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Team X44
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X44, who competed as Team X44 (2021–22) and as X44 Vida Carbon Racing (2022–23, for sponsorship reasons), was a British Extreme E racing team. The team was founded by seven-time Formula One World Champion, Lewis Hamilton. It won both the teams and drivers championships in the series in 2022, with drivers Sébastien Loeb and Cristina Gutiérrez.[1]
Key Information
History
[edit]
In September 2020, Lewis Hamilton announced that he had founded his own team for the newly established Extreme E racing series. The name "X44" was chosen due to Hamilton using the number on his Formula One car since 2014, when the drivers were able to choose their own numbers.[2]
2021 Season
[edit]In December 2020, X44 announced that Sébastien Loeb and Cristina Gutiérrez were signed as drivers for the team in the competitions first season.[3] During the team's first season, they were the fastest qualifiers for each race and won one race. X44 finished the season in second place, behind champions Rosberg X Racing (RXR) (run by Hamilton's former teammate Nico Rosberg).[4]
2022 Season
[edit]Loeb and Gutiérrez returned for the 2022 season. In September 2022, X44 signed a title sponsorship deal with carbon credit investment firm Vida Carbon, and raced as X44 Vida Carbon Racing.[5] The second season saw X44 finish on the podium four times in five races, including the team's only win of the season at the Copper X-Prix in Chile. Going into the final race of the season, RXR were ahead on points of X44. After the team managed to secure a podium finish, and with RXR coming last for the weekend, it saw the team finishing the season as champions, 5 points ahead of RXR.[1] Sébastien Loeb and Cristina Gutiérrez also finished the season as champions in the drivers championship.
2023 Season
[edit]For the 2023 season, X44 entered a partnership with British single-seater team Rodin Carlin and signed Jamaican driver Fraser McConnell to replace Loeb, alongside the returning Gutiérrez,[6] and Stephanie Carlin as team principal.[7] In the expanded format which saw teams racing 10 times during the season, X44 struggled to see the same form they'd had during the first two seasons. The team won two races, and finished on the podium a total of 4 times as X44 finished the season in 4th place overall.
Departure from Extreme E
[edit]Prior to the 2024 season, X44 announced that the team would not compete in further seasons of Extreme E. No reason was provided by the team for their departure from the series.[8][9]
Team results
[edit]Racing overview
[edit]| Year | Name | Car | Tyres | No. | G. | Drivers | Rounds | Pts. | Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 |  Team X44 |
Spark Odyssey 21 | C | 44. | F |  Cristina Gutiérrez |
(1–5) | 155 | 2nd |
| M |  Sébastien Loeb |
(1–5) | |||||||
| 2022 | Team X44 / X44 Vida Carbon Racing |
Spark Odyssey 21 | C | 44. | F | Cristina Gutiérrez |
(1–5) | 86 | 1st |
| M | Sébastien Loeb |
(1–5) | |||||||
| 2023 | X44 Vida Carbon Racing |
Spark Odyssey 21 | C | 44. | F | Cristina Gutiérrez |
(1–10) | 121 | 4th |
| M |  Fraser McConnell |
(1–10) |
Racing summary
[edit](The qualifying heats were introduced from the 2023 season)
| Year | Series | Races | Wins | Pod. | B/Qual. | Q/H | S/S | Pts. | Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Extreme E | 5 | 1 | 2 | 5 | – | 2 | 155 | 2nd |
| 2022 | Extreme E | 5 | 1 | 4 | 1 | – | 1 | 86 | 1st |
| 2023 | Extreme E | 10 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 121 | 4th |
| Total | 20 | 4 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 362 | – | |
Complete Extreme E results
[edit](Races in bold indicate best qualifiers; races in italics indicate fastest super sector; H indicates qualifying heat winner (from season 3))
| Year | Entrant | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Pts. | Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Team X44 | DES 3 |
OCE 4 |
ARC 4 |
ISL  5 |
JUR 1 |
155 | 2nd | |||||
| 2022 | Team X44 / X44 Vida Carbon Racing |
DES 3 |
ISL1 6 |
ISL2 2 |
COP 1 |
ENE 3 |
86 | 1st | |||||
| 2023 | X44 Vida Carbon Racing | DES1 4 H |
DES2 6 |
HYD1 1 H |
HYD2 9 |
ISL1 8 |
ISL2 8 |
ISL1 9 |
ISL2 1 H |
COP1 3 H |
COP2 3 H |
121 | 4th |
References
[edit]- ^ a b Whitfield, Steve (28 November 2022). "Energy X-Prix: Hamilton's X44 team snatches Extreme E title as Abt wins finale". www.autosport.com.
