there and have a great weekend’, because this big family moving all over the world the last few years felt very special for me, and I really would have loved to race even more in Extreme E and hopefully now in Extreme H.”
Andersson, who made her Extreme E debut in the 2021 Rookie Test before becoming the series’ youngest-ever podium finisher and winner the following season, described Extreme H and its predecessor as “so inspiring”.
“Extreme H is special,” she said. “You need both drivers to perform, but you also need to have the trust between the drivers to work well together, both with the engineers, of course, with setting up the car correctly.
“It’s all about the details. Everyone is fast, that's where the small details matter, like the [driver] switches, the small setup changes, the tactics, the grid spots. It's all those small things that you need to get right otherwise you won't get the result in the end.
“There’s no other championship like this in the world with this type of racing, these types of values and work behind the scenes, which I find really cool. They are really stepping outside of the box now as the first hydrogen series as well, so I'm just inspired to see where next. I'm excited for the
25-10-13 Motorsport’s Hydrogen Dream Becomes a Reality in Qiddiya
The FIA Extreme H World Cup was a celebratory milestone. Not only was it the world’s first hydrogen-powered motorsport event, but it was the culmination of four years of hard work.
With coverage through 90 broadcasters across 180 global markets, Extreme H engaged both traditional and next-generation fans. Its focus on cutting-edge technology, sustainability, and an equal-gender racing format ensured the World Cup resonated with audiences well beyond the core motor sport community.
The end result was an undeniable success, but Extreme H founder Alejandro Agag admitted the event had “gone better than planned”.
“Sometimes it’s hard to believe it because from outside it looks normal,” he said. “You’re watching something with completely new technology that has never been done before, that’s what’s really the big impact of this race.”
The FIA Extreme H World Cup proved that hydrogen-powered vehicles could be raced successfully and safely, proving doubters wrong in the same way Formula E did with the first electric car race over a decade ago.
“Many people were afraid of electric cars blowing up or giving electric discharge or whatever myth,” he said. “With hydrogen there’s also a lot of myths, the car is going to crash or it’s going to blow up. But we had rolls, we had crashes, yet you can see that hydrogen is perfectly safe. So I think this was a really good message.
“There were no hydrogen races before, but our format was perfect for it. Because if you want to have a five hour race, or even an hour and a half race with hydrogen, you need a truck, but our cars were the perfect size.”
For Extreme H, an all-new car – the Pioneer 25 – has been developed from the ground up, the result of more than two years of development by manufacturer Spark Racing Technologies.
“We’re so proud of the car we’ve been developing over the last two years,” said Extreme H Technical Director Mark Grain. “It was absolutely incredible sitting in Race Control watching the cars race so competitively and put on such a great show in front of the world.
“We've got some of the world’s top drivers and some great racing teams who pushed this car to its limits, all providing important feedback. We’ve built an impressive racing car and are beyond happy with the results in its first outing.
“The new hydrogen era has landed, and it’s been a huge moment in my career to develop this car with Spark Racing Technology, from inception. We will always be the first to race with hydrogen, everyone else goes after us.”
A key asset in developing Extreme H has been the FIA, which helped form the technical and sporting regulations, and will continue to be a major partner as Extreme H continues to grow.
“It’s crucial to have the FIA onboard,” said Agag. “And it's not that we're influencing them, we're both writing the path together, because without the FIA, we couldn't do it. They helped us a lot on the technical side, regulatory side, and we help them on the commercial side. So I think it's a perfect partnership.”
Getting the FIA onboard was important for Extreme H, but for the FIA itself, it was a major landmark moment, too, as it governed a hydrogen-powered series for the first time.
“Certainly for the FIA, it's a milestone,” said Emilia Abel, FIA Road Sport Director. “It's the FIA’s first ever hydrogen powered competition. So we are super proud, but it's clear that it has been hard work for the whole year to get to where we are today, but I believe that we have managed very well.
“The whole format is quite new, and it's not really usual that we have so many competition formats inside the one race as we have here. But it's clearly entertaining, it's what the audience expects today from motorsport – easy to consume, short – so, so far for sure, it has met our expectations.
“Now the aim is to grow it from one event to more events.
Now with the first event out of the way, attention turns to the future. It was confirmed over the weekend that Extreme H has a five-year deal to host the World Cup in Qiddiya, but Agag has left the door open for further events in other locations.
“We have a venue for five years, we signed a long term contract with Qiddiya,” he said. “We know what the future is, so we're good.
“We will have the World Cup here every year. We may do other events previous to this one, but this one will always be the “Final of the World Cup.”
And while the first hydrogen-powered motor race was a massive milestone, how that works in years to come could also change as hydrogen combustion technology improves.
“I think it could potentially replace it,” Agag said of the possibility of hydrogen combustion coming into Extreme H. “We have to see where the market goes, because there are brands, big car brands, that are focusing on fuel cells.
“Maybe we have two races, maybe we equalise and we have both technologies racing. I think it's early days to know. But definitely, if it works, it should be here.”
But while attention is already turning to the future, the scope of what has already been achieved can’t be understated.
“In Extreme H, H stands for Hydrogen, but also Houdini – we don’t know how we pulled this off! It feels great,” said Agag. “We gave Extreme E a new life as Extreme H and definitely this format is going to fly. We have all the experience from Extreme E and we’ve used it for this.
“We’d like to thank the FIA along with our hosts Qiddiya City, our principal partner PIF, SAMF for all their support regionally, Spark which has done a fantastic job building our car, and to our supporting partners Fox, Yokohama, Vodafone Business, Siemens, and Symbio for helping make this happen.”
25-10-12 Fighting spirit and front-row speed mark Team Hansen’s Extreme H debut
Featuring three different racing formats, followed by an eight-car winner-takes-all Final, the inaugural FIA Extreme H World Cup delivered high-intensity competition and highlighted the potential of the new hydrogen-powered Pioneer 25.
After strong performances in both the Time Trial and Multi-Car races - finishing third and first respectively - Team Hansen secured second in overall qualifying, earning a front-row start for the World Cup Final.
Contact in the Final from Carl Cox Motorsport’s Timo Scheider in Turn 2 denied the team a chance to fight for the podium, but valiant drives from both Andreas Bakkerud and Catie Munnings saw the Swedish squad climb through the field from last to fifth.
That resilience reflected the team’s spirit throughout its Extreme H debut, and was a testament to not only the experience of Hansen Motorsport but also the enduring passion of the family-run team.
Andreas Bakkerud, Team Hansen driver, said: "That Final was pure chaos, and it’s a shame that we didn’t get a chance to compete. It was out of our hands, but we did what we could which was to keep fighting.
"Of course, it was frustrating not to be able to fight for the podium after the contact in Turn 2, but Catie and I gave it everything we had. The new Extreme H format really kept us on your toes, and to come away with front-row pace on our debut shows how quickly we adapted, and that’s something to be proud of for sure."
Catie Munnings, Team Hansen driver, said: "It has been a week of highs and a lot of challenges too, but how we came together as a group is what got us to that front-row of the Final. After a back injury on day one, I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to keep driving, but as soon as I got into the car again, I just wanted to deliver for everyone. Fighting back through the field today after a difficult time in the Head-to-Heads on Friday showed a lot of character from the team, and I’m proud of what we managed to achieve at the first-ever FIA Extreme H World Cup."
Timmy Hansen, Team Hansen Team Principal, said: "Seeing Team Hansen start our Extreme H journey with that level of performance and fighting spirit makes me incredibly proud. Catie and Andreas both showed tremendous grit all week, and even when luck wasn’t on our side, the way the team responded speaks volumes. This debut was about learning, adapting and proving that our passion and competitive spirit can carry over into a whole new era of racing, and we’ve done exactly that."
The event opened with the Extreme H Time Trial, where teams set individual lap times around a 3.21 km course. Combined driver runs across two sessions determined the initial rankings and seedings for the next stages. The Hansen team held a strong position throughout the day, sitting third after the morning session and successfully maintaining that spot in the afternoon.
After completing her morning Time Trial, Munnings experienced back pain caused by a compression and was sent to the medical team for assessment. She later underwent further checks at a local hospital, where scans fortunately came back clear. Despite the discomfort, Munnings was determined to race and her commitment ensured the team held onto their well-earned third place.
Day two introduced Head-to-Head duels, a knockout-style sprint featuring a steep drop, tight chicane and a high-speed straight to the finish. A win for each of the Team Hansen drivers was countered by a loss for Munnings against KMS’ Johan Kristoffersson.
Needing a win to secure the team a spot in the Semi-Finals, Bakkerud narrowly lost to Jameel Motorsport’s Molly Taylor by just 0.038 seconds. The nail-biting race left the Hansen outfit tied on points with JBX for the last qualifying spot, but a slower combined time placed the Swedish outfit fifth.
The result was enough to claim second in overall qualifying heading into the final day, and Saturday’s action brought multi-car Heats - with four teams racing wheel-to-wheel over four laps.
In Q1 Heat 1, Bakkerud successfully held his ground as contact from Carl Cox Motorsport’s Scheider threated the Norwegian’s run. Crossing the line in third place, results quickly shifted due to a penalty for JBX’s Christine GZ, and a clean run from the Swedish squad saw the team move up to second in the Heat.
Team Hansen collected 10 points from Q1, thanks to two bonus points for achieving the quickest time through the super sector. Q2 Heat 1 began with a confident start from Bakkerud, who managed to hold off Jameel Motorsport’s Kevin Hansen despite intense pressure from the inside. As the pack struggled behind, Bakkerud built a comfortable lead which Munnings extended to take the Heat win.
The pair’s combined effort ensured that the team continued to charge confidently toward the World Cup Final, earning a coveted spot on the front-row for the eight-car showdown and demonstrating the pace needed to secure a podium finish.
For more insights into Team Hansen's Extreme H experience, and Kevin’s amazing FIA World Cup victory, head over to the Hansen Motorsport socials and tune in to the next episode of the Hansen Brothers Podcast.
25-10-11 Jameel Motorsport’s Kevin Hansen and Molly Taylor Crowned Inaugural World Cup Winners
Jameel Motorsport's Kevin Hansen and Molly Taylor have taken a jubilant win at the inaugural FIA Extreme H World Cup, in Qiddiya City, Saudi Arabia, after dominating the headline eight-car Final.
Following three days of competition across Time Trial, Head-to-Head, and Multi-Car Racing, the competition came down to a final four-lap race featuring all competitors.
Kevin Hansen, driver for Jameel Motorsport, said: “To win the first ever FIA Extreme H World Cup is probably the biggest achievement in my career.”
“It feels amazing. I never felt that much pressure before a race: standing on pole, for a Saudi team, for one race, winner takes it all. But it felt so good to do a great start, great fist run, pull a good gap, five seconds, and Molly brought it home perfectly.”
