Extreme E: ACCIONA | SAINZ XE takes Championship lead after Island X Prix double-header
Extreme E returned this weekend with the Island X Prix and ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team took control of the Championship with a dramatic victory in Round 7.
Round 7
Laia Sanz and Mattias Ekström took the win having dominated the day’s racing action with two Heat victories in Qualifying, and the Spanish team extends its lead to 18 points in the championship standings.
In a Grand Final that saw considerable to damage to four of the five cars competing, ABT CUPRA XE crawled across the line in second ahead of Veloce Racing, as the British squad struggled to find the finish line with broken wipers.
Rosberg X Racing (RXR), who had appeared out of contention when Johan Kristoffersson came to a stop on his opening stint, gained crucial championship points with fourth place despite broken power steering.
A DNF for Lia Block and Timo Scheider, having run in second place for most of the race, denied the pair their first podium together for Carl Cox Motorsport.
Winners of the Redemption Race and the Continental Traction Challenge were Timmy Hansen and Catie Munnings, as Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E ended the day on a high following a DNF in Qualifying 1 and a DNS in Qualifying 2.
Laia Sanz, ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team, said: “Today was a perfect day, one of the best we have enjoyed so far in Extreme E. This doesn’t happen very often, because everything can happen in this Championship. Mattias made a massive start in the Final. Both of us did really well in the Qualifying heats. We did a good job. We are happy and today we will enjoy it, but at the same time, we are still focused on tomorrow. We want this Championship and we must keep fighting.”
Mattias Ekström, ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team, said: “I think it was a really good day. We felt good yesterday in the dry and today with the watered track. We had a good set-up, good strategy, and two good Qualifying heats. I think the key to the race win was the first corner at the start. I made a move around the outside and went from P4 to P1, and after this, I had a clean windscreen and a beautiful, enjoyable few laps. I enjoyed it a lot. Laia made no mistakes, she was very clean. We did a really good job today.”
Round 8
X44 Vida Carbon Racing took the win in Round 8, marking the team’s second victory of Season 3 and first victory at an Island X Prix.
Cristina Gutiérrez and Fraser McConnell took the win ahead of Rosberg X Racing (RXR) in second, who just missed out on taking the championship lead from ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team, sitting just three points behind the Spanish outfit in the standings.
The third step on the podium went to ABT CUPRA XE, as Klara Andersson and Sébastien Loeb secured back-to-back podiums at this Island X Prix.
No.99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing took fourth, with RJ Anderson going wheel-to-wheel with RXR’s Johan Kristoffersson in an exciting bout. A DNF for JBXE in their second Grand Final dashed the team’s hopes of a first podium in Season 3, but matches their season best of fifth place.
Winners of the Redemption Race were Kevin Hansen and Molly Taylor, as Veloce Racing keep themselves within reach of the title as the championship battle reaches a thrilling climax. Just 21 points separate the top three as Extreme E heads into the last two rounds of Season 3, in Chile (December 2-3).
Cristina Gutiérrez, X44 Vida Carbon Racing, said: “We had a tough start to the weekend, but we kept our spirits up and with all the team working together we prepared well for the final. Fraser had an amazing start and I just had to keep my head focused to get us round for the win! We are so happy and proud of the team!”
Fraser McConnell, X44 Vida Carbon Racing, said: “So happy to redeem ourselves in Sardinia. Cristina and I had our heads down and drove four strong clean laps in the final. As always, the team worked tirelessly to make sure the car was in top shape. Big up to team X44 Vida Carbon Racing. This won’t be the last you hear from us!”
