Four teams confirmed for FIA Extreme H World Cup debut in Saudi Arabia
The FIA Extreme H World Cup is beginning to take shape. Four teams have now been confirmed for the hydrogen-powered championship’s inaugural race in Qiddiya, Saudi Arabia, from 9-11 October – with Hansen Motorsport, Carl Cox Motorsport, JBX Powered by Team Monaco, and STARD all signed up.
The grid will first line up for Extreme E’s ‘Final Lap’ farewell on 4-5 October before making the historic switch to hydrogen a week later.
Hansen Motorsport
First to be announced was Hansen Motorsport, the Swedish rallycross powerhouse led by Kenneth and Susann Hansen and now run by their son, Timmy. The squad will field Andreas Bakkerud and Catie Munnings.
Bakkerud joins after years as one of Hansen’s fiercest rivals in rallycross, while Munnings has become one of Extreme E’s most consistent performers with eight podiums across four seasons.
Hansen’s environmental credentials are also strong – the outfit was the first in rallycross to achieve carbon neutrality, holds FIA 3-star Environmental Accreditation, and is part of the UN’s Sports for Climate Action initiative.
Timmy Hansen said stepping up as Team Principal was “a special moment” after learning the ropes from his parents.
Carl Cox Motorsport
After a year away, Carl Cox Motorsport returns with a driver line-up of Timo Scheider and Klara Andersson.
Scheider, a two-time DTM champion, will also serve as Team Principal, while Andersson has already made her mark in Extreme E as the series’ youngest winner and podium finisher.
Founded by DJ and motorsport devotee Carl Cox, the team has raced everywhere from the Isle of Man TT to drag strips in New Zealand. It made its Extreme E debut in 2023 and scored a podium just three races in.
Cox said: “It is very important to me to be involved with the legacy project, so back to the track, where Carl Cox Motorsport belongs. Oh Yess!!”
Button stays in the game
Jenson Button’s squad returns as JBX Powered by Team Monaco, fielding Finland’s Tommi Hallman and Italian-Spanish racer Christine Giampaoli Zonca (Christine GZ).
Hallman arrives with a string of rallycross titles to his name, including the RallyX Nordic SuperCar Lites championship, Nitrocross NEXT European title, and multiple RX2e and RallyX wins. He also served as championship driver for Extreme E’s Hydro X Prix.
Christine GZ brings continuity, having raced in Extreme E since its launch with Xite Energy, Veloce and Carl Cox Motorsport, taking a podium on her most recent outing.
Beyond Extreme E, she has experience in rallying, Baja events, and broadcasting roles in Formula 1 and Formula E.
JBX is backed by Team Monaco, co-founded earlier this year by kite-surfing champion Maxime Nocher and Formula E investor Chris Taylor, with its own Extreme H entry planned for 2026.
Button said: “The team has competed in every round of Extreme E since the series began so to continue with this project into its new phase is super exciting – and what a fantastic venue to kick things off in Saudi Arabia.”
STARD joins with O’Donovan and Sorensen
Founded by Michael Sakowicz and part of Manfred Stohl’s Stohl Group, STARD is best known for pioneering alternative-fuel race projects, including the first FIA-compliant electric rallycross car and the sport’s first all-electric race win.
The driver line-up pairs British rallycross prospect Patrick O’Donovan with American racer Amanda Sorensen.
O’Donovan, Motorsport UK’s Young Driver of the Year in 2021, has titles in RX150 Rallycross and the European Rallycross Supercar championship, along with RX2e wins and a World RX debut.
Sorensen has built a reputation for versatility – the youngest female podium finisher in Formula Drift, a Nitrocross Side-by-Side competitor, and an Extreme E racer with podiums on only her second and third starts.
Stohl said: “With STARD being such an innovative company I think it’s a perfect match for us to be on the grid of Extreme H. Combine that with Amanda Sorensen and Patrick O’Donovan, two very gifted and young drivers and you have the recipe to something great.”
The stage is set
All four teams will race first in the ‘Final Lap’ Extreme E event on 4-5 October before lining up for the inaugural FIA Extreme H World Cup from 9-11 October.
The races will be held in Qiddiya City, a vast new motorsport and entertainment complex under construction near Riyadh, with the Tuwaiq Mountains as the backdrop.
Extreme H will make history as the world’s first international championship for hydrogen-powered racing cars. More teams are expected to be confirmed in the coming days.
