environmental projects at each destination. And it aims to be totally carbon-neutral by the end of 2021. The concept is seen by sponsors and host countries as a win-win; governments have welcomed it with open arms. “It’s green, you promote their country for tourism, and it also gives a good image,” says Agag. “For a politician, it’s a no-brainer.” He’s speaking from experience: the suave and savvy 50-year-old Spanish businessman enjoyed a promising career in politics before becoming a major player in motor racing. It’s an unlikely backstory for an environmental champion, but, as the founder of electric streetracing series Formula E, Agag has done plenty to wean motorsports off fossil fuels and into eco-rehab. This commitment to leaving no damage in its wake means Extreme E will have no ticket-buying spectators, but its impact will be felt. Media buzz was already growing when, in September, Formula One megastar Lewis Hamilton announced his own team and it went stratospheric. Make no mistake, Extreme E will be very big indeed.
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f you’re serious about making a splash as a green A-lister, you need your own boat. Jacques Cousteau had the Calypso. Greta Thunberg has her zerocarbon yacht. Conservation organisations Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd boast entire fleets. Agag has a 30-year-old former Royal Mail ship upcycled into a ‘floating paddock’. Cars aren’t airfreighted to races but transported inside the 6,767-tonne RMS St Helena. Agag scrolls through his phone to show The Red Bulletin a picture of the vessel after her multimillion-pound refurb, sporting a new black, white and green paint job. He’s particularly pleased with the slogan across the hull: “Not
When Lewis Hamilton announced his own team, the buzz went stratospheric 54
electric… yet!” The engines have been converted to run on low-sulphur marine diesel, cleaner than the heavy diesel (basically crude oil) commonly used in shipping. RMS St Helena can cruise on one engine to lower fuel consumption and emissions, and, says Agag, will one day run on biofuel. Travelling by sea rather than air generates a third of the carbon emissions, but what happens as this ship sails is more amazing still. In steel shipping containers onboard are hydrogen fuel-cell generators – portable emission-free power sources that can charge the cars either at sea or at the race site. “Green hydrogen is produced by solar panels or wind, depending on location,” explains Agag. “We’ll prove you can power remote areas with clean energy.” He hopes this offgrid technology might one day supply emergency power to disaster zones. RMS St Helena sleeps 110 in 62 cabins, and her 20m swimming pool has been stripped out to make space for a science lab inspired by Cousteau’s Calypso. This is not just for show – Extreme E has also employed a committee of climate experts to provide education and research. Since her 18-month refit in Liverpool, the ship has been in strict quarantine. After virus outbreaks obliterated the cruise industry, Agag is not taking any chances – a stowaway microbe could scuttle the entire adventure. Organising a global racing series of this magnitude was never going to be easy, but doing it during a pandemic was a huge undertaking – an ever-changing obstacle course of travel restrictions, border closures and COVID testing. “It’s been challenging,” admits Agag. “Like walking with a 100-kilo backpack. But soon the backpack will drop.” And yet, even as the world ground to a standstill, his big idea gained traction. Motorsports aristocracy wanted in. Alongside newly knighted seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, F1’s Nico Rosberg and Jenson Button have their own teams, while Red Bull Racing’s engineering guru Adrian Newey oversees another. From rallying, the roster includes two-time world champion Carlos Sainz, and Sébastien Loeb, the sport’s most successful-ever driver. “They were waiting for this opportunity, hoping for off-road to become an actor in the climate action we need,” says Agag. That opportunity has finally arrived at MotorLand as they
get to test their cars for the first time: “Today, we see an idea become reality.” All 10 teams have the same car: the Odyssey 21 E-SUV, built by French firm Spark Racing Technology and powered by dual Formula E motors. This is the teams’ first test at full power – 400kW (536hp). “I’m happy with their reliability,” says Agag, smiling. “Normally with new technology and so many cars, a lot of things go wrong. But the only thing that has is the fog.” THE RED BULLETIN
