News

• Ulrich Fritz: "We are impressed by the concept and the people behind Extreme E.

Affalterbach, 12th July 2019 – #HWAstalavista – that is this weekend's motto for HWA RACELAB. As the team hands over the baton to the Mercedes-Benz EQ Formula E Team at the final round of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship in New York, Team Principal Ulrich Fritz has already announced the next big challenge: The plan for HWA RACELAB to enter the new fully-electric off-road racing series, Extreme E.

After ABB FIA Formula E (2018/19), FIA Formula 3 (since 2019) and FIA Formula 2 (since 2019, in cooperation with Arden International Motorsport), Extreme E (from 2021) now represents a new cornerstone in the broad range of HWA motorsport commitments. For the first time, the company will dedicate itself to a challenge in the field of off-road racing. All future Extreme E competitors will be entering uncharted territory, as the regulations technology, venues and series marketing will differ greatly from the motorsport formats that have become so familiar in motorsport.

From January 2021, Extreme E will see twelve teams go head to head in a tournament format. The off-road legs will take place in the toughest possible conditions - from extreme heat (Sahara), humidity (Amazon) and altitude (Himalayas) to bitter cold (the Arctic). Races will be broadcast as a unique sport-documentary TV series. Furthermore, Extreme E demands climate neutrality and will help to restore damaged ecosystems in all the venues.

HWA is certainly not lacking confidence, pioneering spirit or expertise as it looks to master this latest challenge: With eleven driver titles and over 180 victories as a factory team for Mercedes-AMG, HWA is the most successful team ever in the DTM. Last season, the company gained valuable experience with electric race cars in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship: HWA RACELAB had already been confirmed as the best rookie team in Formula E history before this season's finale in New York.

Ulrich Fritz, CEO HWA AG:
"We are looking forward to Extreme E. This is an even bigger adventure for us than when we joined Formula E last year. However, I am confident that we will again be able to demonstrate our 360° motorsport expertise in the extreme conditions we will face In the new series. We are impressed by the concept and the people behind the series. We have got to know them in Formula E and have worked very well with them. The Extreme E project is a great opportunity - for us as HWA, for the technological shift towards more E-mobility, and for a more conscious approach to the environment and finite resources."

Alejandro Agag, Extreme E:
“HWA is a highly successful operation and a major, title-winning name in motorsport, so it is fantastic to be able to welcome them into our Extreme E family. Extreme E offers an entirely unique proposition in motor racing, with cutting-edge E-SUVs racing head-to-head across five of the most remote locations on the planet with a brand-new engineering challenge for teams and drivers to overcome. The sporting offering is turning heads, and the race for the inaugural title is already shaping up nicely. I’m looking forward to seeing rivalries reignited and fresh ones formed in a ground-breaking arena.”