Extreme E: Heikki Kovalainen joins JBXE for Season 3
Former Formula One winner Heikki Kovalainen has signed for JBXE to drive alongside Hedda Hosås for Extreme E Season 3.
After finishing third in Season 1, Jenson Button’s outfit dropped to ninth in the standings last term – despite securing a podium finish in NEOM Island X Prix I. JBXE will be aiming to bounce back with their new driver line-up in 2023 with their Nordic duo behind the wheel.
Jenson Button, Team Owner of JBXE, said: “Delighted to be announcing Heikki as our new male driver and also to have Hedda continue with the team! To bring such an established name from the world of motorsport and someone I had the pleasure of racing against in Formula One is brilliant for the team and the series.
“Following his move into the world of rally, it was a no brainer for the team to approach him and I’m over the moon he’s agreed to join the team and equally delighted to be keeping Hedda after she has continued to make great progress in the car, she fully deserves her place.”
Kovalainen secured his single career victory at the 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix, becoming the 100th driver to win a Formula One race. The 41-year-old becomes the fourth F1 name to enter Extreme E as he joins team owners Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg and Jenson Button.
Heikki Kovalainen, JBXE, said: “I’m really excited to join JBXE in the Extreme E series in Saudi Arabia! It’s a great championship with great teams and drivers so I’m looking forward to competing with them.
“It’ll be something new again in my career. After my Formula One stint I’ve done GTs as well as some rallying and I’m always looking for new challenges and looking forward to giving this a try. It’ll be a steep learning curve no doubt but I’m up for it and hopefully we’ll get up to speed quickly.”
Kovalainen will make his Extreme E debut alongside Hosås at the Desert X Prix in NEOM, Saudi Arabia, on 11-12 March.
As part of the all-electric series’ new sporting format, the Finn will have two shots at his first Extreme E victory, as all X Prix weekends become double-headers in Season 3, for double the racing but zero the impact on the environment.
