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Team X44

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

United Kingdom X44
Founded8 September 2020; 4 years ago (2020-09-08)
No.44
NationUnited Kingdom
Founder(s)Lewis Hamilton
Folded7 February 2024; 9 months ago (2024-02-07)
Former namesTeam X44 (2021–22)
X44 Vida Carbon Racing (2022–23)
Former seriesExtreme E
Noted driversSpain Cristina Gutiérrez
France Sébastien Loeb
Jamaica Fraser McConnell
Races20
Wins4
Podiums10
Best qualifiers8
Super sectors5
Points362
Teams'
Championships
1 (2022)
Drivers'
Championships
1 (2022)
First entry2021 Desert X-Prix
Last entry2023 Copper X-Prix 2
First win2021 Jurassic X-Prix
Last win2023 Island X-Prix 2

X44, who competed as Team X44 (2021–22) and as X44 Vida Carbon Racing (2022–23, for sponsorship reasons), was a British Extreme E racing team. The team was founded by seven-time Formula One World Champion, Lewis Hamilton, and took part in the series that highlighted the impacts of climate change.[1]

History

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X44's car at Prodrive headquarters in Banbury

In September 2020, Lewis Hamilton announced that he had founded his own team for the newly established racing series. The name "X44" was chosen due to Hamilton using the number on his Formula One car since 2014, when the drivers were able to choose their own numbers.[2] In December 2020, X44 announced that Sébastien Loeb and Cristina Gutiérrez were signed as drivers for the team in the competitions first season.[3] During the team's first season, they were the fastest qualifiers for each race and won one race. X44 finished the season in second place, behind champions Rosberg X Racing (RXR) (run by Hamilton's former teammate Nico Rosberg).[4]

Loeb and Gutiérrez returned for the 2022 season. In September 2022, X44 signed a title sponsorship deal with carbon credit investment firm Vida Carbon, and raced as X44 Vida Carbon Racing.[5] The second season saw X44 finish on the podium four times in five races, including the team's only win of the season at the Copper X-Prix in Chile. Going into the final race of the season, RXR were ahead on points of X44. After the team managed to secure a podium finish, and with RXR coming last for the weekend, it saw the team finishing the season as champions, 5 points ahead of RXR.[6] Sébastien Loeb and Cristina Gutiérrez also finished the season as champions in the drivers championship.

For the 2023 season, X44 entered a partnership with British single-seater team Rodin Carlin and signed Jamaican driver Fraser McConnell to replace Loeb, alongside the returning Gutiérrez.[7] In the expanded format which saw teams racing 10 times during the season, X44 struggled to see the same form they'd had during the first two seasons. The team won two races, and finished on the podium a total of 4 times as X44 finished the season in 4th place overall.

Prior to the 2024 season, X44 announced that the team will depart from Extreme E.[8]

Team results

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Racing overview

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Year Name Car Tyres No. G. Drivers Rounds Pts. Pos.
2021 United Kingdom Team X44 Spark Odyssey 21 C 44. F Spain Cristina Gutiérrez (1–5) 155 2nd
M France Sébastien Loeb (1–5)
2022 United Kingdom Team X44 /
X44 Vida Carbon Racing
Spark Odyssey 21 C 44. F Spain Cristina Gutiérrez (1–5) 86 1st
M France Sébastien Loeb (1–5)
2023 United Kingdom X44 Vida Carbon Racing Spark Odyssey 21 C 44. F Spain Cristina Gutiérrez (1–10) 121 4th
M Jamaica Fraser McConnell (1–10)

Racing summary

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(The qualifying heats were introduced from the 2023 season)

Year Series Races Wins Pod. B/Qual. Q/H S/S Pts. Pos.
2021 Extreme E 5 1 2 5 2 155 2nd
2022 Extreme E 5 1 4 1 1 86 1st
2023 Extreme E 10 2 3 2 5 2 121 4th
Total 20 4 10 8 5 5 362

Complete Extreme E results

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(Races in bold indicate best qualifiers; races in italics indicate fastest super sector; H indicates qualifying heat winner (from season 3))

Year Entrant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Pts. Pos.
2021 Team X44 DES
Saudi Arabia
3
OCE
Senegal
4
ARC
Greenland
4
ISL
Italy
5
JUR
United Kingdom
1
155 2nd
2022 Team X44 /
X44 Vida Carbon Racing
DES
Saudi Arabia
3
ISL1
Italy
6
ISL2
Italy
2
COP
Chile
1
ENE
Uruguay
3
86 1st
2023 X44 Vida Carbon Racing DES1
Saudi Arabia
4 H
DES2
Saudi Arabia
6
HYD1
Scotland
1 H
HYD2
Scotland
9
ISL1
Italy
8
ISL2
Italy
8
ISL1
Italy
9
ISL2
Italy
1 H
COP1
Chile
3 H
COP2
Chile
3 H
121 4th

References

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  1. ^ "Extreme E unveils Scientific Committee and first Legacy Programme initiative". extreme-e.com.
  2. ^ "Lewis Hamilton founds Extreme E team". extreme-e.com.
  3. ^ "HAMILTON'S X44 EXTREME E TEAM SIGNS WRC LEGEND LOEB". the-race.com. 11 December 2020.
  4. ^ "Rosberg X Racing team win first Extreme E title". electrive.com.
  5. ^ "Lewis Hamilton's Vida Carbon Racing partnership". Vida Carbon. 7 September 2022.
  6. ^ Whitfield, Steve (28 November 2022). "Energy X-Prix: Hamilton's X44 team snatches Extreme E title as Abt wins finale". www.autosport.com.
  7. ^ "Hamilton's X44 revamps Extreme E structure partnering with Carlin". FormulaRapida.net. 7 March 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  8. ^ Newbold, James (8 February 2024). "Hamilton's X44 team departs Extreme E". Motorsport.com. Retrieved 8 February 2024.