Since the birth of the Extreme E, the organization of the first off-road electric SUV competition has included the participation of 10 teams in its inaugural season, and that was precisely the number of registered squads for the race held in the Al Ula desert, Saudi Arabia.
However, throughout the series’ communication and logistics mobilization process, the Techeetah team never appeared, even though their presence had been confirmed.
With at least 20 days to go before the Desert X Prix on April 3 and 4, Extreme E announced through its web portal that finally the squad of Chinese origin would not participate in the first race of the five scheduled in the first stage of the tournament .
“The team has cited the COVID-19 pandemic as the main factor in the decision, mentioning the global travel restrictions that prevented their arrival in Europe to test their car and drivers, in addition to carrying out the necessary preparations,” he reported the organization.
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Likewise, the data supplied at that time (March 12) showed that Techeetah left the possibility open of competing in a later race, that is, in the Ocean X Prix of Senegal. At the same time, they indicated that the team: “Will update its future competitor status in the coming weeks.”
However, in the absence of 17 days to start the race in Senegal’s Pink Lake, stipulated between May 29 and 30, Techeetah has not offered any official statement, which indicates (so far) that season number 1 ° of the Extreme E will take place with nine teams on its grid.
Given the circumstances, the organization of the “Electric Odyssey” will surely be forced to formalize an elimination format for the four subsequent races.
For now, fans of the series are on the lookout, given the good role that Techeetah has played in Formula E, its incorporation into Extreme E would inject a dose into the already exciting race of 100% electric SUVs.
Written by | Osward Rubio
