Team Rosberg beats team Hamilton in first Extreme E-race

The new Extreme E off-road racing series kicked off this weekend with the first round in the Al-Ula desert in Saudi Arabia. Both Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton are competing as team owners in this class.

Extreme E may be a brand new series, but there are plenty of big motorsport names who have committed to the sport. As well as well-known team owners such as Rosberg and Hamilton, there are several big names among the drivers. For example, nine-time rally champion Sebastien Loeb, two-time rally champion Carlos Sainz, three-time rallycross champion Johan Kristoffersson, rallycross world champion Timmy Hansen and Formula 1 world champion Jenson Button (with his own team) are participating.

This weekend the first race was held in Saudi Arabia. Rosberg X Racing with drivers Molly Taylor and Johan Kristoffersson managed to win this round. The Rosberg team left behind Timmy Hansen and Catie Munnings of Andretti United and Sébastien Loeb and Cristina Guttierrez of Hamilton's X44. Button eventually finished sixth.

Rosberg himself was present in Saudi Arabia all weekend and was obviously very happy with the win. "That was insane," the 2016 F1 world champion said on F1i.com. "I'm just so grateful to the team this weekend and everything came together so well. Molly and Johan drove phenomenally all weekend in such tough conditions. They didn't put a foot wrong and showed incredible speed. It's just amazing."

The second round of the Extreme E Series takes place in Dakar, Senegal on May 29-30.

1. Taylor/Kristoffersson (Rosberg X Racing) - 35 points.

2. Gutierrez/Loeb (X44) - 30 points

3. Munnings/Hansen (Andretti United) - 28 points

4. Sanz/Sainz (Acciona Sainz XE) - 26 ponts

5. Giampaoli Zonca/Bennett (Hispano Suiza) - 20 points

6. Ahlin-Kottulinsky/Button (JBXE) - 17 points

7. Hurtgen/Ekstrom (ABT Cupra) - 13 points

8. Price/Leduc (Segi TV Chip Ganassi) - 12 points

9. Chadwick/Sarrazin (Veloce Racing) - 8 points