Nine-time World Rally champion Sebastien Loeb has sig💟ned to race for seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton’s Extreme E team in 2021.

Loeb will race alongside Dakar driver Cristina Gutierrez at the X44 squad founded by Hamilton to contest the inaugural season of the Extreme E all-electric championship wheꦫn it gets underway next year.

Along with fellow world champion and former F1 teammate Nico Rosberg, H🌊amilton is ma💜king his first foray into motorsport team ownership with an entry into the new series which will race across the globe at a number of remote locations in a bid to raise awareness of climate change - an issue close to Hamilton’s heart.

Loeb, who will be 47 by the time the first round gets underway, mark🌄s the la♔test high-profile signing and is a major coup for Extreme E, with fellow World Rally champion Carlos Sainz Sr also racing for his own team.

Double DTM winner Mattias Ekstrom a🔯nd three-time World Rallycross champion Johan Kr💦istoffersson are also signed up to contest the championship’s first season.

Extreme E’s regulations state that each team must field one male and one female driver, with 26-year-old Spanish rallying regular Gutierr🍸ez completing the X44 team’s line-up for 2021.

“I’m d𓃲elighted to welcome Sébastien and Cristina to X44,” Hamilton said. “They are both incredible drivers and I’m looking forward to seeing what they’re﷽ going to do out there at each race.

“Cristina is an upcoming talent with a great future ahead of her, and Sébastien is a driver I have admired for so many years so I’m so proud and excited to have the𓄧m on board.”

Upon being confirmed as an Extreme E driver, Loeb said: “Joining team X44 is an opportunity for me to continue to do what I lov🗹e, which is race, and I’m looking forward to competing in an electric vehicle - I had the chance to drive the car recently and it is incredible.

“Cristina is a fantastic driver and I can’t wait to partner with her and see what we can achieve together. I am really impressed by what Lewis is doing in Formula 1 too, so to be ꦑable to work with him on this is an honour.”

Gutꦬierr🌟ez, who joined Loeb in taking part in a recent test of the car at Donington Park, added: “I am really excited to join X44. Not only will we get the opportunity to raise awareness of the climate crisis, which is very important to me, but I get to work with two heroes of mine.

“Sébastien Loeb is the most incredible rally driver of all time so I’m really happy that I get to partner with him and I hope to learn a 🌼lot.

“I’m a huge Formula 1 fan and have been watching Lewis𓆉 race for years, so being asked to join his team is a dream come true. I drove in the car for the first time recently and it was such a great experience, I can’t wait to see what it can do at each race.”