Molly Taylor, driver for Jameel Motorsport, said: “It’s been a pretty emotional day. It’s been such an intense week, particularly the last three days. It's pretty hard to describe. You have to be on it every step of the way.
“It feels very sweet to be able to deliver this, for Jameel Motorsport, for all our crew, we all banded together at the last minute to make this happen.”
HRH Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal, Chairman of the Saudi Automobile & Motorcycle Federation (SAMF) and Saudi Motorsport Company (SMC), said: “From the heart of Qiddiya City, we write today yet a new and even more ambitious chapter in the world of global motorsport. The launch of the FIA Extreme H World Cup marks a transformative milestone in the world of racing and showcases how competition, innovation, and sustainability can move forward hand in hand. Let’s celebrate and welcome a new era; one powered by hydrogen, driven by ambition, and built for the future.”
After topping the World Cup Qualifying points standings, Jameel had choice of grid position and selected the inside front row. It took full advantage of it to emerge from the first corner in the lead. Behind, Carl Cox Motorsport’s Timo Scheider and Team Hansen’s Andreas Bakkerud collided early on, with the latter going off track.
Scheider held onto second as Kevin Hansen pulled away in the Jameel car. A mistake for Scheider, however, allowed Team KMS' Johan Kristoffersson to close up at the mid-race driver Switch.
Entering the Switch with a 5.209s advantage, Jameel's position at the front was secure. Behind them though, Carl Cox, KMS, and Team STARD – which was in line for a penalty after knocking down a track marker on the opening lap – were covered by just 1.365s.
KMS immediately mounted a challenge on Carl Cox when the third lap of the race got under way, but with the former’s Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky going straight on at the Gate 15 right-hander, the pressure was off for Klara Andersson in the Carl Cox car.
At the race end, Taylor brought the Jameel car home 7.068s ahead of Andersson, while Team EVEN's Ole Christian Veiby and Hedda Hosås took the final spot on the podium after KMS was dropped down by a penalty.
STARD managed its own penalty well to recover to fourth, while Team Hansen finished fifth, a remarkable comeback after its lap 1 off. Motor issues left JBX's Tommi Hallman and Christine GZ in seventh, while ZEROID Motorsport's Fraser McConnell and Gray Leadbetter didn't make it beyond the second lap after McConnell rolled at Gate 15.
To relive all the action click here.
25-10-11 Veiby/Hosås på pallen i Extreme H
Världspremiären för Extreme H slutade med en tredjeplats som bäst för Kristoffersson Motorsport. Ole Christian Veiby och Hedda Hosås knep sista pallplatsen efter en smått kaotisk final.
- Det var folk och bilar överallt och väldigt dålig sikt, sammanfattar Veiby.
Efter förra helgens avslutning av elbilsserien Extreme E, där KMS tog en dubbelseger i första racet, var det under torsdag-lördag dags för premiär för den nya serien med vätgasdrivna bilar.
I torsdags kördes först en “time trial”, där det helt enkelt gällde att vara snabbast runt banan i eget majestät. Det lyckades Johan Kristoffersson och Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky i Team KMS allra bäst med. En historisk seger i den allra första deltävlingen för Extreme H.
- Speeden hade vi redan från början, men det ville sig inte riktigt med andra saker, säger Åhlin-Kottulinsky.
Nej, resten av tävlingen gick inte som det favorittippade värmländska paret hade hoppats. Dag 2 handlade om “head-to-head” där två bilar i taget körde race parallellt.
- Där var vi för dåliga. Så enkelt var det. Ovanan att köra den här bilen gjorde att vi missbedömde bredden och därför tog ner flera flaggor, säger Kristoffersson.
Därmed blev det kostsamma tidstillägg som straff och en svårare uppgift inför lördagens “multi-car”, där fyra bilar i taget radade upp sig för att köra mot varandra.
Och problemen fortsatte. I de två kvalomgångarna drog de båda KMS-teamen på sig varsin punktering. Kristoffersson/Åhlin-Kottulinsky lyckades ändå reparera mycket av skadan i Q2, där de vann sitt heat och dessutom var snabbast i supersektorn, vilket gav extra poäng.
- Mikaelas supersektor var fantastisk, bättre än min, så den tog vi hem med hela 1,9 sekunders marginal, säger Johan.
- Ja, jag var faktiskt snabbast av alla där, så visst hade vi farten, fyller Mikaela i.
Därmed tog också Team KMS plats i främsta ledet i finalen, dock i ytterspåret och från den positionen blev det trångt in i första sväng.
- Är man inte först där så kommer det bilar från innerspåren och trycker på. Det är som det är, menar Johan, som föll bakåt i fältet, men sedan plockade placeringar igen och var trea in till växlingen.
Mikaela hade en möjlighet att ta ekipaget till en pallplats, även om segern aldrig var inom räckhåll. Därtill hade Jameel Motorsport med Molly Taylor och Kevin Hansen ett för långt försprång.
- Men då ska man ju se något också. Det var som en matta på rutan efter att de hade vattnat banan, berättar Mikaela, som helt utan sikt for rakt fram vid en av högerkurvorna.
Det slutade med en sjätteplats för Team KMS.
Bättre gick det då för systerteamet EVEN, trots en sämre startposition i bakersta ledet.
- Men jag visste av min erfarenhet från rallycross att det inte var så dåligt att starta där egentligen, och jag kom faktiskt ut ur första sväng som tvåa efter Kevin, säger Ole Christian.
Det blev dock trångt i nästa läge och efter förarbytet hade Hedda Hosås några placeringar upp till pallen. Men i kaoset med dåligt sikt skulle det delas ut bestraffningar för påkörda flaggor, vilket öppnade för Veiby och Hosås.
- Det var ett helt crazy race. Man ska köra fort, men inte heller göra några fel, och vi lyckades ta oss genom utan några misstag, säger Hosås, som var fyra i mål, men där teamet flyttades upp till tredjeplatsen.
Ett starkt resultat av Hosås, som ny i KMS, och Veiby, som total
rookie i off road-körning.
- Det har varit väldigt trevligt att jobba med KMS och Ole Christian,
men vi har haft lite otur med punktering och annat, säger Hedda.
- Jag är ju helt ny i det här. Att ändå åka härifrån
med två pallplaceringar på tre race är bra, menar Ole Christian.
Teamets VD Tommy Kristoffersson kunde summera två veckor i sandiga
Saudiarabien med blandade känslor.
- Hela teamet har jobbat bra. Alla våra förare har haft bra speed.
Jag skulle välja exakt den laguppställningen med alla fyra om
jag fick välja fritt, men det har varit lite småstrul längs
vägen. I Extreme H kom vi inte riktigt in i matchen. Vi fick verkligen
inget gratis, säger Tommy, som ändå summerar en bra debut
för Kristoffersson Motorsport i Extreme E och H.
- Vi har fått ett kvitto på att vi behärskar den här
disciplinen också.
25-10-09 Team KMS Takes Early World Cup Advantage After Tight Time Trial Contest
Team KMS claimed the first medal of the inaugural FIA Extreme H World Cup in a gripping Time Trial contest where just 0.591 split the top two teams.
The pairing of Johan Kristoffersson and Mikeala Ahlin-Kottulinsky set the benchmark across both the morning and afternoon sessions, with the gap in the morning being even closer – just 0.139s separated KMS from Jameel Motorsport’s Kevin Hansen and Molly Taylor.
Running last after going quickest in the morning session, Team KMS had to push hard to maintain its position after a strong final run from Jameel put it in a position to snatch victory.
But after taking over the car from Ahlin-Kottulinsky, Kristoffersson immediately set Jameel in his crosshairs, gaining huge time in the first corner. He continued to push, clipping a bank on the exit of the turn at Gate 10, and rotating too early at Gate 15 which cost him time. Nevertheless, he crossed the line 0.452s quicker than Jameel’s run to take the afternoon session.
Johan Kristoffersson, driver for Team KMS, said: “It was a very tight battle today with Team Jameel. After the first round there was only a tenth between us. Also, I saw Kevin [Hansen] had a very quick run on his drive, so I knew that I had to have a very good run and maybe I overpushed a little bit in a few places.
“Mikaela did a great job, and I managed to be fast enough to beat them overall. So we are very happy with that, we take the 10 points and try and enjoy the moment, but also switch focus to the Head-to-Head battle tomorrow.”
Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky, driver for Team KMS, said: “We are super happy to take the win in the Time Trial. It was very close in the end, so that really shows that there is some really good competition here in the FIA Extreme H World Cup. When you combine the two times from this morning and the afternoon, we only won by half a second.
“Now we’re focused on tomorrow for the Head-to-Heads.
Team Hansen’s Andreas Bakkerud and Catie Munnings wound up third behind Jameel, despite Munnings running deep into the tight right hander at Gate 15 which cost the team, leaving it only fifth in the afternoon session.
The Team EVEN duo of Ole Christian Veiby and Hedda Hosås ended the day fourth, less than a second off the top three, while JBX’s Tommi Hallman – who set the fastest single lap time of the day – and Christine GZ were fifth.
Carl Cox Motorsport’s Timo Scheider and Klara Andersson finished sixth after being hampered by a puncture in the morning session, then receiving a five-second penalty in the afternoon after Andersson dropped a chevron marker on track.
The results were completed by ZEROID Motorsport’s Fraser McConnell and Gray Leadbetter – who had to contend with a sensor issue in the morning, and a 14-second penalty in the afternoon session for a Switch Zone infringement – and STARD’s Patrick O’Donovan and Amanda Sorensen.
STARD also had issues in the morning with a rear inverter failure, but recovered for a trouble-free run in the afternoon.
James Taylor, Chief Championship Officer, Extreme H, said: “We've had an incredible first day of racing here at the FIA Extreme H World Cup, with all drivers pushing the car to its limits. The gap between first and last car was so close, it's been incredibly exciting to watch. We couldn't have asked for more.”
The FIA Extreme H World Cup continues tomorrow with the Head-to-Head competition.
25-10-08 Team Hansen ready to make history at FIA Extreme H World Cup
Team Hansen has completed testing for the inaugural FIA Extreme H World Cup (9-11 October) and is set to make its mark on the world’s first hydrogen-powered off-road championship.
The family-run outfit enters Extreme H off the back of a thrilling finale to Extreme E in Qiddiya, Saudi Arabia (4-5 October). Claiming a maiden victory in the last-ever round of the series, the Swedish squad achieved back-to-back podiums on its debut weekend.
Along with drivers Catie Munnings and Andreas Bakkerud, the Hansen team will be carrying that momentum into tomorrow's opening race of the FIA Extreme H World Cup.
With the support of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), Extreme H is shaping a new era for the sport. Showcasing hydrogen’s potential as a clean and competitive energy source, the World Cup marks a major leap forward in sustainable motorsport innovation.
