Following his debut season as the male driver for Lewis Hamilton’s X44 Vida Carbon Extreme E Team, Jamaican race car driver Fraser McConnell managed to attract the attention of Rally legend Carlos Sainz (Sr).

Sainz, the father of Scuderia Ferrari F1 driver Carlos Sainz Jr, has enlisted the talented Jamaican for the 2024 season as the male driver on the Acciona|Sainz XE Team. Fraser will join forces with Laia Sanz, the female driver, who has been part of the team since its inception in 2021.

McConnell had a remarkable debut season in the 2023 Extreme E Series, achieving four podium finishes out of 10 rounds, including two first-place and two third-place finishes. The Acciona|Sainz Team clinched the second position overall in Extreme E, coming close to winning it all in an intense final showdown.

Sainz Sr, as a team principal, plays a highly active role in overseeing the team’s operations. With two World Rally Championships and four Dakar Championships under his belt, along with various other prestigious titles, the Spanish legend recently added to his accolades after clinching victory in the challenging 14-day Dakar Rally at the age of 61.

McConnell, 24, shared that he is appreciative of this new opportunity, especially after learning that Lewis Hamilton’s team would no longer participate in the series. He added that he is excited about driving for a seasoned professional like Carlos Sainz Sr and is looking forward to getting the challenge underway.

“I am so honoured to be selected as the male driver for the Acciona|Sainz XE Team this year and I cannot wait to get started at the first event in Saudi Arabia on February 17 and 18,” McConnell said.

The Jamaican also noted that he is anticipating a strong pairing between himself and Sanz and believes they will be competitive and challenge for top honours.

“Receiving the call from Carlos asking me to join was such a surreal moment because growing up I was such a big fan. He is an inspiration and a fierce competitor, so having that energy within the team is going to help us win races and I am sure I will be able to learn many things from him. I am also very much looking forward to teaming up with Laia, who has been so fast the last few seasons, and I can feel that we will be a very strong driver pairing and aim to win the championship together,” added McConnell.

Meanwhile, Sainz Sr says he was drawn by McConnell’s ability and ambition and believes he will prove a positive fit for the team.

“I would like to welcome Fraser to the team. He is a young and ambitious driver. He has the speed and the right attitude to grow even further. I think he will be a very good fit for the team and I am sure he will push to give us plenty of things to be happy about,” said Sainz Sr.

Acciona|Sainz also revealed that Red Bull Energy Drink will be teaming up with the team for the first time in the Extreme E off-road championship.

The 10-event 2024 series starts in Saudi Arabia on February 17 and 18 and will be broadcast in the Caribbean region on SportsMax and CVM/CSport networks