- ^ "Lewis Hamilton founds Extreme E team". extreme-e.com.
- ^ "HAMILTON'S X44 EXTREME E TEAM SIGNS WRC LEGEND LOEB". the-race.com. 11 December 2020.
- ^ "Rosberg X Racing team win first Extreme E title". electrive.com.
- ^ "Lewis Hamilton's Vida Carbon Racing partnership". Vida Carbon. 7 September 2022.
- ^ "Hamilton's X44 revamps Extreme E structure partnering with Carlin". FormulaRapida.net. 7 March 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- ^ Brittle, Cian (8 March 2023). "Lewis Hamilton's Extreme E team appoints Stephanie Carlin as team principal". Blackbook Motorsport. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
- ^ Newbold, James (8 February 2024). "Hamilton's X44 team departs Extreme E". Motorsport.com. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
- ^ Nguyen, Justin (7 February 2024). "X44 closes after three XE seasons". Checkered Flag UK. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
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Team X44
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Background and Formation
Founding
Team X44 was founded by Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time Formula One World Champion, who announced its establishment on September 8, 2020, as his personally owned racing team for the inaugural season of the all-electric Extreme E series.[1] Hamilton, a prominent advocate for sustainability in motorsport, positioned the team as a platform to highlight climate change issues through competitive racing in remote, environmentally sensitive locations.[6] The team's name, X44, derives from Hamilton's longstanding Formula One racing number 44, which he has used since his karting days, while the "X" references the four-wheel-drive nature of the Extreme E vehicles and the championship itself.[2] This branding reflects Hamilton's vision for an innovative entry into off-road electric racing, emphasizing exploration and technological advancement.[7] Initially based in the United Kingdom, Team X44 focused its operations on sustainable practices aligned with Extreme E's environmental mandate, including efforts to minimize carbon footprints in team logistics and vehicle technology.[8] For the 2021 debut season, the team partnered with Prodrive, the British motorsport engineering specialist known for rally and endurance racing expertise, to manage on-track operations and technical development.[9]Objectives and Partnerships
Team X44, founded by Lewis Hamilton in September 2020, was established with a core mission to advance diversity and gender equality in motorsport while raising environmental awareness through participation in Extreme E, a series that races in climate-vulnerable locations such as deserts, rainforests, and glaciers to spotlight the impacts of climate change. The team's objectives aligned closely with Extreme E's emphasis on inclusivity, featuring gender-balanced driver pairings and initiatives to foster opportunities for underrepresented groups in technical roles, such as mechanics and engineers from diverse backgrounds. Hamilton emphasized building the team around values of sustainability and equality, aiming to develop next-generation talent in electric racing and leave positive legacies in host communities via environmental programs.[10][11] In line with its sustainability goals, Team X44 evolved its branding through strategic partnerships focused on carbon neutrality and climate action. Initially competing as Team X44 in the 2021 season and the early rounds of the 2022 season, the team rebranded to X44 Vida Carbon Racing in September 2022 following a title sponsorship with Vida Carbon, a firm specializing in carbon credit investments to support global emission reduction projects aligned with the Paris Agreement. This partnership underscored the team's commitment to promoting net-zero practices and raising awareness of climate change mitigation, utilizing the racing platform to advocate for sustainable mobility solutions.[12][10] Technically, Team X44 relied on the series-standard ODYSSE21 electric off-road vehicle developed by Spark Racing Technology, which provided a unified platform for all entrants to emphasize electrification in extreme conditions. For operational support, the team partnered with Prodrive, a motorsport engineering firm, which handled on-site management and technical execution during the inaugural seasons, enabling efficient competition while aligning with Hamilton's vision of electric mobility as a driver for innovation and underrepresented talent development in sustainable racing.[13][9][10]History
2021 Season