Extreme H builds on the progress made by Extreme E, which evolved from charging its electric vehicles with hydrogen fuel cells in Season 1, to powering 80% of its event operations with hydrogen by Season 4 last year. Now, Extreme H brings hydrogen propulsion to the cars themselves, proving that performance and sustainability can coexist at the highest level.
The World Cup’s debut is taking place in Qiddiya, Saudi Arabia, against the backdrop of the Tuwaiq Mountains, and the dramatic landscape will be the host of the series’ most demanding course yet. With sweeping desert straights, technical corners, and high-flying jumps, the FIA Extreme H World Cup will push drivers, engineers, and hydrogen technology to the limit.
In line with Extreme E’s original ethos, each team will feature one male and one female driver, reinforcing the FIA and Extreme H’s shared commitment to equality in motorsport. The mixed-gender format ensures balanced competition, equal seat-time and access to data, and inspires the next generation of racers, engineers, and fans.
Timmy Hansen, Team Hansen Team Principal, said: “Extreme H represents everything we love about motorsport - pushing technology forward while keeping pure racing at the heart of it. For us as a team, to move from Extreme E into the world’s first hydrogen championship is exciting. We’ve learned so much about sustainability and performance, especially during our Extreme E debut at the Final Lap last weekend. Now we get to take that experience and put in the work in a brand-new era.”
The FIA Extreme H World Cup combines multiple racing formats to deliver high-intensity competition and showcase the full capabilities of the new Pioneer 25 hydrogen-powered car.
The event begins with the Extreme H Time Trial, where each team sets individual lap times around the course. The combined runs of each team’s drivers determine the initial ranking and seedings for the following rounds. Drivers will navigate the 3.21-kilometre track - featuring tight turns, jumps, and high-speed sections - testing precision, control, and the Pioneer 25’s improved suspension.
Day two introduces the Head-to-Head duels - a new format introduced for Extreme H. Two cars go head-to-head over a 532-metre sprint course that begins with a dramatic drop, followed by a high-speed straight and a tight chicane before the finish line. These duels will test the drivers’ bravery, pushing the cars to the limit and adding an explosive knockout-style element to the event.
The competition intensifies on the final day of racing with multi-car Heats. Four teams line up together for wheel-to-wheel racing over multiple laps, delivering spectacular side-by-side battles. This format is designed to demonstrate both driver skill and the hydrogen car’s ability to perform under pressure, while fans get to enjoy more on-track overtaking.
The three-day extravaganza culminates in the Extreme H World Cup Final, where all eight teams will battle for overall victory. With starting positions based off the points gathered in the previous rounds, every jump, turn, and braking zone counts as the world’s best off-road racers compete for the first-ever FIA Extreme H World Cup title in an eight-car showdown.
For more insights as the team prepares for the FIA Extreme H World Cup, head over to the Hansen Motorsport socials and tune in to this week’s episode of the Hansen Brothers Podcast.
25-10-06 Team Hansen triumphs in Extreme E’s final round with victory for Munnings and Bakkerud
In a thrilling finale to the Extreme E championship, Team Hansen claimed a maiden victory in the last-ever round of the series. The extraordinary achievement marks back-to-back podiums on the Swedish squad’s debut weekend.
Team Hansen was assembled from all corners of motorsport for Extreme E’s Final Lap in Qiddiya, Saudi Arabia, including a new driver pairing in Catie Munnings and Andreas Bakkerud. The win stands as a testament to the enduring passion, commitment, and competitive spirit of the team, with Hansen Motorsport bringing its 35 years of experience and winning ways to a brand-new racing environment.
Following a third-place finish in Saturday's round of Extreme E’s Final Lap, the second half of the celebratory double-header was one of highs and lows for the newly formed team. After winning their Q1 Heat, despite suffering an issue during the launch, the Hansen outfit endured a tough Heat in Q2, finishing last after another troublesome launch off the line.
While bad starts brought frustration, clean and composed racing paid off when it mattered most. Penalties for two of the other teams in Q2 Heat 1 promoted the Hansen squad to second place, securing a spot in the Grand Final once more.
As chaos unfolded around them, Team Hansen stayed out of trouble and seized every opportunity. In the Final, Munnings showcased her Extreme E experience, narrowly avoiding a collision between Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky and Hedda Hosås that put both KMS cars out of the race.
Munnings then went on the charge, reeling in Jameel Motorsport’s Molly Taylor with a series of purple sectors all the way to the Switch Zone. Bakkerud took over for the second half of the race, finding himself chasing none other than Kevin Hansen.
Hansen extended his lead, crossing the line in first place for Jameel Motorsport on home soil, but penalties for speeding in the yellow flagged slow zone demoted the Saudi team to second place.
For Munnings, the result marks a perfect conclusion to her Extreme E journey. Competing in every single event in the championship’s history, the Brit now adds a second X Prix victory to her record, while Bakkerud celebrates his first-ever X Prix win.
Catie Munnings, Team Hansen driver, said: "It feels really emotional to end Extreme E on such a high. I’ve been a part of this championship since day one, and to take a win in the final-ever round – together with the Hansens who I consider family - is something I’ll never forget.
"The Final had everything. Chaos, pressure, and those moments where you just have to trust your instincts – braking at the start of the race to avoid Mikaela [Åhlin-Kottulinsky] and Hedda [Hosås] was definitely one of those moments! I’m so proud of what we’ve achieved together this weekend in such a short time, and I can’t wait to take on the FIA Extreme H World Cup next week with this team."
Andreas Bakkerud, Team Hansen driver, said: "Taking my first Extreme E win with Team Hansen and achieving it in only our second race together as a team is honestly incredible. Even though it was their debut in the series, the Hansens have a lot of experience in motorsport, and the team’s success this weekend just shows the passion and commitment that has led to so many victories.
"Now we can add winning the last-ever Extreme E race to each of our lists! Going from being rivals to making history together is a lot to take in, and on top of that I was chasing Kevin [Hansen] in that Final which was crazy. We’ve battled so many times in the past, and to now stand on the top step with his family’s team feels like things have come full circle."
Kenneth Hansen, Team Hansen Team Principal, said: "We came into this round with no expectations, just determination and a love for what we do. To win the last-ever Extreme E race, with a new line-up and so many unknowns, is something very special. It shows what Team Hansen is all about and we are ready to turn our attention to a new adventure next week with Extreme H."
As the dust settles on Extreme E, the teams prepare for the championship’s transition into the FIA Extreme H World Cup, taking place in Qiddiya, Saudi Arabia, next week (9-11 October).
25-10-06 Jameel Motorsport Bounces Back from Saturday Dramas to Top Qualifying for Desert X Prix Race 2
Jameel Motorsport Bounces Back from Saturday Dramas to Top Qualifying for Desert X Prix Race 2.
Jameel Motorsport enjoyed redemption at the start of the 2025 Desert X Prix Race 2 as they topped qualifying.
The team of Kevin Hansen and Molly Taylor started Saturday on the back foot after a roll for Taylor during qualifying for the first race of the weekend. There was no repeat of that on Sunday, with them winning their Q1 Heat, and finishing second in their Q2 Heat, along with taking the fastest Super Sector time to beat Team Hansen's Andreas Bakkerud and Catie Munnings to the top spot.
In Q1 Race 1, Taylor made a strong start to lead into the first corner, but it was ACCIONA | SAINZ XE TEAM's Fraser McConnell who emerged from the tightening right-hander in the lead. From there the Jamaican dropped the hammer and held a 8.665s lead at the mid-race Switch.
In the Jameel entry, Kevin Hansen immediately set about closing that gap once he took over the car, and closed to just over two seconds by the start of the final lap.
His chance to pounce came at Gate 11 on the final lap where he set up a move which he completed two laps later. Sanz attempted to re-take the lead at Gate 15, but her wider entry opened the door for Carl Cox Motorsport's Timo Schider to sneak up the inside, relegating the Acciona Sainz car to third.
STARD's Amanda Sorensen and Patrick O'Donovan finished fourth after getting passed by Carl Cox's hard-charging Klara Andersson on the first lap.
Q2 Race 2 was won by Team Hansen after late race drama for Team KMS and Team EVEN dropped them out of contention.
JBX Powered by Team Monaco took an early lead courtesy of Christine GZ, but similar to the first corner in the first Heat, it was KMS' Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky who exited in the lead after a fine over-under move.
Christine GZ fell further back after EVEN's Hosås snuck up the inside at Gate 15, with the two making contact and Munnings also getting by. Hosås' charge continued right up to the Switch Zone where she slammed on the brakes late to close the gap to the KMS car to just 0.833s.
Kristoffersson maintained KMS's lead on the third lap, but a mechanical failure left him with only front-wheel-drive, allowing Ole Christian Veiby in the EVEN car to close rapidly. But the Norwegian's shot at victory unravelled when his car suffered a total rear motor failure.
The issues for the leading duo enabled Bakkerud to get by both to win for Team Hansen. JBX also capitalised to take second, with KMS and EVEN being classified third and fourth.
In Q2, an issue during the launch left Bakkerud and Team Hansen dropping back at the start, while Scheider maintained the lead for Carl Cox through the first turn despite contact at the rear from O'Donovan in the STARD car.
Schider ran wide at Gate 7, however, allowing Kristoffersson to move the KMS car into the lead. Further contact between the Carl Cox and STARD cars at Gate 16 on the opening lap allowed Bakkerud to close further, but he didn't get by.
The drama between those three allowed KMS to hold a 9.635s lead at the Switch, and that grew to 17.682s by the end of the race once Ahlin-Kottulinsky took over the car.
The Hansen machine, with Munnings driving in the second half of the race, finished fourth behind Carl Cox and STARD, but a missed Gate and a hit Gate flag respectively dropped both down the order.
Much like its sister car, the KMS-run EVEN entry made up for its Q1 struggles by winning Race 2 of Q2.
After a tight duel with JBX's Tommi Hallman through the first turn and first two jumps, Veiby edged into a lead his team wouldn't relinquish by Gate 7 on the opening lap
It wasn't a foregone conclusion though, with the lead trio of EVEN, JBX, and Jameel all exiting the Switch Zone three abreast.
Three became two soon after with Christine GZ running deep into the turn back onto the track, while EVEN's victory was eventually secured by 4.849s over Jameel, with JBX taking third.
McConnell put the Acciona Sainz car on its side following an off-track excursion between Gates 7 and 8 while trying to catch the top three.
The Extreme E action concludes later today with the Redemption Race – featuring JBX, EVEN, Acciona Sainz, and STARD – at 16:26 local time, followed by the Final at 16:40 local time, which will include Jameel, Team Hansen, KMS, and Carl Cox.
