Al-Ula (Saudi Arabia) (AFP)

The team created by Nico Rosberg, with Swedish drivers Johan Kristoffersson and Australian drivers Molly Taylor, won Sunday the very first round of the Extreme E, a new off-road electric SUV competition, launched in the desert of Saudi Arabia.

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Rosberg X Racing, created by the 2016 F1 world champion, won in a three-team final, notably that of his former rival and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, with Sébastien Loeb and Cristina Gutiérrez as drivers, 3rd.

The American team Andretti, with the Briton Catie Munnings and the Swede Timmy Hansen, finished second.

But by dominating the qualifications, it is the Loeb-Gutiérrez duo which is 2nd in the championship.

"It was very cool to be part of the start of this adventure, it's a huge opportunity for us: all the drivers are the best in their categories," said Taylor, former Australian rally champion, whose teammate Kristoffersson is a three-time world rallycross champion.

Each team is made up of a man and a woman who take turns doing two 9km loops.

After Saudi Arabia, the Extreme E must go to Senegal, Greenland, the Brazilian Amazon and Argentinian Tierra del Fuego and count, beyond the race, to promote electric mobility and raise public awareness of environmental issues.

For the Spaniards Carlos Sainz and Laia Sanz, the adventure ended in the semifinals, as for the crew of the 2009 F1 world champion Jenson Button.

"We had a little contact with Sébastien (Loeb) and from there it was over. It's impossible to follow, once we are in the dust we immediately lose 15 seconds," Sainz told the 'AFP.

According to the two-time world rally champion and three-time Dakar winner, 58, the suspensions and batteries of SUVs, the same for everyone, must be reviewed.

In the Saudi desert, the debut of Extreme E was bumpy.

The qualifying format (finally a time trial) changed at the last moment and spectacular accidents on Saturday and Sunday raised concerns for the safety of the drivers, even if no injuries were to be deplored.

"We couldn't have hoped for a better start. As for accidents, it's part of motorsport," said Alejandro Agag, the entrepreneur behind the project, who says adjustments will be made before the next round on the 29th and 30th. may.

"It reminds me of the beginnings of Formula E," added Agag, the Spaniard who is also behind the electric single-seater championship.

The latter had started with a major accident in 2014 before establishing itself in the motorsport landscape.

© 2021 AFP