This location is absolutely new territory for all drivers and motorsport fans: in Kangerlussuaq, a small town in Greenland, the all-electric Extreme E series will be holding its next event this weekend (August 28 and 29). For the ABT CUPRA XE team, the third race is also like a fresh new start to the season: for the first time, Jutta Kleinschmidt and Mattias Ekström will go into a race weekend together and prepared. After an Extreme E season with many challenges so far, the goal now is a clean weekend and a trophy.

After Jutta Kleinschmidt stepped in at short notice at the end of May, the only female Dakar winner to date now forms a permanent team with Mattias Ekström for the remainder of the season. In Greenland, the German-Swedish duo will now face a mixture of stones, gravel and sand instead of soft dunes and beaches as in Saudi Arabia and Senegal. One lap is around nine kilometers long and has to be driven twice in qualifying, the semifinals and the final – once by Kleinschmidt and once by Ekström. In the final, five cars compete against each other in a race for the first time in Greenland.

Jutta Kleinschmidt: “Felt welcome immediately”

“When I joined Extreme E as a Championship Driver and Advisor, I never thought that one day I would be competing as a permanent driver alongside Mattias – it’s still like a dream come true. I immediately felt very welcome in the ABT team. The challenge in Senegal was to get used to the car and all the procedures within a few hours. The challenge in Greenland will be different: After the hot temperatures and all the sand in the desert, we now have to get used to the completely different conditions in the Arctic. I can’t wait to get to Greenland and enjoy my first real weekend with Mattias and the team.”

Mattias Ekström: “Want smooth weekends”

“For us, the Greenland event is like a little fresh start to the season. Jutta is the ‘Queen of the Dakar’ and I’m still almost a rookie. That’s why it’s also special for me to have her in the team. In Senegal we had no preparation and still did some pretty good runs. Now we’ve had some time to look into things and prepare better. We have three race weekends left and we want to make them as smooth and successful as possible. This championship is far from over.”

Extreme E live all around the world

Extreme E has succeeded in attracting renowned television partners around the world. A complete list of all channels is available here: www.extreme-e.com

Racing for a Reason: The challenges around Kangerlussuaq

Extreme E is not just about motorsport, it’s also about racing against climate change. Each event is used by the series and teams to draw attention to particular challenges facing the region. Climate change has contributed to the Arctic warming at twice the global average, leading to the accelerated disappearance of Arctic sea ice. With less sea ice, fewer of the sun’s rays are reflected, leaving the ocean to absorb more energy in the form of heat – further accelerating warming. Some predictions say there may be virtually no summer sea ice in the Arctic inside a generation.

The venue for the third event is the retreating Russell Glacier near Kangerlussuaq to raise awareness of the rate of ice melt at the poles: The races will be held in an area once occupied by a mighty glacier. With the help of the world’s leading Arctic expert, Professor Peter Wadhams, Extreme E supports research to protect Arctic ice.

GridPlay: How fans can support ABT CUPRA XE

The best starting position in the final can bring a preliminary decision – and that is in the hands of the fans. From August 24 until 60 minutes after the start of the “Crazy Race” on Sunday, fans can vote twice a day via the Extreme E website or on Twitter using the hashtags “#GridPlay #JuttaKleinschmidt” or “#GridPlay #MattiasEkström”. The votes are added up, and the team with the most fans gets to choose its position. Additional strategic element: Even the teams that do not reach the final play an important role by passing on their votes to a team of their choice.