For more information and all the latest news and developments, head to www.extreme-e.com/
25-10-05 Succé direkt för KMS i Extreme E
Kristoffersson Motorsport gjorde succédebut i Extreme E genom att ta en dubbelseger i första racet i Saudiarabien. Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky/Johan Kristoffersson i Team KMS vann med systerteamet Team EVEN, Hedda Hosås/Ole Christian Veiby, som tvåa.
- Att komma hit för första gången och sätta en 1-2 känns helt fantastiskt, säger teamets VD Tommy Kristoffersson.
Kristoffersson Motorsport kom till Saudiarabien som rookie-team i Extreme E, men levererade direkt, som om man aldrig hade gjort annat. Efter att Johan Kristoffersson och Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky i Team KMS hade kvalat in till finalen som tvåa och Ole Christian Veiby och Hedda Hosås i Team EVEN som trea så blev det till slut dubbelt KMS högst upp på prispallen.
- En fantastisk dag, med ett bra kval och därefter dubbelseger. Gôtt att ta hem en seger till KMS-teamet, säger Mikaela, den ena halvan i den värmländska duon.
Hon fick ta bilen till mållinjen efter att teamkompisen säkrat ledningen i starten.
Johan Kristoffersson tog en tuff duell med Laia Sanz i Acciona Sainz in i första svängarna på finalen. Johan kom ut som vinnare medan Sanz fick skador på bilen. Bakom där manövrerade Veiby och Hosås sig upp till andra plats. En fantastisk första insats av nya Team EVEN med Extreme E-debutanten Veiby.
- Det har varit väldigt mycket nya grejer att tänka på, men jag har kommit in i det snabbt, säger Ole Christian, efter en imponerande insats tillsammans med unga Hosås.
- Hedda är ung, men har erfarenhet av det här sedan tidigare medan det för Ole Christian var helt nytt. Oerhört starkt jobbat av båda, säger Tommy.
Likaså av Team KMS, där rutinerade paret Kristoffersson och Åhlin-Kottulinsky byggde på sin rad med segrar. Tio triumfer för Johan är rekord i Extreme E genom alla tider.
- Oerhört lovande för fortsättningen med Extreme H under veckan. Alla våra fyra förare har haft bra tempo och fina sektortider. De har också jobbat extremt bra ihop, med analyser under all ledig tid som finns, säger Tommy.
Andra dagen blev inte riktigt samma solskenshistoria för KMS och det var kämpigt redan i kvalet. I Q1 fick både KMS och EVEN tekniska problem, från position ett och två. Kristoffersson lyckades ta sin bil i mål som trea, men Veiby blev stående. Så långt var finalplatserna långt utom räckhåll. Men skam den som ger sig och att ge upp finns inte i KMS:s DNA. I Q2 såg Johan till att ge Mikaela en stor ledning inför förarbytet och det blev sedan en lugn cruise till seger.
- Jag fick till en bra och viktig omkörning på Timo Scheider och sen körde Mikaela snabbt också, säger Johan.
EVEN-duon gjorde också sitt jobb och hamnade på samma poäng som flera andra team om den sista finalplatsen, vilken man nöp tack vare snabbaste “super sector”. Båda bilarna i final även dag 2 alltså!
- Vi var snabbast i super sector båda dagarna, vilket visade sig vara väldigt värdefullt, säger Ole Christian Veiby, efter att han och Hedda säkrat sin andra finalplats.
Men väl där blev det ett snabbt slut för båda ekipagen och faktiskt var det närkontakt mellan just Åhlin-Kottulinsky och Hosås som satte stopp, efter att norskan oturligt nog fått en touch på bakskärmen. Mikaela bjöds också på en rejäl luftfärd med två varv i luften, men kunde krypa ut oskadd.
- Det var ju tråkigt i den sista finalen i Extreme E, men tack och lov gick det bra. Vi har säkra bilar, säger Mikaela.
Åhlin-Kottulinsky/Kristoffersson tog ändå sista platsen på pallen som trea. Därmed är också Mikaela den som har tagit flest pallplaceringar i tävlingens historia.
- Det stämmer. Sexton stycken. Johan har flest segrar och jag flest pallplaceringar. Jag och Molly Taylor har sju segrar var bland tjejerna, berättar Mikaela.
I och med helgens två race är Extreme E-sagan all. Under kommande vecka väntar Extreme H, med vätgasdrivna bilar, även denna gång med såväl Team KMS som Team EVEN tävlande för Kristoffersson Motorsport.
- Mycket nytt att lära känna, tyngre bilar och en annan teknologi, avslutar Johan Kristoffersson.
25-10-05 Team Hansen takes podium on Extreme E debut
Team Hansen made an instant impact on their first Extreme E outing, claiming a remarkable third-place finish in Race 1 of the championship’s Final Lap in Qiddiya, Saudi Arabia.
Competing for the first time in the all-electric off-road series, the Swedish outfit fielded a new pairing in the form of Andreas Bakkerud and Catie Munnings, who both delivered impressive performances as part of a new team.
This weekend’s double-header marks a farewell for Extreme E as the championship brings its pioneering electric racing journey to a close. After four seasons of competition across some of the planet’s most challenging and environmentally significant locations, the series will be transitioning into the first-ever hydrogen powered motorsport – the FIA Extreme H World Cup – next week (9-11 October).
Despite the Swedish squad’s lack of kilometres in the unique electric SUV format, Bakkerud’s trademark aggression and Munnings’ extensive experience from her time with the Andretti Extreme E team proved a potent combination. Together, they navigated the demanding Qiddiya course to secure third place on debut.
Andreas Bakkerud, Team Hansen driver, said: “It is an amazing achievement to kick things off at Team Hansen with a podium. It is not just a first Extreme E podium for the team but also for myself, which makes it feel even more special.
“Catie [Munnings] and I worked well together, and huge credit to the team for giving us a great car from the very first session. So far it has been great learning from each other, and we’re ready to push for an even better result tomorrow.”
Catie Munnings, Team Hansen driver, said: “To bring home a podium for Team Hansen on our first event together is something amazing. This Qiddiya track is tough, but we kept it clean and showed that we can be competitive right from the start.
“A big thank you to the team for all their hard work so far. They are such a motivated group and that played a huge part in our success today. We know we’re capable of even more, and we’ve got tomorrow to prove that we can take the win.”
Kenneth Hansen, Team Hansen Team Principal, said: “This is a fantastic start to our Extreme E journey. I’m very proud of how quickly everyone in the team has come together, and of the way Andreas [Bakkerud] and Catie [Munnings] performed under pressure. To step onto the podium on debut is a testament to our team spirit and commitment to the sport. We came here to learn, but we’ve also shown that Team Hansen is here to fight at the front.”
Andreas Bakkerud entered the team off-the-back of a fierce rivalry with the Hansen outfit in rallycross. In stark contrast, Catie Munnings has been a team-mate of Timmy Hansen’s since Extreme E’s inception.
Both sides of the story feed into a strong respect between the members of the newly formed Hansen Extreme E outfit, who showed no signs of being on the backfoot.
Bakkerud kept a cool head in his first race start for the team. As the other three ODYSEEY 21s tussled for position, the Norwegian took an alternative, wider line. Not only did this give a clear line of sight, it also gave a clear route through the chaos as all his competitors took race ending damage.
With a Heat win under their belts, the Hansen squad was able to play it safe in Qualifying 2 Heat 2. This didn’t stop Munnings’ from challenging for second place before handing over to Bakkerud, who brought it home for third in the Heat and third in overall qualifying.
A spot in the Grand Final secured, Team Hansen was ready to give their all for a shot at a podium on debut. Struggling for traction on the launch, Bakkerud slotted into fourth position in the opening corners. Damage to the ACCIONA | SAINZ XE car denied the Hansen driver a chance to compete for the podium, and it was down to Munnings to deliver a clean run to cross the finish line in third place.
With one more day to go in Extreme E’s Final Lap, Team Hansen now turns its focus to Race 2 in Qiddiya, aiming to build on its strong debut and to end its short foray in the championship on a high.
25-10-05 Team KMS triumphs in Desert X Prix Race 1
It might have been a new team, but it was a familiar result for Johan Kristoffersson and Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky as they won Race 1 of the 2025 Desert X Prix in Qiddiya City for Team KMS.
In the Redemption Race, for the four teams that didn't make it to the Final after qualifying, Jameel Motorsport's Kevin Hansen made a strong start to lead early on.
Competing in a spare car after a qualifying roll for Molly Taylor, Hansen and the team were clearly unfazed and entered the mid-race switch with a lead of 2.822s over JBX Powered by Team Monaco's Tommi Hallman.
Hallman was being caught by Carl Cox Motorsport's Timo Scheider towards the end of the second lap, but a spin for the German at Gate 19 halted his charge.
Following the driver switch, reserve driver Claire Schönborn – deputising for Taylor – took to the track for her very first competitive Extreme E laps. Her inexperience barely showed, though, and she built on the advantage that Hansen had established in the opening laps to cross the line seven seconds clear of JBX driver Christine GZ.
STARD's Patrick O'Donovan and Amanda Sorensen mounted a late challenge on JBX and crossed the line just 0.078s behind the second placed finisher.
Carl Cox rounded out the field after Klara Andersson had a second spin for the team at Gate 15 on lap 3, having been on two wheels four gates earlier.
The Final began as a tense affair with ACCIONA | SAINZ XE TEAM's Laia Sanz making a strong start from the far left grid position to take an early lead.
Kristoffersson didn't relent though – taking the inside line, he snuck through to first by the end of the long but tightening first turn. In the pass, both the Acciona Sainz car and the KMS machine made contact twice, with the Spanish entry suffering right rear suspension damage as a result, damage that would end its race on the first lap.
After that, KMS was in control, with Kristoffersson entering the Switch Zone with a 4.886s lead. Team EVEN, run out of the same KMS stable as the lead entry, held second throughout, and eventually finished second, 6.235 back after Ahlin-Kottulinsky took over the KMS entry and Hedda Hosås assumed control of the EVEN car.
Team Hansen's Andreas Bakkerud and Catie Munnings had a quiet run to third, avoiding the first corner drama, and settling into a consistent rhythm to bring the car home.
The victory, a 10th for Johan Kristoffersson, extended his record as Extreme E’s most successful driver while his seventh victory alongside Ahlin-Kottulinsky increased their record as the driver pairing with the most victories (seven). With 15 podiums, Ahlin-Kottulinsky has more podiums than any other driver in Extreme E.
For Bakkerud, he claimed his first Extreme E podium in his 13th start, setting a new record for most races before a podium – beating Christine GZ’s previous record of 12. A fitting record for the man who typically races with No. 13 in rallycross. And for Hosås it was a best result in Extreme E, and her first podium since the 2022 Island X Prix I.
For the first time since Extreme E’s debut race in Al-'Ula, three new teams finished on the podium with winners KMS, EVEN, and Team Hansen all competing for the first time this weekend – it was also a first podium since the the 2022 Island X Prix I to feature two new driver pairings.
