X44, the Extreme E team formed by Lewis Hamilton, have been named as the inaugural winners of the electric off-road championship's Sustainability Award, after topping the 2021 Count Us In Challenge. Extreme E and Count Us In - a global movement aimed at tackling climate change - teamed up for the first-ever season of the series to inspire fans to lead a less carbon-intensive lifestyle and reduce their footprint. Extreme E sees identical 550-bhp SUVs go racing in some of the most remote parts of the world, with the aim of highlighting the climate change challenges faced by different ecosystems. Practical steps for fans included avoiding single-use plastic, walking and cycling more, eating more plant-based foods and driving an electric vehicle. Each step was attributed to fans' favourite teams, with the squad earning the most steps taking home the Sustainability Award. X44 ultimately took honours with 792 steps pledged over the course of the season, with Jenson Button's JBXE team (749 steps) and Nico Rosberg's Rosberg X Racing entry (422 steps) completing the top three. In total, the Extreme E Count Us In Challenge inspired 1,231 fans to take 3,207 steps, saving 1,241,223 KG of CO2.
Hamilton's team make their mark in Extreme E
World Rally Championship legend Sebastien Loeb, who raced for Hamilton's team in 2021, spoke on their behalf as he welcomed the announcement. "I was very happy to learn that X44 won the Extreme E Sustainability Award for 2021," Loeb commented. "I joined the team hoping to discover more about the environment while doing what I love, and I have learned so much from the series and the different places we visited – in fact, I even bought my first electric car last year! "To know that our fans have come on this journey with us and are making their own commitment to have a positive impact on the planet is inspiring and I feel good about what we can achieve when we work together." Hamilton's team were narrowly beaten to the 2021 title by Rosberg's, with the showdown bringing back memories of their previous F1 battles . Extreme E's second season will kick off in Neom, Saudi Arabia on the weekend of 19-20 February.
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