Andrea Perilli2009 Formula 1 champion Jenson Button will join Extreme E as both a driver and team owner of the JBXE outfit.
A well-known figure in the single-seater world, Button has been participating in a variety of racing series ever since his last F1 race in 2017, and now makes the switch to off-road electric racing.
The Brit will play a double role in his Extreme E venture, as he owns the JBXE team, and will be one of the outfit’s two-driver lineup while contesting the inaugural season.
“Whilst we will of course compete to win on track, as a collective we will also work to maximise awareness whilst racing in places that have been damaged or affected by climate change over the years”, said Button.
The series is set to kick off in April 2021, taking electric racing to different landscapes all across the world, such as deserts, glaciers, and jungles. Button joins a growing field of experienced and well-known racing figures that will take the challenge.
“Jenson, alongside his peers, will give further weight to our mission to raise awareness of the global climate crisis, while doing what we love – racing”, said Alejandro Agag, CEO of Extreme E.
“It’s going to be fantastic to see the biggest names in motorsport on the starting line in Saudi Arabia in April – it is set to be an incredible form of entertainment, but with a strong and purposeful message around our planet”, he added.
Button commented that “JBXE has been a long time coming and I’m both delighted and proud to announce its formation and entry into the inaugural Extreme E Championship.
“What Alejandro Agag, Ali Russell and the team have managed to create is nothing short of incredible, and thanks to them and our partners Apater Capital and Pipt we get to be a part of it”.
His teammate is set to be announced soon in the upcoming weeks, as Button himself has confirmed.
Image courtesy of Extreme E
Bethonie Waring