Racing continues with the Desert X Prix Race 2 on Sunday with Qualifying starting at 8:00 AM local time (KSA).
25-10-04 Acciona Sainz beats KMS to top spot in Qualifying for Desert X Prix Race 1
Qiddiya City, 4 October, 2025: ACCIONA | SAINZ XE TEAM's Fraser McConnell and Laia Sanz topped qualifying for the Race 1 of the 2025 Desert X Prix in Qiddiya City, edging Kristofferson Motorsport's Johan Kristoffersson and Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky on a tie-breaker.
Both teams took a heat win and a second place on Saturday morning, but it was Acciona Sainz's better Super Sector time that gave them the top spot for Qualifying. Team Hansen's Andreas Bakkerud and Catie Munnings ended up third, with Team EVEN's Ole Christian Veiby and Hedda Hosås being the final team to advance to the Final.
Q1 Race 1 started with Jameel Motorsport's Kevin Hansen making a good start from the far left grid position to lead KMS’ Kristoffersson out of the first turn.
Hansen held a sizeable gap for most of the lap, but Kristoffersson closed massively at Gates 15 and 16 and made contact with the Saudi Arabian team's car. He could not find a way past though, and the top two remained the same.
Lap 2 was a similar story, but again Hansen remained resolute out in front. Behind the lead pair, JBX Powered by Team Monaco's Tommi Hallman and EVEN's Veiby held third and fourth respectively.
Following the mid-race driver change, Molly Taylor continued to lead for Jameel, but Ahlin-Kottulinsky, who'd taken over the KMS entry from Johan Kristoffersson, had closed in quickly.
At Gate 3, Ahlin-Kottulinsky went up the inside to take the lead. Three gates later, at the second jump of the course, the rear of Taylor's Odyssey bounced upon landing and was pitched into a roll, coming to a rest on its roof.
Taylor was able to climb from the car unaided, but was taken to the on-site medical centre for review, and upon assessment was transferred to a local hospital but returned to the paddock soon after.
Reserve Driver Claire Schönborn will step in for Molly Taylor for the rest of the day, with the team focused on getting the championship car ready for the Redemption Race. Taylor is hopeful of returning to the cockpit tomorrow.
The crash led to a red flag, with the race not resuming afterwards. KMS’ Kristoffersson and Ahlin-Kottulinsky were declared the winners ahead of JBX’s Hallman and Christine GZ, with EVEN third with Veiby and Hedda Hosås.
In the second Q1 qualifying race, Team Hansen's Bakkerud and Munnings won after what turned out to be an attritional contest.
The Swedish team took its chance early on when contact between Carl Cox Motorsport's Timo Scheider and Acciona Sainz's Sanz opened the door for Bakkerud to sneak past.
Bakkerud and Scheider had banged doors off the start line, which allowed Sanz to take an early lead, but Scheider soon caught up, only for him to make contact with the early race leader.
While Team Hansen continued out in front unchallenged, the three other entrants all failed to finish. Scheider's car suffered front left suspension damage and retired after a spin near Gate 8, while Sanz initially continued, albeit with right rear damage, only to eventually retire on the second lap.
The contact between the Carl Cox and Acciona Sainz cars caused visibility issues for STARD's Patrick O'Donovan who had to take avoiding action and ended up off track as well. O’Donovan initially attempted to continue, but was eventually forced to retire the car. However, as he had passed the stricken Carl Cox machine, he and team-mate Amanda Sorensen were classified third.
In the first race of Q2, Acciona Sainz and KMS dueled from the start, with McConnell eventually prevailing over Ahlin-Kottulinsky for the Spanish team.
By the time of the mid-race driver switch, Acciona Sainz had a lead of over seven seconds, but with Kirstoffersson now at the wheel of the KMS machine, he began to reel in Sanz who'd taken over the lead car.
At the end of the third lap, the gap had been halved, but Sanz responded on the final tour to add another half second to her team's advantage. She eventually crossed the line 4.095s ahead of Kristoffersson.
JBX's Christine GZ and Hallman finished a distant third after an uneventful race, while Carl Cox again failed to finish with Klara Anderson stopping just before Gate 6 after a wiper failure hampered her visibility. After a brief revival, she stopped again at Gate 8 and didn’t continue.
The second race of Q2 started with Team EVEN's Hosås activating her Hyperdrive when the lights went out, which allowed her to power round the outside of the first corner and take an early lead.
Sorensen quickly moved into second, ahead of Munnings of Team Hansen who, having already qualified for the Final, opted to stay out of trouble.
Hosås, unchallenged at the front, held a 13.373s lead at the Switch, but an issue with the passenger door once Veiby took over caused the team to lose 8.710s seconds during the stop.
That could have been beneficial for the second-placed STARD car, now being driven by O'Donovan, but a moment at Gate 10 when he pitched onto two wheels and hit a trackside bank cost him early.
That, and Veiby's impressive pace in what what was only his second-ever Extreme E qualifying heat, allowed Even to take the victory by 11.024s, ahead of STARD, with Bakkerud bringing the Hansen car home third following that team's conservative run.
Jameel was set to race in Q2 Race 2, but after Taylor's crash in Q1, the team was forced to sit out while they prepare a spare car for the rest of the weekend.
The action continues later today with the Redemption Race – featuring STARD, JBX, Jameel, and Carl Cox – at 15:15 local time, followed by the Final at 16:26 local time, which will include Acciona Sainz, KMS, Team Hansen, and EVEN.
For more information and all the latest news and developments, head to www.fiaextremeh.com
25-10-04 ‘The World’s Best Off-Road Course’ unveiled for Extreme E and Extreme H in Qiddiya City
Extreme E and the FIA Extreme H World Cup have unveiled the courses which will be used for a thrilling two weeks of action in Qiddiyah City.
Situated by Qiddiya City’s Tuwaiq Mountains, close to the site which is currently undergoing transformation to become a world-leading motorsport venue, the new course is the series’ most extreme to date, encompassing everything from dramatic jumps and demanding turns, to banked corners and wide-open straights, that will all not only challenge the drivers and teams, but perfectly showcase the advancements made with the Pioneer 25.
“This is the world’s best off-road race track,” said James Taylor, Extreme E and Extreme H Chief Championship Officer. “It has everything: sweeping turns and berms, fast straights, and jumps, set against the unbeatable backdrop of the Tuwaiq Mountains. We cannot wait to see the drivers on it in practice tomorrow!
“The course will show off just how versatile and high-performing our Extreme E and Extreme H cars are.”
For the first time on an ‘Extreme’ weekend, multiple courses will be used over the event, offering up a range of challenges for drivers and teams.
Time Trial and Multi-Car Racing
Action starts with Extreme E’s ‘Final Lap’ swansong – a series of multi-car races over two days.
That course will then form the basis of the Extreme H Time Trial, Multi-Car, and World Cup Final, albeit with changes that will showcase the advancements made with the Pioneer 25’s chassis, suspension, and improved range.
The lap begins with a fast entry at Gate 1 into an ever-tightening right-hander through Gate 2, with a widening exit to promote opening lap action.
From that exit, the race is on, with a blast over back-to-back jumps at Gates 5 and 6 – first up, the smallest jump on the course, then the second biggest.
From here, the course takes on two distinct personalities for Extreme E and Extreme H.
After the second jump, Extreme E has a fairly quick entry into a heavy braking zone for a left, while the Extreme H route goes from a faster run into a right-left complex that'll put the Pioneer 25's new and improved FOX Suspension – which will enable to to attack corners much better – though its paces.
The two routes reconvene for a climb up to a tabletop-esque section which ends with a significant jump and drop off. A left at Gate 10 after the drop leads to an immediate right and another climb to Gate 11 where a blind brow and immediate left turn awaits. It's also at Gate 10 where the Super Sector begins, running through to Gate 18.
Cars will then pass through a snaking section which concludes with the biggest jump of the course. While appearing tame, it features a sizable drop-off on its landing. Another heavy braking zone is next, into a tight right hairpin and a 90-degree left right after, before the climb to Gate 17 which offers incredible views across the desert...
But the drivers won't be stopping to admire that. Instead they'll need to perfectly manage that climb and drop, especially since there's another sequence of sweeping left and right turns awaiting them.
Here is where the course divides again, with Extreme E looping right through Gate 19 before the run to 20 and 21, with Extreme H taking a faster, more direct approach.
At 21, drivers will be faced with a make-or-break choice: take the high line on the steep banking to carry more speed into the subsequent 90-degree left, but leaving you exposed, or cover that inside line, but at the expense of potentially compromising your exit.
Regardless of what line they choose, there's one last overtaking chance with a right kink onto a long start-finish straight to complete the lap. It's at that right bend where the entrance to the Switch Zone is, too.
The course for Extreme E measures in at 3.127 km, with the more demanding Extreme H version coming in at 3.021 km.
Head-to-Head
Unlike anything seen in Extreme E previously, the second day of Extreme H action will involve head-to-head duels over a 532 metre-long course, which begins with a drop down into an extended side-by-side run.
But this is no drag race; drivers will have to navigate a tight chicane before the finish line, providing another pivotal moment in the race before its conclusion.
Racing kicks off at 8AM local time (KSA) tomorrow. For more information on timings and broadcasters in your local territory, click here.
25-10-01 ACCIONA SAINZ returns to Extreme E with QEV
ACCIONA SAINZ QEV XE TEAM, powered by Spanish electromobility specialists QEV Technologies, has confirmed its return for the Final Lap of Extreme E this October, with Jamaican star Fraser McConnell and motorsport legend Laia Sanz continuing their successful driver partnership.
Founded by two-time World Rally Champion and four-time Dakar winner Carlos Sainz, ACCIONA SAINZ XE TEAM has been a frontrunner in Extreme E since day one, achieving three round victories and multiple podiums. Last season, McConnell and Sanz secured three podiums from four starts, including a win at the Desert X Prix in Saudi Arabia.
QEV Technologies, a global leader in sustainable mobility and technical partner of the team, has been instrumental in its success. For over 20 years, QEV has delivered race-winning electric drivetrains across Formula E, FIA RX2e, and America’s Nitrocross series, and remains a pioneer in alternative mobility solutions.
It has also been in Extreme E since day one. As technical partner to the ACCIONA SAINZ QEV XE TEAM – founded by two-time World Rally Champion and four-time Dakar Rally winner Carlos Sainz – it has overseen three round victories, making it one of the most successful teams in the series' history.
ACCIONA SAINZ QEV XE TEAM, with McConnell and Sainz had a fantastic final season in Extreme E, taking three podiums from four starts, including a win at the second Desert X Prix in Saudi Arabia.They will once again take to the starting line for Extreme E’s ‘Final Lap’.