Team X44 entered the inaugural 2021 Extreme E season as one of eight founding teams, marking the debut of Lewis Hamilton's squad in the all-electric off-road racing series. The team fielded a gender-balanced driver lineup of experienced rally driver Sébastien Loeb and rising Spanish talent Cristina Gutiérrez, adhering to Extreme E's rule requiring one male and one female driver per car. Operated by Prodrive, X44 adapted to the unique challenges of the Spark ODYSSEY 21 electric SUV on rugged terrains, focusing on sustainability themes at each event while navigating the series' innovative format of qualifying, semi-finals, and finals.[14] X44 demonstrated exceptional pace in qualifying, securing top qualifier honors in all five events—a cleansweep that underscored their technical preparation and driver synergy despite the learning curve of electric power delivery and off-road demands. The season began promisingly at the Desert X-Prix in AlUla, Saudi Arabia, where they claimed second place in the final for their first podium, trailing winners Rosberg X Racing by just over a minute after a clean run marred only by minor dust interference. However, challenges emerged at the Ocean X-Prix in Lac Rose, Senegal, as a first-lap crash in the final led to a DNF, costing valuable points despite their qualifying dominance and semi-final progression. Similar incidents plagued later rounds, including mechanical issues at the Arctic X-Prix in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, where they finished fourth after winning their semi-final but struggling with icy conditions and battery management.[15][16][17] The team rebounded at the Island X-Prix on Sardinia, Italy—relocated from South America due to logistical issues—finishing second in the final behind Rosberg X Racing, though penalties for other competitors highlighted the series' strict enforcement of safety and technical rules. The season concluded at the Jurassic X-Prix in Dorset, UK, with X44 securing their maiden victory in the final, as Loeb and Gutiérrez outpaced rivals in wet, muddy conditions to earn maximum points. These mixed race outcomes, influenced by crashes, penalties, and adaptation to variable terrains like sand, ice, and rock, contrasted their qualifying consistency but showcased resilience in a debut year. X44 ended the championship second overall with 155 points, tied with winners Rosberg X Racing but decided by countback on event victories (one for X44 versus three for RXR).[18][14][19]2022 Season
Team X44 retained Sébastien Loeb and Cristina Gutiérrez as its driver pairing for Extreme E's 2022 Season 2, building on their strong qualifying foundation from the previous year. The campaign opened at the Desert X-Prix in NEOM, Saudi Arabia, where the team secured pole position in qualifying but finished third in the final after a competitive run disrupted by race incidents.[20][21] A pivotal moment came at the Antofagasta Minerals Copper X-Prix in Chile, where Loeb and Gutiérrez delivered a solid performance to initially claim second place, only to be promoted to first following post-race penalties applied to McLaren for a safety car infringement. This marked the team's first victory of the season and narrowed the gap to championship leaders Rosberg X Racing to 17 points.[22][23] Mid-season challenges arose during the double-header Island X Prix events in Sardinia, Italy, including a sixth-place finish in the first round due to switch zone difficulties that dropped them from second to third during the driver change, highlighting reliability issues under pressure. Despite these setbacks, the team rebounded with a second-place finish in the second Sardinia event, demonstrating tactical adaptability.[20][24][25] The season culminated at the Uruguay Natural Energy X-Prix on November 27, 2022, where X44 overcame a qualifying crash and a subsequent car switch to win the Crazy Race and secure third in the final, clinching both the drivers' and teams' championships with 86 points—just two ahead of Rosberg X Racing. This triumph was underpinned by strategic improvements, including enhanced vehicle reliability and aggressive qualifying approaches that yielded key starting advantages throughout the year.[20][26][27]2023 Season
As defending champions from the 2022 season, Team X44 entered Extreme E's third season with a revamped structure, announcing on March 7, 2023, that Jamaican rally driver Fraser McConnell would partner Spanish driver Cristina Gutiérrez, replacing Sébastien Loeb.[5] The team also shifted management from Prodrive to British single-seater outfit Rodin Carlin, aiming to inject fresh technical expertise while retaining the X44 Vida Carbon Racing sponsorship branding throughout the campaign.[28][29] The season began promisingly at the Desert X Prix in NEOM, Saudi Arabia, where Gutiérrez and McConnell topped qualifying with a heat victory and second place, securing pole position for the Grand Final.[30] However, technical issues hampered their race, resulting in a fourth-place finish in the Grand Final and sixth in the Redemption Race, earning just 23 points overall.[31] Inconsistency plagued the team thereafter, though they secured a breakthrough win in Round 3 at the Hydro X Prix in Scotland, with McConnell and Gutiérrez dominating the Grand Final after a penalty promoted them to first.[32] They followed with a second-place finish in Round 4's Hydro X Prix II Grand Final, but later rounds saw mixed results, including a strong second win in Round 8 at the Island X Prix II in Sardinia, where Gutiérrez pulled away unchallenged in the final.[33] Despite two victories and several podiums, Team X44 struggled with mechanical reliability and adapting to the new partnership dynamics, leading to retirements and lower finishes in key events like the Copper X Prix finale.[31] These challenges contributed to a performance decline from their title-winning form, culminating in a fourth-place finish in the teams' championship with 121 points, 61 behind winners Rosberg X Racing.[34]Departure from Extreme E
