XITE Energy Racing will have their third male driver of the 2022 Extreme E season as Ezequiel Pérez Companc makes his début at the season-ending Energy X Prix on 26/27 November, teaming up with Tamara Molinaro. The Argentine will be the first South American to compete in the series.
Companc does not have much of an off-road résumé as he comes from grand tourers. He mainly races in the ADAC GT Masters and GT World Challenge Europe for his Madpanda Motorsport team, which he established in 2020 with help from QEV Technologies. The extent of his off-road driving came in September when he tested an FIA World Rallycross RX2e car, a QEV creation. QEV initially entered Extreme E as their own team before allying with ACCIONA and Carlos Sainz to form ACCIONA | Sainz XE Team.
Five rounds into the ADAC GT Masters season, Companc is twenty-fifth in points with a best finish of fifth at the Nürburgring. Companc and Fabian Schiller won the GTWEC Sprint Cup’s Silver Cup class at the season ender in Valencia in September. In 2014, he won the Ferrari Challenge Europe Trofeo Pirelli Am championship.
“It is an honour to be the first South American driver in the series and going racing in South America so close to my hometown of Buenos Aires, Argentina, in such a prestigious event makes it a special one for me,” said Companc. “Coming from GT racing, the format, the car, and the track layouts of this series will all be new to me. I am looking forward to learning from my experienced teammate Tamara and from my engineer, who I have already started preparing with for the Energy X Prix.
“Last month I had my first electric racing experience with an RX2e and had a lot of fun.” Getting behind the wheel and taming the ODYSSEY 21 in such a short time will be a big challenge, but I am ready to take on the beast.”
While his background outside of pavement is relatively limited, his family has a history in off-roading. His father Jorge was a co-driver for Federico Villagra in the World Rally Championship from 2001 to 2011, while Jorge’s brother Luis drove in WRC during that same stretch. Jorge and Villagra also attempted the 2016 Dakar Rally together and finished third in the Truck category, contributing to an IVECO effort that briefly stalled the decade-plus reign of KAMAZ-master over the class.
His other uncle Pablo was an open-wheel racer who later switched to GT cars. Luis also has sports car experience including two class podiums at Le Mans and currently contesting a limited schedule in IMSA.
“I would like to thank XITE Energy Racing for their trust in choosing me, and my partners who support me and understand the worldwide cause that Extreme E is fighting for, which I can’t wait to be part of,” he continued. “We have just under two months to keep working hard to arrive as prepared as possible in Punta del Este to fight for a good result.”
Companc replaces Timo Scheider, who scored a podium at the first Island X Prix but returned to his original duties as Extreme E’s Championship Driver after the most recent event in Chile. Scheider explained his departure came as XITE found a driver with funding; Companc’s grandfather Gregori is one of the wealthiest people in Argentina. Team owner Oliver Bennett ran the season opener in Saudi Arabia before stepping aside for Scheider.
“We are delighted to welcome Ezequiel to the Championship and look forward to seeing how XITE Energy Racing’s new lineup fares at the Energy X Prix,” stated Extreme E chief Alejandro Agag. “It is great that Ezequiel will become our first South American driver, bringing more diversity to the Extreme E paddock and I am sure fans of the series will be keeping a close eye on his progress alongside Tamara. Making his début in South America will be a special moment for Ezequiel and we wish him well.”