Jamaica's top motorsport star McConnell, who drove for the QEV-led Acciona Sainz team in 2024, is among Extreme E's most successful drivers with three event victories to his name.
He won his first overseas championship title in 2019, taking the ARX2 crown, and made history in 2021 by becoming the first Jamaican to win a Rallycross Supercar race when he defeated Johan Kristoffersson at the RallyX Nordic round at Nysum in Denmark. More recently McConnell has won four times in Nitrocross' premier 'Group E' class.
Fraser McConnell, driver for ACCIONA SAINZ QEV XE TEAM, said: “Having the opportunity to continue with the ACCIONA SAINZ QEV XE TEAM is a huge honor. From the very first day, I knew we could achieve great results. We’ve built a strong relationship and I’m confident we can continue our podium streak in this special farewell to Extreme E.”
Perhaps best known for her exploits on two wheels, Sanz was an unstoppable force in Trials riding, winning the international Trial World Championship 13 times between 2000-2013. She's also been a regular presence at the Dakar Rally, and in 2015 achieved her best finish – and the best for a female on two wheels – when she took ninth place.
In the 2010s, Sanz transitioned to four wheels, racing in the 24H Series at the 24 Hours of Barcelona. She has also appeared in the SEAT Leon Eurocup, and has competed in the top car class at Dakar since 2022, achieving a best finish of 15th in last year's edition of the event.
In Extreme E she has been a constant presence since day one, firstly partnering ACCIONA SAINZ XE TEAM founder Carlos Sainz, then Mattias Ekstrom, before teaming up with McConnell for the first time last year.
Laia Sanz, driver for ACCIONA SAINZ QEV XE TEAM, said: "I’m really happy to be back with the ACCIONA SAINZ QEV XE TEAM alongside Fraser. We finished last season with great momentum and the goal is clear: fight at the front and close Extreme E on a high"
Alejandro Agag, Founder and CEO of Extreme E and Extreme H, said: “Carlos Sainz is a true giant of motorsport, and his team has been part of Extreme E’s DNA since the very beginning. With Fraser McConnell and Laia Sanz, ACCIONA SAINZ QEV XE TEAM has delivered incredible performances season after season, proving what can be achieved when world-class talent meets technical innovation.
“To have this team back for the Final Lap feels like the perfect way to honour the journey of Extreme E. It is a fitting closing chapter for one of the series’ most iconic teams, and a powerful bridge into the next era with Extreme H.”
Extreme E’s Final Lap will run on 4 to 5 October 2025 in Qiddiya City, Saudi Arabia, before the world’s first hydrogen racing championship, Extreme H, kicks off the following weekend.
Qiddiya City is the world’s first city built entirely for play, where entertainment, sport, and culture converge. The race will take place with the dramatic backdrop of the Tuwaiq Mountains, close to the site which is currently undergoing transformation to become a world-leading motorsport venue.
25-09-30 Hansen Brothers Podcast: Q&A with Catie Munnings and Andreas Bakkerud
In the most recent episode of the Hansen Brothers Podcast, Kevin and Timmy Hansen welcome two big names to Hansen Motorsport: Catie Munnings and Andreas Bakkerud. The pair have been announced as Team Hansen’s drivers for both Extreme E and the upcoming FIA Extreme H World Cup in Qiddiya, Saudi Arabia.
Watch the full episode here or tune in on your favourite podcast platform!
Q: Catie, we’ve worked together a lot in the past. Are you excited to officially join Team Hansen?
Catie Munnings: "I feel like I’ve gone through the academy with YellowSquad in rallycross - it’s such a small world. To now be starting an Extreme E and Extreme H team is really exciting. But also, to be a part of it, I think I’d have been offended if you’d have taken anyone else to be honest with you. As you say, I’m the third sibling."
Q: Andreas, given our history as rivals, why are you joining Hansen Motorsport now?
Andreas Bakkerud: "It’s a very good question, and it’s a question everyone is kind of asking me. There is a big history here… But at the same time, we’re not racing rallycross this time, we are racing Extreme E and Extreme H. Hansen Motorsport has been in the game for a long time, been very successful, and it’s a top team, so I think we can achieve some good results together."
Q: Timmy, you’re stepping into a new role as Team Principal for Extreme H. How does that feel?
Timmy Hansen: "Once I realised the clash was with E1, I didn’t want to let Team Brazil down again, so I knew I couldn’t drive. But then things came together, and we could have our own team.
"I still love racing, so I wanted to be part of it somehow. Working on the team, getting Catie and Andreas as drivers, has all been super exciting. As a driver, you usually only affect results in those five to seven minutes behind the wheel. But as Team Principal, the way I can influence the result is by doing a really good job now - finding the right staff, engineers, mechanics, building a team from nothing. It’s been cool, and I’ll join you guys for the second week when you start driving the Extreme H car. Then I’ll be bothering you the whole time."
Q: Kevin, you’re not racing for a Hansen team. Are you still involved but in a different way?
Kevin Hansen: "I’ve been very much part of putting this together - working with Andreas, with the series, with partners to make everything happen. I love this team, and it’s hard not being part of it on track, but I’ll root for you guys."
Andreas Bakkerud and Catie Munnings on joining Team Hansen
Q: What do you expect from the Extreme H car compared to Extreme E?
Catie Munnings: "The car’s pretty similar, but you sit in the centre which takes getting used to. The geometry and suspension are a bit different, and braking will be key. The biggest challenge will be adapting throughout the week with new sporting formats and racing in 40-degree heat."
Andreas Bakkerud: "I didn’t do much testing before in Extreme E, so it’s going to be cool to hear from you guys about the approach. I’ve heard the Extreme H car is heavier, slower, but with better suspension. That’s going to be interesting."
Q: What will be the biggest challenge in Saudi Arabia?
Catie Munnings: "Track walk will probably be one of the hardest days. Obviously having the new formats, we don’t really know how the racing will look. There’s going to be a lot of cars out on track at once. It’s going to be about not picking up penalties and not doing stupid stuff and trying to get some results."
Andreas Bakkerud: "It’s going be interesting for me as well… I didn’t do that many laps in Extreme E before, so I've got some things to learn before we start racing - both the Extreme E car but also the H car, because I obviously didn’t test that car yet."
Q: How are you preparing for the conditions?
Catie Munnings: "I’ve actually been doing some heat training. Sauna work, hot baths - uncomfortably hot baths and just sitting in it for a long time. General fitness will be a big thing. Neck strength, back strength... I think that will be a massive factor."
Andreas Bakkerud: "Panic training! I was out for a run today because I haven’t had the time to do a lot of exercise this year. I’m going to use this time here in Spain to just get used to the heat. Catie texted me last night being like, ‘I hope you have a cooling vest. Bring 10 of it!’"
Q: And what are your expectations for these race weeks?
Catie Munnings: "It’s about being ahead of the game. If you can be a team that’s proactive rather than reactive, that’s where success comes in the early stages of something new. I’m happy that Timmy’s leading the team because he’s got such a good eye for competition."
Andreas Bakkerud: "When I put my name on the entry list, I’m there to win. But the reality is, Extreme E hasn’t always been my best feeling. This year though, I’ve found joy again in racing, so I’ll bring that momentum with me. It’s going to be tough, but I’m excited."
Q: A final word from Team Hansen?
Timmy Hansen: "We wouldn’t be working with you unless we had massive respect for you, Andreas. We believe you’re the best driver out there to go and win. And Catie, you were one of the quickest in Extreme E, especially at the last Desert X Prix in Saudi Arabia. Together, you’ll have a fantastic chance of pulling off the win."
25-09-30 Dubbelt upp för KMS i Extreme E/H
Kristoffersson Motorsport dubblar sitt deltagande i Extreme E/H. Ole Christian Veiby och Hedda Hosås kommer att kampera ihop i Team KMS Even.
- Det blir en bra kombination. Hedda har kört de här bilarna förut och jag har min rallyerfarenhet, säger Ole Christian.
En helnorsk förarbesättning alltså, med ett svenskt team bakom sig, rutinerade KMS, som redan har presenterat Team KMS med svenska duon Johan Kristoffersson och Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky. Men det stannar alltså inte där. Det kreativa teamet från Arvika dubblar sina chanser i avslutningen av Extreme E och - framför allt - lanseringen av Extreme H.
- Jag är verkligen stolt att få vara en del av Team KMS Even. Målet är att fightas om topplaceringar, men också att lära mig så mycket som möjligt under en fantastisk tid med KMS-teamet, säger Hedda Hosås.
Hosås har erfarenhet från Extreme E sedan tidigare och är dessutom en av få förare som har känt på Extreme H-bilarna.
- Det var viktigt för oss att få med Hedda som har kört i mästerskapet tidigare, tävlat i en del annan off-road och dessutom har testat de nya vätgasbilarna, säger teamchefen i KMS, Nils Andersson.
- Det är spännande att vara en del av någonting som pekar ut framtiden för motorsport. Jag har varit en del av testprogrammet ända sedan starten så jag är verkligen förväntansfull, säger Hedda.
För Ole Christian Veiby blir det däremot debut inom off-road.
- Det är kul med något nytt. Jag hoppar in i vad som helst som ger en möjlighet att tävla. Jag tror också att det här kommer att passa mig bra med min bakgrund inom rally. Det kan inte vara så svårt.
Ett moment inom Extreme är förarbytet, men inte heller det får Veiby att darra.
- Förarbyte har jag varit med om när vi kört Porsche i 12-timmars och det har ju också hänt i något rally att man fått punktering och snabbt måste ut och byta hjul. Det ska inte bli något problem med det, säger Veiby.
Och ett inspel om Ole Christians förutsättningar att lyckas inom off-road kommer från KMS-kamraten - och i det här fallet konkurrenten - Johan Kristoffersson.
- Jag tror att det här passar honom utmärkt. Det har jag sagt ända sedan 2021 när jag började köra Extreme E. Det är bra att han får chansen att visa det nu. Dessutom har Ole Christian varit riktigt på hugget på senaste tiden, säger Kristoffersson och får medhåll från teamets VD, Tommy Kristoffersson.
- Ser fram emot att se vad OC kan prestera i den här disciplinen. Han har en gedigen rallybakgrund toppad med både banracing och rallycross. Det är få, om ens någon, i världen med samma erfarenhet som honom i samma ålder.
För Kristoffersson Motorsport är det dubbla deltagandet i kommande två veckors tävlingar i Saudiarabien ett riktigt statement.
- Rallycross är fortfarande vårt huvudmål, men vi vill sondera terrängen ifall det inte blir något mer där. Och när det nu står en VM-titel på spel vill vi vara med och kämpa om den, säger Tommy Kristoffersson.
