Having edged seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton to the 2021 world title, young star Max Verstappen can now slow down and reflect on arguably the most thrilling and epic finale to a
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Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton has announced he will have a team competing in the inaugural all-electric off-road racing Extreme E series next year.
Extreme E is a series founded by the same team behind Formula E, with races hosted across the globe to promote electrification, sustainability and equality.
Its maiden season will be staged in five remote locations which have already been damaged or affected by climate issues, including the Arctic and the Amazon, raising awareness of climate change.
Hamilton, 35, called the opportunity to have his own team an “exciting new project” and said the series appealed to him because of its “environmental focus.”
“Every single one of us has the power to make a difference, and it means so much to me that I can use my love of racing, together with my love for our planet, to have a positive impact,” he said in a statement.
“I’m looking forward to the team taking part in this new series and I think it’s incredible that we can do so whilst raising awareness about the climate crisis.”
The six-time world champion’s team, X44, is named in reference to his F1 racing number and will enter season one of the Extreme E Championship. The first X Prix race is scheduled to take place in early 2021.
READ: The 13-year-old aiming to become Ferrari’s first female Formula 1 driver
Hamilton has long been an advocate for a greener world. In a series of messages posted on his Instagram account last year, he labeled the world a “mess” and wrote that he felt like “giving up on everything” before encouraging everyone to go vegan.
Extreme E will work with scientific experts from the universities of Oxford and Cambridge to raise awareness on specific issues, such as rising carbon emissions, melting ice caps, deforestation, desertification, droughts, plastic pollution and rising sea levels.
Each race will incorporate two laps over a distance of approximately 16 kilometers (10 miles), with two drivers – one male and one female – completing a lap apiece.
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Races will not be open to spectators, to minimize the effect on the environment, with fans instead following the action on TV.
The command center for the championship series will be on board the RMS St. Helena, a ship undergoing a multi-million euro transformation to minimize emissions and transform her into the championship’s operations hub.
X44 is the seventh team to sign up, joining Chip Ganassi Racing, Andretti Autosport, Abt, HWA, Techeetah, QEV Technologies, and fellow British-owned outfit, Veloce Racing.
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Nike says it’s time to stand up for equality in a new ad campaign.
The company on Sunday launched a star-studded short film titled “Equality” to mark Black History Month.
The ad features Nike-sponsored athletes LeBron James, Serena Williams, Kevin Durant, Gabby Douglas, among others, “amplifying their voices in an effort to uplift, open eyes and bring the positive values that sport can represent into wider focus,” the company said.
Actor Michael B. Jordan voices the film, and singer Alicia Keys performs a rendition of Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come.”
“Is this the land history promised?” Jordan says. “Here, within these lines, on this concrete court, this patch of turf, here, you’re defined by your actions — not your looks or beliefs.”
Nike will feature ads from the campaign on social media, billboards and posters throughout cities in the United States and Canada. It will also sell “Equality” branded T-shirts and shoes as part of its annual Black History Month collection.
Apparel from the campaign will be worn by Nike athletes during NBA All-Star weekend.
Nike said it is donating $5 million this year to organizations like MENTOR and PeacePlayers, which it says “advance equality in communities” across the country.
Related: Pro-Trump boycott calls follow Super Bowl ads
Nike’s new campaign comes one week after numerous companies launched ads about inclusion and acceptance during the Super Bowl.
Budweiser, 84 Lumber, Coca-Cola (COKE), Airbnb, Kia and Tiffany (TIF) were among the brands that features messages about immigration, equality and environmentalism.
— CNNMoney’s Ahiza Garcia contributed to this story.
CNNMoney (New York) First published February 12, 2017: 12:51 PM ET
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