Watch: Claudia Hurtgen escapes dramatic Extreme E crash unharmed

German driver's car flipped several times before coming to a stop in the opening session of qualifying in Saudi Arabia

Dramatic crash at Extreme E offroad event in Saudi Arabia

Dramatic crash at Extreme E offroad event in Saudi Arabia
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Female driver Claudia Hurtgen escaped unscathed from a serious crash in the opening session of Extreme E qualifying in Saudi Arabia on Saturday.

The German driver's car flipped several times before coming to a stop. Extreme E tweeted video of the crash saying: 'She's ok! @Niobium_Nb here with the strong chassis!'

The new motorsport series, with teams run by Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, was held in the AlUla desert of Saudi Arabia.

The brainchild of Spanish entrepreneur Alejandro Agag, Extreme E will attempt to highlight the environmental dangers posed to some of the world's most remote regions.

After this weekend's AlUla round, the competition will switch to Senegal's Lac Rose, Greenland, the Amazon in Brazil and the glaciers of Tierra del Fuego in Argentina.

As well as setting up environmental legacy projects in the five areas, the series also insists it is promoting gender equality with each team dividing up duties behind the wheel for their male and female drivers.