25-09-29 KMS vidgar sina vyer - kör off-road
En avskedsföreställning för Extreme E och premiär för Extreme H i Saudiarabien. Det är vad som väntar när Kristoffersson Motorsport vidgar sina vyer och ger sig in i terrängbilsleken. Det blir också återförening mellan Johan Kristoffersson och Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky.
- Det ska bli väldigt kul att tävla med Mikaela igen. Det var länge sen nu, säger Kristoffersson.
Kristoffersson och Åhlin-Kottulinsky vann Extreme E-serien 2023, tävlande för Rosberg X Racing. RXR finns inte längre och när nu den avbrutna säsongen för 2024 ska gå i mål tävlar den svenska duon som Team KMS för Kristoffersson Motorsport, som gör debut i den här typen av motorsport.
Kommande helg körs den sista ronden i elbilsserien Extreme E i Qiddiya City. För Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky blir det både nytt och bekant.
- Spännande att sätta sig i Extreme E-bilen och tävla med Johan igen. Dessutom kul att göra det här med Kristoffersson Motorsport. Jag har ju ändå tävlat med KMS tidigare i form av Team E och sen också vid VM-finalen i rallycross i Hongkong 2023. Härligt att få träffa det gänget igen, säger Åhlin-Kottulinsky.
Världens mest framgångsrika rallycrossteam bryter alltså ny mark.
- En ny utmaning är alltid stimulerande. Vi är vana att hantera nya situationer och har ett kvalificerat gäng för att klara av det. Vi vill vara med där det händer, för att se om det öppnar nya dörrar för framtiden, säger teamchefen Nils Andersson och får medhåll från teamets VD Tommy Kristoffersson:
- Vi sonderar terrängen eftersom vi inte vet hur statusen på rallycross ser ut inför nästa år, även om RX fortfarande är vårt huvudmål. Off-road kan vara något som passar oss med den personal vi har och förarbesättningen med Johan och Ole Christian, säger Tommy och fortsätter:
- Vi är vana att komma väl förberedda till våra tävlingar. Det har vi inte möjlighet till den här gången, men det är å andra sidan nytt för alla team och jag vet att vi brukar vara bra på att göra snabba omställningar, vilket kan vara en liten fördel för oss nu när ännu en VM-titel står på spel.
Den titeln ställs upp på piedestalen när Extreme E har gått i mål. Då väntar nämligen några dagars förberedelser inför World Cup i Extreme H, premiären för efterträdaren, där bilarna drivs med vätgas.
- Det är World Cup-titeln som lockar allra mest under den här resan. Jag har bara sett Extreme H-bilarna en gång, i Skottland, men vet inget om hur de är att köra. Men jag tror det kan bli bra. De är nog inte så annorlunda jämfört med Extreme E-bilarna, säger Johan Kristoffersson, som därvidlag är i samma läge som teamkamraten:
- Spännande att testa nya bilen. Jag har bara hört talas om den. Det kommer bli intensiva testdagar med att försöka förstå sig på körsättet så att man blir snabb. Klart att man alltid ger sig in i en tävling och vill vinna, men det är också ett otroligt tufft startfält. Vi får försöka att få ut så mycket info som möjligt på så kort tid som möjligt och göra bra ifrån oss, säger Mikaela.
Extreme H körs torsdag-lördag under andra tävlingsveckan och här gäller ett delvis nytt koncept, jämfört med E.
- Det blir några olika segment, en specialsträcka typ som i rally, en head-to-head mellan teamen och sist ett multicar-race, som i rallycross, liknande som det har varit tidigare i Extreme E, berättar Nils Andersson, som intar sin vanliga roll som teamchef, men i ett nytt sammanhang och en ny miljö - med mycket sand.
- Jag har googlat platsen vi ska köra på. Jag fick zooma ut väldigt mycket för att hitta något annat än sand…
25-09-23 Hansen Motorsport enters FIA Extreme H World Cup with Andreas Bakkerud and Catie Munnings
Swedish squad enters Extreme E's Final Lap and the FIA Extreme H World Cup
Carbon-neutral rallycross team to expand sustainability efforts at inaugural hydrogen-powered motorsport event
Timmy Hansen takes on a new role of Team Principal
Rallycross rival Andreas Bakkerud joins Team Hansen alongside Catie Munnings
Hansen Motorsport today (23 September) confirms its participation in Extreme E’s Final Lap and the inaugural FIA Extreme H World Cup, as the family-run outfit enters a new chapter in its motorsport journey.
Led by 14-time European Rallycross Champion Kenneth Hansen, the team has been a dominant force in rallycross, winning more top-level championships than any of its rivals. Hansen Motorsport now expands its focus from electric racing in the FIA World Rallycross Championship to hydrogen-powered motorsport.
Entering as ‘Team Hansen’, the squad will be under the stewardship of 2019 World RX Champion Timmy Hansen. Formerly an Extreme E driver with Andretti United, the Swede is stepping away from the driver’s seat due to a prior commitment with Team Brazil in the E1 Series.
As one of a few drivers to have raced in every X Prix to-date, Hansen approaches the new hydrogen era in the new role of Team Principal, bringing a deep understanding of the perspective of his drivers.
Timmy Hansen, Team Hansen Team Principal, said: "It’s a special moment for me to step into the role of Team Principal for Team Hansen. For us motorsport has always been a family effort, and to now take on a new role after everything I’ve learned from my mum Susann and my dad Kenneth feels like an exciting challenge.
"I’m super happy to have Andreas Bakkerud and Catie Munnings as our drivers. Catie and I have built a great dynamic as team-mates over the years, and with Andreas I have shared so many battles and memories, and I know first-hand how hard he is to beat. The respect and trust that comes with the history we all have will be a huge strength as we take on this new challenge in Extreme H. I hope we can give them a great car so that they feel confident to drive fast."
Andreas Bakkerud holds one of rallycross’ most decorated résumés, which includes European Super1600 titles, a 2021 supercar championship, and a fierce rivalry with Timmy. This peaked in 2019 when both finished equal on points for the World RX title, but that season forged a mutual respect which now transforms into partnership.
Bakkerud has also raced in Extreme E with JBXE, and the Norwegian’s presence in the team strengthens the Hansens’ roster for its next chapter in sustainable motorsport.
Andreas Bakkerud, Team Hansen driver, said: "I don’t think anyone saw this coming - even I’m still in shock! From fighting each other for world titles over the years, and going head-to-head in one of the biggest rivalries in rallycross, to suddenly working together? That’s a big thing to say the least.
"It goes even deeper than joining Team Hansen, because Timmy [Hansen] is going to be my Team Principal. It can go both ways, but I’m also keen to learn from the team and understand them. We have taken this opportunity to fight for a title together, and I’m going to put everything into doing my job next to Catie [Munnings] while racing for the Hansens. I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to saying that!"
Catie Munnings has been a fixture in Extreme E since its inception. Partnered with Timmy at Andretti United, she made history by winning the Arctic X Prix in Greenland and went on to collect a further eight podiums. More recently, the Brit has impressed in the E1 Series, taking multiple podiums across two seasons.
As the squad embarks on new challenges in Extreme H, Catie’s racing experience and passion for sustainability and equality will be crucial to the team’s success.
Catie Munnings, Team Hansen driver, said: "I’m very excited to be joining Team Hansen. They’ve been like a family to me for years and some of my best mentors in motorsport, so to now be racing for them is like a full circle moment.
"I know that every team member, from the mechanics to the spotters to the media team, is the best in the business, and I have full trust that we will be able to perform at our very best with the team around us. Working with Timmy [Hansen] as Team Principal will be new, but he knows the sport like no other and will lead us to our full potential. I’m very excited to be paired up with the crazy Andreas - I’m sure we will have a lot of fun together!"
As a proud member of the UNFCCC Sports for Climate Action initiative and Hydrogen Sweden, joining the first international motorsport powered entirely by hydrogen represents a natural evolution for Hansen Motorsport.
The Swedish team became the first in rallycross to reach carbon neutral status in 2022 and continues to hold FIA 3-star Environmental Accreditation and ISO 14001 certification. The move to Extreme H further reflects a philosophy of pushing boundaries while committing to a more sustainable future.
25-09-05 Extreme E To Return for Celebratory ‘Final Lap’
Extreme E, the revolutionary electric off-road racing series, has announced it will return for one final time, in one month, on October 4 and 5th, marking the culmination of a series that has helped expand the possibilities for how motorsport can engage with environmental progress and innovation.
Since its launch in 2021, Extreme E has introduced electric racing to remote, challenging terrains, aiming to highlight the impact of climate change while championing new technologies and approaches to sustainability. Saudi Arabia, through the Saudi Motorsport Company (SMC), under the umbrella of the Ministry of Sport and the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation, has been part of that journey from the very beginning, hosting the series’ first Desert X Prix and continuing to support its mission for five seasons.
Now, the series prepares for its Final Lap, a final outing that not only honours its roots but also sets the stage for the launch of Extreme H, the world’s first hydrogen-powered off-road racing championship. The Final Lap will be an opportunity to celebrate everything Extreme E has achieved, at the same time setting the next frontier for Extreme H, reinforcing Saudi Arabia’s ambition to be the hub for innovative, world-class motorsport and a leader in shaping a sustainable future.
This transition reflects Extreme E’s vision to use sport as a platform for innovation, awareness, and action. While the cars and energy sources may evolve, the commitment to purposeful racing remains unchanged.
Further details on the event schedule, teams, and drivers will be shared in the coming weeks.
25-06-06 “It’s a proper race car!” Extreme H Completes Final Test
Extreme H has completed its final testing on its new hydrogen-powered race car, the Pioneer 25, in Fontjoncouse, the south of France.
The session focused on fine-tuning performance, testing technical components, and evaluating the vehicle’s latest tyre developments, all critical enhancements designed to handle the series’ unique and demanding race environments.
Former Extreme E Champion, and E.ON Next Veloce Racing driver, Molly Taylor, became the latest driver to get behind the wheel of the Pioneer 25. Offering her insights on the vehicle’s evolution, Taylor said: “It was really cool! The car’s got a lot more potential to be pushed further. It’s instantly very confidence inspiring.
“The suspension has a lot more scope, especially in the tough conditions, as where we are testing the car it is really rough. You feel like you can lean on it a lot more in those areas and the car will take a lot more [than the Extreme E car]. It’s also a very different experience the first time you jump in. I was amazed how quickly that sitting in the middle of the car felt at home.”
On the noticeable difference of driving a hydrogen car, Molly says: “It was really interesting when they started the hydrogen up and you see all this steam coming out of the exhaust. Normally if my car at home has steam coming out, things are going really bad, but it was really cool in a way, makes you realise you are driving something that’s very different. It’s been nice to be able to show what we can do with technology and what we can do with motorsport and to be part of that future development.”
