Jenson Button will step aside as a driver for Extreme E’s second round in Senegal, with the Formula 1 champion instead focussing on his team owner role.
Kevin Hansen, son of Rallycross legend Kenneth Hansen, will drive the JBXE car alongside Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky for the Ocean XPrix later this month.
Hansen is no stranger to the series having joined the drivers’ programme in 2019 and has been instrumental in the testing process alongside Åhlin-Kottulinsky, and his brother, and Andretti United driver, Timmy Hansen.
Hansen has been a fixture in the FIA World Rallycross Championship for a number of years, securing event wins and multiple podiums for Team Peugeot-Hansen.
“I’m really excited to join Formula 1 World Champion Jenson Button and his JBXE team for the Extreme E X Prix – it’s a huge opportunity,” commented Hansen.
“I’ve been so involved in the series and developing the car since the beginning, from the early testing programme right to Aragon last year, so to get this opportunity now with Jenson is so nice and I’m super excited to get to Senegal and see what I can do.
“I’m so happy to be joining Mikaela also. I hope together we can be strong as I believe she is one of the strongest drivers in the championship and I’ve known her for a very long time. She’s very talented so this is a huge opportunity for us to be working together, and we have so much history in sharing the car together so it is going to be nice to be with her in this event, and I think we can do a good job together.”
Button added: “I’m delighted to announce that an opportunity has arisen for Kevin Hansen to compete for JBXE in Senegal. I’m obviously wearing two hats with JBXE as both a driver, but also team owner, and it’s the latter which means having the opportunity to put Kevin in the car for this race was one I didn’t want to pass up.”
Button will be back behind the wheel for the Arctic XPrix in Greenland in August: “I can’t wait to see him representing JBXE in Senegal and I look forward to being back behind the wheel in Greenland.”
