Adrien Tambay will race for Abt Cupra at this weekend’s Copper X Prix in Chile, completing the 20-driver field for the Extreme E season finale.
Tambay will be the third male driver to partner Klara Andersson this season, with Sebastien Loeb having filled the position alongside her at the previous two events after Nasser Al-Attiyah’s departure from the team.
“It is a great honor for me to drive for ABT and Cupra in Chile,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to my Extreme E debut. It’s my first foray into the off-road world so there’s a lot to learn, which makes the challenge even greater. I will do my best to repay the trust placed in me. Klara and the whole team have been great in helping me prepare at home, and now it’s on to the track.
“My goal is to learn quickly and avoid as many of the traps of the series as possible. I like the format of close racing against each other, which I have already done in some ice racing. I can’t wait to experience the Extreme E world now.”
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Tambay, son of two-time grand prix winner and double Can-Am champion Patrick, is a Cupra factory driver and won the 2022 ETCR title for the marque, beating fellow Extreme E racer Mattias Ekstrom.
Like his father, who twice finished on the podium in the Dakar Rally, Tambay has also competed in ice racing, but the vast majority of his career has been in circuit racing. He initially climbed the open-wheel ladder in Europe before switching his focus to DTM and sports car racing, and tested for Abt Cupra in Formula E earlier this year (pictured above).
“We have known and respected Adrien for a long time — from the DTM and as a rookie in Formula E,” said Abt CEO Thomas Biermaier. “Now he has expressed the wish to experience his first off-road adventure with us and we would like to fulfill this wish together with Cupra.”
Tambay’s debut comes at the same venue where Andersson made her Extreme E bow last year. The Swede was drafted in to partner Al-Attiyah ahead of qualifying at the 2022 Copper X Prix after Jutta Kleinschmidt injured her back in practice. Andersson went on to help the team secure its first podium of the season in Chile, and maiden series victory a round later in Uruguay.
“The race in Chile has a special place in my heart because I made my Extreme E debut there last year,” said Andersson. “From my point of view it is the best track on the calendar: it is fast, wide, offers different lines, has spectacular jumps and allows good overtaking. For all teams this is the last big race of the season — all the more reason to give it our all and achieve a good result.
“I’m looking forward to the new challenge of working with Adrien at my side. Teaching him everything as quickly as possible and helping him to feel comfortable and fast in the car will be the most important task.”