Extreme E: British teams dominate Hydro X-Prix in Scotland

May 15, 2023 EV Powered

Both Veloce Racing and Lewis Hamilton’s X44 Vida Carbon Racing secured wins on home soil across a thrilling Hydro X-Prix weekend in Scotland.

Round 3

X44 Vida Carbon Racing took its first win of the season in Round 3 of the season, with the victory marking Fraser McConnell’s first win in Extreme E and the Season 2 champions’ first win of the 2023 campaign.

McConnell and Cristina Gutiérrez crossed the line in second place, but a penalty for on-course winners Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E dropped British-star Catie Munnings and team-mate Timmy Hansen down to second place.

Coming in third were Carl Cox Motorsport, scoring their maiden podium in the championship after just three rounds and at International DJ Carl Cox’s home X Prix.

Winners of the Redemption Race were ACCIONA | SAINZ Extreme E Team having seen off championship rivals Veloce Racing.

Fraser McConnell, X44 Vida Carbon Racing, said: “It’s amazing to get my first win for X44. It’s been something that I’ve been working towards not just for me but for the whole team.

“It just goes to show that prioritising opportunity and inclusivity doesn’t have to come at the cost of performance, and we’re proud to be showing what’s possible here in Extreme E.

“We didn’t have the best starting position – second from the outside – so I knew I was going to have to do something a little risky to get in front which I managed. Then I went a little wide and they got the better run, but that’s racing. We were able to stay close enough to capitalise on their [Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E] penalty. A win is always a win and very happy to do this one for X44.”

Round 4

Veloce Racing pairing Kevin Hansen and Molly Taylor landed their second win of the season in Round 4, a victory that reestablished the teams lead at the top of the standings.

Hansen and Taylor led from start to finish, fending off attacks from the NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team, who secured their second-ever podium in Extreme E, in what was also the teams home event.

Coming in third were No.99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing, with a maiden podium for RJ Anderson and Amanda Sorensen having been in every Grand Final so far this season.

DNFs for both the ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team and Rosberg X Racing (RXR) in the Grand Final see Veloce Racing pull away at the top of the championship standings by 11 points.

Winners of the Redemption Race were JBXE, having seen off Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E and ABT CUPRA XE, the only other contenders on course after two DNFs.

Kevin Hansen, Veloce Racing, said: “We had a tough weekend, much tougher than Saudi Arabia. We didn’t really have anything on our side yesterday, so to finally get into the Grand Final and have all our support on GridPlay really helped.

“It was nice after Friday, with our double P1s in Free Practice, to come back and actually get on top! It was a huge effort from the team to pull through in such difficult conditions. They gave me full reign for an hour before the Final and quick decisions on set-up and everything. It was really cool to pull it off.”

Emma Gilmour, NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team, said: It’s been an amazing trip and it’s been very challenging – the weather conditions have made it even more so.

“It was very stressful, especially when there are slow zones and so many places where you can potentially make a mistake, but you are very happy when you can hand it over to your teammate having done a good job. To get a podium was a big relief for the team – just a great feeling – and everyone has put in so much work so we are all really happy.”

For No.99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing, it marks their first podium since Sardinia in Season 2, and a first podium with the driver line-up of Anderson and Sorensen, who now sit fifth in the championship just two points behind RXR in third.

Amanda Sorensen, No.99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing, said: “It’s the direction we want to be moving in, so I’m glad to see that we are still improving. There were a couple setbacks in Saudi and we are happy to have taken steps forward, it’s a positive sign.

“For the last four years I’ve been doing Formula Drift, which does have a slippery surface, in a sense. It’s on asphalt and has some grip, but it definitely translates over to this. For me I actually got to rip the e-brake this weekend which was very exciting – it felt like home for me! Knowing how to take the car into the turn and how to react when the car was getting sideways was something I definitely had in my favour.”