Extreme E reveal first course for 2023 in Desert X-Prix
10th March 2023Extreme E is set to get back underway in a matter of hours and the first course has been revealed ahead of the 2023 Desert X Prix in Saudi Arabia.
On Thursday, the first course of the sport’s third season was revealed, consisting of a picturesque sprint across the Red Sea shoreline.
The season opener will provide a new test for the competing 10 teams, and the 20 drivers. The course features a variety of challenges each driver must confront and overcome such as; fast corners, extreme drops and jumps, sand hazards and terrain changes.
The main feature of the course will be the sprint along the shoreline which is expected to rank as one of the fastest, high-speed sections, the sport has ever had.
Extreme E championship driver, Andreas Bakkerud, has complimented the course. He said:
“It is my first time on an Extreme E course out here in the desert, and without doubt driving just a couple of metres from the Red Sea is pretty spectacular!”
Across the 3.4km course, the drivers will quickly make a dart to the left where they will encounter a terrain change. This is soon followed by a long right-hander before they have to make an ‘extreme’ left-hand turn to sprint along the shoreline.
At the end of the picturesque sprint across the shore, the drivers will then contend with two immediate challenges respectively; a ‘sand hazard’ and an ‘extreme drop.’ They will continue on around the right-hand corner to their final jump prior to their arrival at the switch area.
Speaking about the challenges the drivers and teams will face, Bakkerud said:
“I think this track will provide a lot of great action. There are lots of challenging sections on the track, with compressions, crests, difficult corners and two very spectacular jumps.
“A number of the turns are pretty wide, so drivers will be able to choose multiple lines out on the course – and that sort of variety will allow for lots of overtaking opportunities.
“The long straight right alongside the beach is going to be an incredible sight, too, and should provide an iconic backdrop. If you use ENOWA HyperDrive correctly here you should be able to do a great overtake.
“It is a very challenging track, but I think it will be a rewarding one for the drivers.”
The 2023 Desert X Prix will get underway on March 11 to March 12.
For both days, March 11 and March 12, 2023, Qualifying will start at 08:00 until 09:30 local time (05:00 – 06:30 GMT) while the second round of qualifying, redemption races and grand final events start at 15:00 until 17:00 (12:00 – 14:00 GMT).
That’s it for the article: Extreme E reveal first course for 2023 in Desert X-Prix!
What do you think of the first course of the season? Let us know in the comments!
Read more Extreme E here!
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Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.
I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
Kamron Kent
Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
