Dakar winner joins Cupra's Extreme E team

Cupra has confirmed ex-WRC 2 champion and four-time Dakar winner Nasser Al-Attiyah is joining existing driver Jutta Kleinschmidt for the 2022 season of Extreme E.

Abt Cupra XE will roll into the first event at Neom, Saudi Arabia later this month with the highly experienced pair piloting its 400kW buggy on challenging courses.

Rules for Extreme E stipulate there must be both a male and female competitor driving for each team, and returning driver Kleinschmidt is a Dakar winner herself, being the only female to win the Dakar car division in 2001.

3

Al-Attiyah clocked his latest Dakar win last month in the works Toyota HiLux and is set to experience the electric rally competition for the first time.

“I am proud to be a part of the team now," said Al-Attiyah. "Expectations are high: with the experience of ABT Cupra XE and Jutta [Kleinschmidt] by my side, we are determined to race for victories. I can’t wait to sit in the car and have fun.”

Kleinschmidt added that with the experience of Al-Attiyah, the team will be in a better position for a championship victory this season.

“Last year we created a solid basis and fought for front positions. This year the challenge is to be even more consistent in taking wins and trophies, and we are ready for that," said Kleinschmidt.

3

“Being able to share my passion for off-road racing with such a great team and now a Dakar star like Nasser [Al-Attiyah] is fantastic motivation. I just want to start the season.”

Last year, Australian racing car driver Molly Taylor claimed victory in the inaugural Extreme E season alongside Swedish team-mate Johan Kristoffersson in Nico Rosberg's Rosberg X Racing team.

Extreme E events are staged around the globe and are carefully planned to minimise environmental impact, using the same underlying Spark Odyssey electric buggy producing 400kW from a 52kWh battery pack to power to all four wheels. The result is 0-100km/h on a loose surface in around 4 seconds.

Cupra's 2022 season follows its 2021 entry as the first manufacturer-backed team. The '22 rally car is the Tavascan XE which previews its upcoming electric SUV. On the road, the brand is launching in Australia this year with its all-electric Cupra Born.