2009 Formula 1 world champion Jenson Button has joined the Extreme E grid as both a te♎am owner and a driver.

The Briton has launched his own team - JBXE - and will race for the outfit during Extreme E’s inaugural season which get🐠s underway in April in Saudi Arabia.

Button is now the third F1 champion to start hiꦬs own team in the all-electric SUV off-road racing series, but unlike Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, he will actually be competing.

The new Williams F1 team senior advisor is yet to confirm which f🎶emale driver will be partnering him at his JBXE squad, which becomes the 10th team to enter Extreme E.

"JBXE has been a long time coming and I'm both delighte🥂d and proud to announce its formation and entry into the inaugural Extrem☂e E Championship.  

“I caught the 𒅌off-road bug a few years back, which led to me entering my own team in a few races including the Mint 400 and even the Baja 1000 and I absolutely loved it!  

“It was around the same time I first heard about the plans for♔ Extreme E, which I've followed with great interest, and what Alejandro, Ali [Russell, XE chief marketing officer] and the team have ma♏naged to create is nothing short of incredible. 

“In Extreme E, they've creat♋ed a product that will offer first-class racing⛦ and entertainment to the fans, but also serves to highlight the impact of climate change.  

“While we will of course compete𒀰 to win on track, as a collective🦩 we will also work to maximise awareness while racing in places that have been damaged or affected by climate change over the years.  

“Alongside the awareness piece, Extreme E themselves are committing legacy initiatives at each destination which help pr🌊otect already damaged ecosystems impacted by climate change.

“On track I’m delighted to say there are some world class opponents to g𓆉o wheel-to-wheel with and Extreme E is a world-first which sees true equality with male and female ไdrivers both as teammates and as opponents out on track,” he added.

“On that note I still have the exciting task of appointing and announcing my co-driver which will take place in the coming weeks and then all focus will tur🅷n to the opening 🐈race in Saudi Arabia.”

Extreme E founder and Formula E co-creater Alejandro Agag added: “I’m thrilled to welcome another major name in the world of motorsport in Jenson Button. He is one of the most popular drivers in the business and🐭 Extreme E will give him the opportunity to live out one of his long-held passions, to compete at the highest level in off-road racing.

“Jenson, alongside his peers, will give further weight to our mission to raise awareness of the global cliꦜmate crisis, while doing what we love – racing. It’s going to be fantastic to see the biggest names i൩n motorsport on the starting line in Saudi Arabia in April – it is set to be an incredible form of entertainment, but with a strong and purposeful message around our planet.”