Carlos Sainz: “Hydrogen has a future both on the road but also in racing”
World Rally Champion, and owner of Extreme E team Acciona/Sainz XE, Carlos Sainz has firmly backed the transition to hydrogen in racing.
In June, Extreme E announced that their future series from 2025 onwards would be hydrogen powered.
The hydrogen series consists of races across the world, starting with the inaugural event in the Saudi desert, then onto Europe, visiting the UK, Germany and Italy.
The final race in the 2025 Extreme H season will see the teams head to the US for the first time.
Nicknamed El Matador for his WRC success and more recently Dakar Rally wins, Carlos Sainz’s Acciona team will be part of the Extreme H line-up for next season.
Exciting prospect
During the announcement of Extreme E’s move from electric to hydrogen, El Matador said of the series: “Venturing into hydrogen is a really exciting prospect for our series.
“It is all about pioneering new paths into sustainable mobility and this championship is unique in the sense that it puts the latest technology to the test in the toughest environments in the world.
“Hydrogen has a future both on the road but also in racing. Extreme H will be a world-first and a key stepping stone into that tomorrow”.
The launch showcased the Pioneer 25 race car for the first time. With a 200 kmph top speed and 500 bhp, the new fuel-cell technology will showcase the future of hydrogen in motorsport for the first time. All teams will drive the 410kW hydrogen powered race car.
Special livery
The Pioneer 25, perched pretty aboard the St. Helena ship in front of London’s Tower Bridge, was adorned with a special Red Bull livery.
Although Extreme H are still tight-lipped about which team will be selected as the landmark sponsor for next year’s racing, it is rumoured that Sainz’s team are out in front to secure that sponsorship.
The Acciona/Sainz XE team are believed to continue racing with the #55 number, which is a nod to Sainz’s son, current Ferrari F1 driver and three-times race winner, Carlos Sainz Jr, who races with the #55 number on his car.
Extreme H will continue to showcase both male and female drivers racing at the same level, which Sainz referenced when saying: “The racing format is fantastic and the progression of the female drivers since the early days of Extreme E has been unbelievable”.