On February 7, 2024, Team X44 announced its departure from Extreme E prior to the start of the 2024 season, confirming it would not compete further in the all-electric off-road racing series.[4] No official reasons were specified in the statement, though the exit aligned with the championship's impending shift to the hydrogen-fueled Extreme H format beginning in 2025.[3] In reflecting on its tenure, X44 highlighted three successful seasons, including multiple race victories, the 2022 Drivers' and Teams' Championship titles, and a fourth-place finish in 2023 as its final year.[4] The team expressed gratitude to its drivers—Cristina Gutiérrez, Fraser McConnell, and Sébastien Loeb—and staff, while emphasizing achievements beyond the track, such as advancing sustainability in motorsport and fostering diversity through initiatives like the Racing for All programme founded by team owner Lewis Hamilton.[4] Hamilton's legacy was underscored as a key contribution to these sustainability goals, with the team noting pride in sparking broader conversations on inclusion and environmental responsibility.[4] The withdrawal, occurring alongside Chip Ganassi Racing's exit, reduced the Extreme E grid for its concluding all-electric season and prompted comments from series founder Alejandro Agag on X44's influential role in promoting gender equality and diversity.[35] X44 indicated potential interest in hydrogen racing by stating it would monitor Extreme H's progress, but as of November 2025, no formal commitments to involvement have been announced.[4] The team affirmed its ongoing support for the series from outside the competition.[4]Team Personnel
Drivers
Cristina Gutiérrez, a Spanish rally driver, served as the female driver for Team X44 across all three of its seasons in Extreme E from 2021 to 2023.[29] She played a pivotal role in the team's 2022 drivers' and teams' championship victory alongside her teammate.[36] Prior to joining X44, Gutiérrez became the first woman to win the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies in the T3 category in 2021, and she achieved a historic stage victory in the 2021 Dakar Rally, the first by a female driver since 2005.[37] Sébastien Loeb, a French rally legend and nine-time World Rally Championship titleholder, was the male driver for Team X44 in its inaugural 2021 season and the 2022 championship-winning campaign.[37] His extensive experience contributed to the team's strong qualifying performances, including securing the fastest times in all five X Prix events of 2021.[37] Loeb's partnership with Gutiérrez helped X44 finish as runners-up in the 2021 standings before clinching the title the following year.[36] Fraser McConnell, a Jamaican rallycross specialist, replaced Loeb as the male driver for Team X44 in the 2023 season, partnering with Gutiérrez for her third year with the team.[29] Known for his early successes in rallycross, including winning the 2022 Nitro Rallycross European Supercar Championship, McConnell brought youthful energy and demonstrated strong pace in the season opener at NEOM, Saudi Arabia.[31] Despite early competitiveness, the duo finished fourth in the final standings.[3] Team X44 adhered to Extreme E's gender-balanced policy, which mandates each team field one male and one female driver sharing equal responsibilities in the same vehicle.[38]Management and Technical Staff
Team X44 was founded by seven-time Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton in 2020, who serves as the team's owner and has overseen its strategic direction since inception, including initiatives to promote diversity and inclusion within the organization.[39][40] In its inaugural seasons of 2021 and 2022, the team partnered with Prodrive as its operational collaborator, handling engineering, logistics, and on-site race operations to support the all-electric Spark ODYSSEY 21 vehicles.[41][42] For the 2023 season, X44 transitioned to Rodin Carlin as its technical partner, which brought enhanced engineering expertise and operational support to refine vehicle performance and team structure.[3][43] This shift aligned with a revamped team direction emphasizing inclusivity, appointing Stephanie Carlin as team principal and Stephanie Travers as deputy team principal to lead daily operations and foster a more diverse workforce.[40][5] The team's technical efforts centered on sustainable practices, including optimized battery management and vehicle setups tailored to Extreme E's demanding off-road environments, contributing to its recognition for environmental responsibility.[44] From 2022 onward, title sponsor Vida Carbon integrated carbon offsetting into operations, enabling X44 to achieve 100% offset of its seasonal emissions through verified credits, a key element of the team's sustainability focus.[45][44]Results and Records
Championship Achievements