Asked for thoughts on the new Extreme H championship, Molly added: “I feel quite impatient, we just want it to happen now. It’s been so cool to see all the development and all the work that’s gone into making this project happen. It’s a pretty ambitious thing to put together and it’s been really exciting to finally be able to test the car that I’ve seen so much of and really see its potential.”
The Pioneer 25 represents the pinnacle of hydrogen-powered racing innovation. Equipped with cutting-edge hydrogen fuel cells, powered by green hydrogen gas, the cars emit only water vapour, which can either be consumed or used elsewhere on site for crucial aspects such as car washing.
The vehicle’s peak 400kw (550hp) output is capable of firing the 2200 kilogram, 2.4 metre-wide race car from 0-100kph in 4.5 seconds and scale gradients of up to 130 per cent to help it tackle the toughest terrains with precision and speed.
Swedish driver Kevin Hansen, Molly’s team mate at E.ON Next Veloce Racing in Extreme E, returned to Fontjoncouse to get his second test of the car, saying: “It’s really nice to be back, just remembering everything from a couple of months ago, The Pioneer 25 a really good development from the Extreme E car. It’s more robust, it’s a proper race car.”
On the testing process, Kevin says: “We are making progress, trialling different things and trying to make the car the best it can be. It feels much better than the previous car. It’s in a strong shape and once we get to racing, when we get to optimise for top performance, it will be really interesting to see what more we can squeeze out of the final product.”
Summing up, Kevin says: “It feels great to be in the final stages of getting back on track. I’m looking forward to seeing all the cars lining up together and I hope that myself and whoever joins me as my team mate will be up there on top of the first podium!”
Leading the testing programme was Extreme H ‘s Technical Director, Mark Grain, who summarised the test, saying: “All opportunities to test a new vehicle are valuable and this latest test has proved especially so.
“The tyres we have been testing here this week are a big step forward in performance from our last test, and have received great driver feedback. We’ve also been performing some endurance tests with a lot of the components and fine tuning of the hydrogen fuel cell so that we are ready to go racing later this year. Now that we understand a lot more about the types of racing that we want to achieve at the World Cup, we’ve also been able to simulate a lot of those conditions and finetune the car around those formats.
On the value of driver feedback, Mark adds: “It's been fantastic having Molly and Kevin join us. With such a wealth of experience from Extreme E and the last car, along with the different types of racing they’ve been involved in, it all pulls together nicely. For them to come and experience the Extreme H car and advance that development path for us again has been really appreciated.”
The Pioneer 25 hydrogen race car is designed and manufactured by Spark Racing Technology and has undergone an intensive testing programme equivalent to more than three seasons of Extreme E racing in readiness for its debut campaign.
Each car comprises of a common package of standardised parts, the open areas for teams are the hydrogen fuel cell, which gives a crucial opportunity to test out this technology, plus the ability to style bodywork elements in order to replicate the look of everyday car models.
The Pioneer 25, the world’s first hydrogen-powered off-road race car built for the FIA Extreme H World Cup will make its competitive debut later this year, with news coming very soon on host location and dates.
25-05-22 Extreme H Tests Pioneering New Hydrogen Event Power Solution
Extreme H, the world’s first hydrogen racing championship, marked its latest major technical milestone today, with the successful first test of its groundbreaking new hydrogen power solution which has five times the power capability of the previously used Extreme E system.
The test, which took place at Siemens Energy’s UK facility in Newcastle, centred around the next-generation Hydrogen Power Unit (HPU2), developed by GeoPura, and included system integration with the series’ long-term sustainable power supplier, Power Logistics.
Andy Welch, Extreme H’s Global Hydrogen Development Manager, said: “Extreme H will be famous for its hydrogen fuel cell racing cars, but they are only half of the story as we are also trialling hydrogen technologies across the whole event site in an effort to become the first sport to run entirely on zero emission hydrogen.
“We are immensely proud to be working alongside clean power pioneers GeoPura and Power Logistics as we continue to scale our capabilities and showcase hydrogen’s potential.
“Witnessing the successful test of GeoPura’s HPU2 hydrogen fuel cell prototype today marks a major step forward, not just for our series, but for the broader live events industry. Extreme H is an important global test bed for real-world hydrogen solutions, proving what’s possible and accelerating the transition toward cleaner, more sustainable events worldwide.”
With a more compact footprint than its HPU1 predecessor, reduced weight, and significantly higher power density, the HPU2 delivers scalable, quiet, zero-emission power - up to 50 MW when deployed at scale. Each unit generates 500 kW of clean electricity, five times the prime output of HPU1. Operated continuously over 24 hours, a single HPU2 could provide enough energy to power the equivalent of 1,200 average UK homes for a day.
With these advancements reducing deployment costs, zero-emission energy systems are becoming increasingly accessible not only across motorsport but also for other energy-intensive and time-sensitive applications such as music festivals, remote broadcast centres, and construction sites.
A defining feature of the HPU2 system’s environmental performance is its exclusive use of green hydrogen, which will be supplied by the championship’s Green Hydrogen Partner, ENOWA. Green hydrogen is produced using exclusively renewable energy sources, ensuring zero emissions not only during use, but also throughout the production process. This enables Extreme H’s ambition to set a new benchmark by powering their races, with power needs including live broadcast, race control and operations, team garages, catering and more, with fully emission-free power, whilst supporting ENOWA’s mission to accelerate hydrogen’s role in the global energy transition.
By utilising the system in a live event environment, Extreme H is not only preparing for the future of zero-emission racing but also laying the groundwork for the broader industrial adoption of green hydrogen technologies.
The collaboration between GeoPura and Power Logistics, strengthened through this initiative, highlights the importance of technical partnerships in delivering real-world energy transitions that are set to transform wider industries, including live sporting and music events, remote broadcast, construction and many more. The only emission from the HPU2 system is water.
Compared to its predecessor, the HPU1, which had an integrated battery system, the HPU2 introduces a modular configuration with an external battery.
This new setup enables greater flexibility, allowing the system to operate either as a standalone generator or in a hybrid format with supplementary battery support. The battery and distribution technology is key to this adaptability, ensuring that the system can meet diverse energy demands across complex environments.
Theo Elmer, GeoPura’s Chief Technical Officer, said: “HPU2 represents a major leap forward in clean, scalable power. It’s lighter, more powerful, and more flexible than anything we’ve built before - designed specifically to deliver in high-demand, high-performance environments like Extreme H. We’re proud to be working closely with Power Logistics and Extreme H to show what’s possible with hydrogen technology. Together, we’re proving that zero-emission power can meet the demands of live motorsport and beyond and helping accelerate the wider transition away from fossil fuels.”
Extreme H will provide a valuable proving ground for both GeoPura and Power Logistics, providing performance and operational insights that will guide deployments across industries seeking to reduce reliance on fossil-fuel-based generators, without compromising on reliability or output.
The upgraded battery, created by Greener Power Solutions, fits Power Logistics’ specification and design recommendation and provides significantly upgraded features to further enable the use of the GeoPura fuel cell system. This includes dealing with increased fluctuating and sustained higher loads, multi-battery synchronisation and the ability to work with larger sources of renewable energy generation. This is crucial given the power plan which also involves greater quantities of solar deployment.
Craig Hardeman, Power Logistics’ Innovation and Sustainability Development Manager, said: “We’re incredibly proud of our constantly evolving relationship with Extreme H, having been involved with Extreme E from the outset.
“We’ve come a long way from the initial design and implementation of a bespoke Energy Management Solution that incorporated an electrical package built specifically to its power requirements whilst achieving its sustainability goals. By effectively gathering and analysing data and incorporating new technologies such as solar and hydrogen power we’ve been able to make energy and carbon emission savings race on race. We’re excited to be involved in the next chapter.”
Extreme H is proud to be a test bed for innovation and validate a new standard in event power for solutions that extend far beyond the racetrack, driving progress for global decarbonisation efforts through innovation, integration and action. This collaboration stands to highlight how motorsport can drive meaningful progress in sustainable energy innovation.
25-01-09 Extreme H Race Cars Ready for Action
The FIA Extreme H World Cup, the world’s first hydrogen-powered off-road motorsport, marked a major milestone today as Spark Racing Technology completed production of its fleet of ten Pioneer25 race cars.
The Pioneer 25, built to meet the FIA’s rigorous safety and performance standards, represents the pinnacle of hydrogen-powered racing innovation. Equipped with cutting-edge hydrogen fuel cells, the cars emit only water vapour, highlighting the series’ unwavering commitment to sustainability. The vehicles feature a dual-motor all-wheel-drive system, delivering up to 400kW (550hp) of power, and are capable of tackling the toughest terrains with precision and speed.
Alejandro Agag, CEO of Extreme H, visited Spark Racing Technology HQ on the outskirts of Paris, France, to witness the production firsthand. He commented: “The production of our ten car race fleet marks a major milestone as we move closer to the launch of the FIA Extreme H World Cup. These cars are not just groundbreaking in terms of technology; they represent the future of sustainable motorsport, and we are ready to go.”
Nicolas Wertans, Chairman of Spark Racing Technology, added: “Spark Racing Technology is incredibly honoured to deliver the Pioneer 25 race cars for the FIA Extreme H World Cup. This project has pushed the boundaries of hydrogen technology in motorsport, combining advanced engineering with sustainable innovation. We believe these vehicles will set a new standard for hydrogen-powered competition and inspire the future of clean energy solutions.”
The car is designed and manufactured by Spark Racing Technology and equipped with a hydrogen fuel cell from Symbio, and has undergone an intensive testing program equivalent to three seasons of racing in readiness for its debut campaign.
Symbio has provided a 75kW hydrogen fuel cell replacing the battery as the principal energy source. The hydrogen fuel cell powers the battery pack that is produced and supported trackside by Fortescue ZERO. Hydrogen fuel cells represent a technological revolution that is now becoming a widespread reality, with this technology already being used behind the scenes in Extreme E, where it provides the energy source to the vehicle’s batteries.
The Pioneer 25’s peak 400kw (550hp) output is capable of firing the 2200 kilogram, 2.4 metre-wide race car from 0-100kph in 4.5 seconds and scale gradients of up to 130 per cent.
Each Pioneer 25 raced in Extreme H comprises a common package of standardised parts from Spark Racing Technology. The open areas for teams is the hydrogen fuel cell, which gives a crucial opportunity to test out this technology, plus the ability to style bodywork elements in order to replicate the look of everyday car models.
Extreme H builds on the foundation of Extreme E, the electric off-road championship that has pushed boundaries in performance, equality, and environmental awareness. Extreme H, which will get started later in 2025, will continue this legacy by demonstrating the viability of hydrogen as a clean energy solution while delivering thrilling racing action.
With production now complete, the countdown to the FIA Extreme H World Cup is officially underway fans around the world can anticipate a groundbreaking series that combines cutting-edge technology, sustainable innovation, and high-adrenaline competition. Further details on the competition will be announced over coming months.
