All-electric race series Extreme E has cancelled the final two races of the season in Brazil and Argentina due to the escalating situation in South America as COVID-19 cases continue to surge.
The off-road race championship was set to travel to Para, Brazil on 23 to 24 October before visiting Patagonia, Argentina on 11 to 12 December, but the two races have now been postponed until 2022.
Extreme E added that replacement locations are being considered, with the Western Isles of Scotland mooted as an alternative, coinciding with Glasgow’s hosting of host the United Nations Climate Change Conference in November.
“We’ve been closely monitoring the situation regarding all Extreme E locations for 2021 and have chosen to make this pre-emptive decision on racing in South America this year,” explained Alejandro Agag, Founder and Chief Executive of Extreme E.
“As a new series embarking on our opening season, our priority is to deliver a five-race calendar of events which are safe and responsible for our global participants, partners and staff to travel to and attend.
“This was not a decision made lightly, however current travel advice and restrictions have also meant we have been unable to visit the race areas in advance to undertake the necessary reconnaissance visits, which are especially vital due to the remote nature of our operations.
“We will of course continue to support our important reforestation and agroforestry initiatives which are already well underway in the region thanks to the help of Dr Francisco Olivieira and our partnership with The Nature Conservancy in Brazil.
“We would also like to thank the local authorities in Brazil and Argentina who have been supportive throughout the whole process and we hope we can return in 2022.”
Two races in Extreme E’s inaugural season have already taken place, including the Desert X Prix in Saudi Arabia and the Ocean X Prix in Senegal. The race series, which is staged in remote locations around the world, is due to travel to Greenland at the end of August for the Arctic X Prix.
Following the race series’ success, McLaren Racing announced it would enter a team into Extreme E next season, after conducting a detailed evaluation of the racing championship.