Team X44 entered the inaugural 2021 Extreme E season as a rookie team and quickly established itself through consistent qualifying performance, securing the top aggregate qualifying position—effectively earning pole—in all five events, including the Desert X-Prix in Saudi Arabia, Ocean X-Prix in Senegal, Arctic X-Prix in Greenland, Island X-Prix in the Azores, and Jurassic X-Prix in the United Kingdom.[46][47][48][49] This strong debut pace highlighted the team's potential, though they finished second in the teams' standings with 155 points (tied on points with Rosberg X Racing but behind on countback due to fewer event wins).[50][51] The team's breakthrough came in the 2022 season, where X44 Vida Carbon Racing won both the Teams' and Drivers' Championships, securing Hamilton's first title as a team owner. Drivers Sébastien Loeb and Cristina Gutiérrez combined for 86 points over the 10-round campaign, clinching the crown in a tense finale at the Uruguay Natural Energy X-Prix, where a third-place finish proved decisive after trailing Rosberg X Racing by 17 points entering the event.[52][53][54] Cristina Gutiérrez emerged as the 2022 Extreme E Drivers' Champion, becoming the first female winner in the series' history and capping a season that included four podiums for the team, notably their victory at the Copper X-Prix in Chile.[55][56] Sébastien Loeb's veteran expertise, drawn from his nine World Rally Championship titles, added a layer of rally heritage to the electric off-road format, contributing to the team's resilient performance amid mechanical challenges.[53][29] Across three seasons in Extreme E, Team X44 holds one teams' championship title from 2022, along with multiple podium finishes and the inaugural Sustainability Award for fan engagement in 2021, but failed to defend their crown in 2023, ending fourth in the standings with 121 points.[57][34]Race-by-Race Summary
Team X44's 2021 season in Extreme E featured consistent performances across five events, with drivers Sébastien Loeb and Cristina Gutiérrez at the wheel. At the Desert X-Prix in Saudi Arabia, the team finished 3rd in the final after a strong qualifying effort.[58] In the Ocean X-Prix in Senegal, they placed 4th, having advanced from the semi-final but finishing two laps down in the final due to race incidents.[59] The Arctic X-Prix in Greenland saw X44 secure 4th position in the final, demonstrating solid pace in cold conditions.[60] At the Enel X Island X-Prix on Terceira Island in the Azores, the team ended 5th after Loeb retired from the final with broken steering following heavy semi-final damage.[61] The season concluded at the Jurassic X-Prix in the UK, where X44 claimed their first victory by winning the final, tying points with the championship leaders on countback.[62] In 2022, Loeb and Gutiérrez continued as drivers, with the team, now known as X44 Vida Carbon Racing, achieving podium results in several rounds. The season opened at the Desert X-Prix in Saudi Arabia, where X44 finished 3rd in the final behind Rosberg X Racing and Acciona Sainz XE Team.[21] At the Copper X-Prix in Chile, the team was promoted to 1st after post-race penalties for McLaren and others, marking their win of the season despite starting from the crazy race.[63] The Island X-Prix in Sardinia resulted in a 4th place finish in the final, with Ganassi promoted to victory following a disqualification for Rosberg X Racing.[64] At the Energy X Prix on the Isle of Man, X44 took 2nd in the final, showing strong recovery from qualifying. The season finale at the Uruguay Natural Energy X-Prix saw the team finish 3rd in the final after winning the crazy race to advance, securing key points in a dramatic event.[27] For the 2023 season, Cristina Gutiérrez paired with new driver Fraser McConnell, as X44 Vida Carbon Racing aimed to defend their title. They started strongly at the Desert X-Prix in NEOM, Saudi Arabia (Round 1), winning the final with dominant pace in both qualifying and the race. In Round 2 at Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, the team finished 5th, impacted by challenging icy terrain. Round 3 at the Hydro X-Prix in Peterhead, Scotland, resulted in a 4th place, hindered by a mechanical issue during the final that limited their progress. At Round 4, the Island X-Prix I in Sardinia, X44 placed 4th in the final, maintaining competitive form. Round 5 at Island X-Prix II in Sardinia saw a 6th place finish. They rebounded at Round 6, the Hydro X-Prix II in Peterhead, Scotland, finishing 2nd after a strong semi-final performance. Round 7 at Island X-Prix III in Sardinia resulted in a win, securing their second victory of the season. Round 8 featured a 4th place in the grand final. The season's penultimate round at the Uruguay Natural Energy X-Prix (Round 9) saw the team secure 3rd in the final, with Gutiérrez and McConnell delivering consistent laps. The season ended at Round 10, the Antofagasta Minerals Copper X-Prix in Chile, with a 3rd place finish.[31][65][34]Statistical Overview
Team X44, competing in Extreme E from 2021 to 2023, participated in 25 races, achieving 4 victories and 10 podium finishes, which represented a 40% podium rate in finals reached. These results contributed to a total of 362 points across three seasons, highlighted by a teams' championship title in 2022. The team's performance underscored a strong emphasis on speed in qualifying and early-season dominance, though race-day execution varied in later years.[66] The points accumulation by season reflects X44's competitive trajectory:| Season | Points | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 155 | 2nd |
| 2022 | 86 | 1st |
| 2023 | 121 | 4th |
| Total | 362 | - |