The NEOM Island X Prix doubleheader on 6/7 and 9/10 July will be contested on a 6.2-km course that is mostly similar to the one used in the 2021 edition (pictured below), save for some major changes. Located on the Capo Teulada military site in Sardinia, the track is shorter than the seven kilometres of 2021 but still maintains the same basic layout and rocky terrain, the latter of which is especially impacted by the hot Italian summer.
The track runs counter-clockwise and begins with multiple lane choices that drivers can run before rejoining at a left-hand turn that traverses bumpy terrain. A series of hills and a downhill drop take cars to a water hazard that begins the Continental Traction Challenge. This “super sector” ends with another water crossing.
A sector nicknamed The Hilltop follows, the incline of which is evident by its name, and a fork in the road where drivers can once again select their direction. Upon merging into a pair of left-hand turns, the final run to the start/finish line begins with a large jump and the “Rollercoaster” chicane, both of which feature multiple elevation changes. The switch bay is located before the multi-lane zone.
The jump and Rollercoaster are new additions to the course for 2022, replacing the downhill section of the previous year. The fork after the Hilltop was also not present in the 2021 layout.
“Extreme E has been working closely with Automobile Club d’Italia—the national sports federation co-organising and coordinating the event—the Region of Sardinia, and its Tourism Department plus the Ministry of Defense and the Italian Army to deliver what promises to be a week of double the racing and double the excitement,” reads a statement from Extreme E.
A shakedown of the course will take place on Tuesday, 5 July, followed by qualifying on Wednesday and racing for the doubleheader’s first round on Thursday. Rosberg X Racing is the defending winner.
