Rosberg X Racing wins first Extreme E race of 2022 season in Saudi Arabia from the teams of Sainz XE and X44.
Qualifying 1:
Rosberg X Racing (RXR) set the pace in the first qualifying session of Extreme E Season 2 in NEOM, Saudi Arabia, in an action-packed Qualifying 1 which was disrupted by a red flag following a crash for Veloce Racing’s Christine GZ. Inaugural Extreme E Champions RXR proved they haven’t lost their touch, finishing fastest in Q1, with Johan Kristoffersson and new team-mate Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky setting a benchmark time of 9:03:604 to top the leaderboard.
Q1 proved to be a tight fought battle on the sands of NEOM, with the top five runners covered within 15 seconds over the two-lap course. In second were last year’s runners-up X44 followed by Genesys Andretti United Extreme E, whose runs over the 6.9km course were both hindered by five-second time penalties. Rounding out the top five were Chip Ganassi Racing and XITE Energy Racing.
Veloce Racing’s GZ and team-mate Lance Woolridge had looked strong throughout their Qualifying run, but a huge crash for the Spaniard denied them a shot at the top spot. GZ was able to get out of the car and has been taken to a local hospital for further assessment. Further details on GZ’s condition will be shared when we have more information.
Q1 Results:
- Rosberg X Racing 9:03:604
- X44 +6.911
- Genesys Andretti United Extreme E +11.091
- Chip Ganassi Racing +12.238
- Xite Energy Racing +13.799
- Acciona | Sainz XE Team +17.751
- McLaren XE +23.375
- ABT Cupra XE +46.781
- JBXE +1:00:763
- Veloce Racing NR
Qualifying 2:
X44 continued their 100% qualifying record in Extreme E today. After finishing a close second in Qualifying 1, Sébastien Loeb and Cristina Gutiérrez dominated their Heat in Qualifying 2 to top the overall Qualifying standings ahead of Finals day. Rosberg X Racing’s (RXR) Johan Kristoffersson dramatically passed Genesys Andretti United Extreme E’s Catie Munnings to take the win right on the finish line in Heat 2, but a time penalty dropped them back to fourth, and fifth overall, after topping the timesheets in Qualifying 1.
As a result, Genesys Andretti United Extreme E took the win to end overall Qualifying in second place. In the first of the new five-car Heats in Qualifying 2, Loeb and ACCIONA | Sainz XE Team’s Carlos Sainz Snr. delivered the strongest starts with Nasser Al-Attiyah running third ahead of Sara Price, all taking very different racing lines up the hill. Veloce Racing watched on from the paddock following Christine GZ’s crash in Qualifying 1.
As the front three pulled away, the ABT Cupra XE car passed Sainz Snr. on the inside, but Al-Attiyah’s pace caused him to miss the flag and, in recovering, he collided with the Spaniard. Sainz Snr. brought the damaged ODYSSEY 21 back to the Switch Zone before retiring from the Heat. After the Stewards reviewed the collision, ABT CUPRA XE were classified last of the four runners in Heat 1, with the team relegated to ninth overall, meaning they will compete in tomorrow’s Crazy Race.
Following the Switch Zone, Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kyle LeDuc was on the charge and quickly passed Jutta Kleinschmidt’s ABT CUPRA XE car, who was struggling with the handling of her ODYSSEY 21 following the earlier contact between Al-Attiyah and Sainz Sr. LeDuc settled for second behind Gutiérrez, to ensure Chip Ganassi Racing finished third overall in Qualifying and will go into Semi-Final 2 tomorrow.
Following ABT CUPRA XE’s penalty, ACCIONA | Sainz XE Team were promoted up to sixth place overall and a coveted spot in Semi-Final 2. ABT Cupra XE will battle it out with Veloce Racing in tomorrow’s Crazy Race for a place in the Final. Veloce Racing’s reserve driver Hedda Hosås will contest the rest of the Desert X Prix for the British team after Christine GZ left hospital with a confirmed fractured foot following her crash in Q1.
Needing a win in their Heat to stay ahead of X44, RXR had a shaky start off the line in Heat 2. Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky dropped into third behind the Genysys Andretti United Extreme E and McLaren XE cars and was soon passed by Oli Bennett in the XITE Energy Racing car. A masterclass in late braking saw McLaren XE’s Tanner Foust enter the Switch Zone right behind Timmy Hansen, as Åhlin-Kottulinsky passed Bennett on the way in – something the RXR team would be penalised for come the end of the Heat.
Disaster struck for Emma Gilmour in the McLaren XE, though, as she was unable to set off from the Switch Zone. By the time the technical error was fixed all other teams were out on course, with RXR’s Kristoffersson chasing down Munnings up front. It took until the final turn of the race for Kristoffersson to close the 12-second gap, passing Munnings on the final descent to the finish line to take first place before a costly penalty put RXR relegated down to fourth.
Q2 Results:
Heat 1:
1. X44 9:00:630
2. Chip Ganassi Racing +19.580
3. Acciona | Sainz XE Team DNF
4. ABT Cupra XE Penalised
5. Veloce Racing non-starter
Heat 2:
1. Genesys Andretti United Extreme E 9:10:693
2. Xite Energy Racing +13.703
3. JBXE +15.371
4. Rosberg X Racing +17.921
5. McLaren XE +52.673
Semi-Final 1:
X44 fought back from last place to claim victory in Semi-Final 1 and progress to the Desert X Prix Final, with Rosberg X Racing (RXR) joining them in today’s Final after XITE Energy Racing received a post-race 10-second time penalty and dropped to third. In a dramatic first race on Finals Day, RXR got a strong start off the line which saw Johan Kristoffersson move across to cut off Cristina Gutiérrez, who dropped to the back as she fought hard to stay alongside the Swede.
