How XE's star power puts Formula E under pressure

By:

Matt Kew

Jan 29, 2021, 1:47 PM

With the addition of Jenson Button's own team to join the involvement of fellow Formula 1 champions Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg in Extreme E's ranks, the new electric SUV series is brimming with star power to enable it to deliver on its promise

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It's remarkable that the maiden season of Extreme E will feature three Formula 1 world champions thanks to the involvement of Messrs Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg and now Jenson Button.

Only when Hamilton renews his Mercedes contract for 2021 will F1 itself surpass the title-winning headcount, with the returning Fernando Alonso ranking alongside Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen. As statements go, it's an astonishing feat for XE and comes all before an electric motor has whirred in anger.

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Matt Kew

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Matt Kew is Autosport's F1 Editor, a role he has held since March 2022 after stints covering Formula E, Extreme E and the British Touring Car Championship.

Matt joined Autosport in 2018 to work predominantly on the magazine, but his relentless quoting of Alan Partridge meant office colleagues soon thought he would be better suited to increased field work.

Needless to say, Matt had the last laugh when he won the Motorsport UK Young Journalist of the Year Award in 2019.

His interest in motorsport was sparked by regular trips to watch ASCAR crash around Rockingham's banked oval.

Matt read politics and philosophy at the University of Sheffield - receiving first-class honours for his dissertation assessing the lack of female participation in top-tier motor racing.

He covered a wide variety of national race and rally meetings for Autosport as a freelancer before joining full-time. His best efforts to argue the merits of historic racing is undone by a questionable taste in music and James Bond actors.