Kristoffersson pulled ahead as Gutierrez and XITE Energy Racing’s Tamara Molinaro tussled for second place, with the Italian debutant coming out on top initially, but dropped to third by the time they reached the Switch Zone. After the driver switch RXR maintained the lead, with X44’s Sébastien Loeb just getting out ahead of XITE Energy Racing’s Oli Bennett.
It was during this tussle, though, that Bennett picked up a time penalty as he hit a flag trying to claim second place. Loeb then took the lead as RXR’s Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky got caught out across the dunes and dropped to third. In a fascinating back-and-forth clash, Bennett just managed to hold off Åhlin-Kottulinsky at the finishing line, but XITE Energy Racing’s time penalty ensured they dropped behind last year’s Extreme E champions to just miss out on a place in the Final.
Results
X44 9:05:107
Rosberg X Racing +7.660
Xite Energy Racing Penalised
Semi-Final 2:
Chip Ganassi Racing secured a comfortable win in Semi-Final 2 to progress to the Desert X Prix Final, with ACCIONA | Sainz XE Team joining them as Genesys Andretti United Extreme E crashed out on the second lap. ACCIONA | Sainz XE team’s Laia Sanz surged through the middle of the field at the start, but Kyle LeDuc quickly overtook the Spaniard to take the lead for the Chip Ganassi Racing team and pulled away, with Genesys Andretti United Extreme E’s Catie Munnings just behind in third.
Catie Munnings kept the ACCIONA | Sainz XE ODYSSEY 21 in her sights as both teams entered the Switch Zone, albeit more than 15 seconds behind Chip Ganassi Racing. With an exciting battle set up for the final lap between Timmy Hansen and Carlos Sainz Snr. as they looked to close down Sara Price out in front, a huge roll for Hansen ruled Genesys Andretti United Extreme E out of contention, ensuring Chip Ganassi Racing and ACCIONA | Sainz XE Team qualified for the Final.
Results
Chip Ganassi Racing 9:00:12
ACCIONA| Sainz XE Team +6.85
Genesys Andretti United Extreme E DNF
Crazy Race:
McLaren XE recovered from a difficult Qualifying session to win the The Crazy Race, taking the fifth spot in the Desert X Prix Final away from JBXE in the closing stages. A clean start from Kevin Hansen off the line saw JBXE claim the lead, while a great move from Emma Gilmour saw McLaren XE climb from fourth to second, ahead of ABT CUPRA XE’s Jutta Kleinschmidt and Veloce Racing’s Lance Woolridge.
A huge jump for Woolridge as he sped through the first corner took the Veloce Racing car sideways, with the subsequent damage ruling them out of contention for a place in the Final. Hansen continued out in front as Kleinschmidt chased down Gilmour for second place, with the stage set for a dramatic final lap between the leading three teams after the driver change.
Tanner Foust and Nasser Al-Attiyah for McLaren XE and ABT CUPRA XE, respectively, began to close the gap on JBXE’s Molly Taylor out in front. Foust chased hard and with the help of his Hyperdrive passed Taylor on the inside as they entered the final few corners. The Australian then went wide as she tried to keep the McLaren XE in her sights, allowing Al-Attiyah to take the second place.
Results
McLaren XE 9:14:250
ABT Cupra XE +2.642
JBXE +11.623
Veloce Racing +3:39:676
Finals:
Rosberg X Racing (RXR) were the winners of the Desert X Prix in the Extreme E Season 2 opener in NEOM, Saudi Arabia. Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky and Johan Kristoffersson were the victors in a Final of two halves, as a red flag was brought out at the end of the first lap following a big accident for McLaren XE’s Tanner Foust, who in a bid for third place clipped the back of RXR’s Åhlin-Kottulinsky and rolled his ODYSSEY 21 on the opening lap.
The race resumed for a one-lap shootout, with the four teams released at intervals that matched how they had entered the Switch Zone. X44’s Cristina Gutiérrez attempted to close down Laia Sanz in the ACCIONA | Sainz XE Team car, while Kristoffersson closed the gap on the two Spaniards from third. The RXR driver soon passed Gutiérrez on the inside, setting his sights on Sanz.
As the Desert X Prix entered its closing stages, Kristoffersson took a wide line into the second to last corner for an aggressive overtake on Sanz and secure a dramatic win ahead of ACCIONA | Sainz XE Team, with X44 completing the podium. Chip Ganassi Racing came fourth having secured a spot in the Final with a win in Semi-Final 2, and McLaren XE finished fifth despite Foust’s crash having made an excellent comeback from Qualifying to win the Crazy Race.
Results
1. Rosberg X Racing 27:08:453
2. Acciona | Sainz XE Team +2.483
3. X44 +5.807
4. Chip Ganassi Racing +25.202
5. McLaren XE DNF
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xswhu_JIq1s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ7Rm3pxO0Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyLYD_JvOyE
[Note: The above is as per press release with no edits made]
