Tag: Island X Prix

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Extreme E: Carl Cox Motorsport Announce New Driver for Island Xprix

Carl Cox Motorsports Image courtesy of Extreme EThere’s a new kid on the block in Extreme E this weekend: teenage superstar Lia Block, who will replace Christine GZ at Carl Cox Motorsport for the rest of the season.

Block, who is the daughter of the late rally driver Ken Block, is currently sixth in the American Rally Association championship standings.

Lia brings with her a renewal of the Block name to Extreme E. Her father tested the Odyssey 21 car at Dakar Rally in 2020, the first time it had been raced in competitive motorsport.

Elsewhere, rally legend Sebastian Loeb returns to the series at the Island XPrix, replacing Nasser Al-Attiyah for ABT Cupra.

Loeb was part of the X44 team that won the 2022 Extreme E championship, and was the runner-up the year before.

Form Guide:

The surprise of the season so far has been current championship leaders, Veloce.

Prior to this season, the team had achieved just one podium finish across two seasons.

But a change in driver line-up has seen the team take two wins in four rounds, and has put them eleven points clear of nearest rivals, Acciona Sainz.

X44 also come to the Island XPrix off the back of a win the previous weekend.

Championship Standings:

  1. Veloce – 80 Points
  2. Acciona Sainz – 69 Points
  3. RXR – 52 Points
  4. X44 – 51 Points
  5. Chip Ganassi – 50 Points
  6. McLaren – 36 Points
  7. Andretti United – 29 Points
  8. Carl Cox Motorsport – 23 Points
  9. ABT Cupra – 20 Points
  10. JBXE – 15 Points

With a new driver on the scene, and the return of an old one, it is set to be a thrilling weekend at the Island XPrix.

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Another Victory for RXR

image courtesy of Extreme E

After being denied a perfect weekend in the last round by a post-race penalty, RXR took maximum points in Round 3 of Extreme E.

Semi Final 1:

Competing for the first two spots in the final were top qualifiers RXR, Chip Ganassi, and Acciona Sainz.

Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky for RXR got the best start with Laia Sanz in second place for Acciona Sainz. Sara Price was not far behind in the Chip Ganassi car.

It wasn’t long before Price was attempting an overtake on Sanz, but the two made contact and damage caused by the collision saw Price go off into the bushes. Chip Ganassi tried to continue but their rear right suspension was too damaged to finish.

The rest of the race was uneventful as the two teams remaining ensured they saw the chequered flag. RXR crossed the line first with Acciona Sainz joining them in the final.

Semi Final 1 Classification:

  1. RXR
  2. Acciona Sainz
  3. Chip Ganassi

Semi Final 2:

Two more places in the final were up for grabs in Semi Final 2, which was contested between X44, McLaren, and ABT Cupra.

Last years championship challengers X44 got the best start and took the lead going into the first waypoint markers. ABT Cupra and McLaren were not far behind.

Emma Gilmour in the McLaren car harried ABT Cupra’s Jutta Kleinschmidt for the entirety of the opening lap, but ultimately she would not get through.

X44 entered the switch zone in the lead, swiftly followed by ABT Cupra and McLaren.

There would be no position changes on the final lap of the race, despite some Nasser Al-Attiyah in the ABT Cupra’s best efforts to close the gap on X44. X44 sealed the win and their spot in the final, alongside ABT Cupra.

Semi Final 2 Classification:

  1. X44
  2. ABT Cupra
  3. McLaren

Crazy Race:

Racing for the fifth and final place in the Final were Veloce, Andretti United, Xite Energy, and JBXE in the Crazy Race.

Andretti United’s Catie Munnings took the lead as the lights went out, with Veloce getting ever closer. Indeed, too close at one point, with Veloce making contact with the Andretti United car and almost spinning off the track.

More contact between the two teams later in the lap, however, resulted in the Veloce car spinning and knocking down a waypoint flag. Despite the spin, Veloce remained in second place ahead of JBXE.

Andretti United would be uncontested for the remainder of the race, as they secured the last place in the Final. Further behind JBXE passed Veloce for second, with Xite Energy bringing up the rear.

Crazy race Classification:

  1. Andretti United
  2. JBXE
  3. Veloce
  4. Xite Energy

Final:

The final race of the round was the five-car Final, fought between Acciona Sainz, RXR, X44, ABT Cupra, and Andretti United.

ABT Cupra got the best start as the lights went out, taking the lead. RXR were not far behind, with X44, Andretti United, and Acciona Sainz also close by.

An issue for the Acciona Sainz car saw them soon fall off the back of the pack, and eventually they parked-up, unable to finish the race.

The teams came in to the switch zone line astern, with very little to separate them. But disaster struck ABT Cupra when Jutta Kleinschmidt failed to do up all of her safety belts correctly.

ABT Cupra continued on in first position but with a penalty looming large, their chances of winning seemed to dwindle.

RXR soon took advantage of ABT Cupra’s misfortune, with Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky overtaking Kleinschmidt on the inside. From there RXR would not relinquish the lead as they sealed maximum points for the weekend. They also picked up the extra five points for the fastest Continental Traction Challenge time.

ABT Cupra were later disqualified, promoting X44 into second place and Andretti United into third.

Final Classification:

  1. RXR
  2. X44
  3. Andretti United
  4. Acciona Sainz
  5. ABT Cupra

Overall Weekend Classification:

With their final win, RXR took the maximum 30 points for the weekend. X44 finished second overall, with Andretti United finishing in third. Xite Energy propped up the standings.

  1. RXR  –  30 Points
  2. X44  –  18 Points
  3. Andretti United  –  15 Points
  4. Acciona Sainz  –  12 Points
  5. ABT Cupra  –  10 Points
  6. McLaren  –  8 Points
  7. Chip Ganassi  –  6 Points
  8. JBXE  –  4 Points
  9. Veloce  –  2 Points
  10. Xite Energy  –  1 Points

Championship Standings:

RXR extended their lead at the top of the championship to 37 points over Chip Ganassi. X44 jumped into third position, just 2 points behind Chip Ganassi. Veloce continue their poor run at the bottom of the standings.

  1. RXR  –  80 Points
  2. Chip Ganassi  –  43 Points
  3. X44  –  41 Points
  4. Acciona Sainz  –  40 Points
  5. Xite Energy  –  27 Points
  6. Andretti United  –  27 Points
  7. JBXE  –  18 Points
  8. McLaren  –  19 Points
  9. ABT Cupra  –  16 Points
  10. Veloce  –  7 Points

 

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RXR Top Qualifiers Once Again


image courtesy of Extreme E

RXR topped qualifying for the second time in as many rounds in Sardinia today, taking maximum points from the two sessions.

Qualifying 1:

By Extreme E’s standards, Qualifying 1 was a very sedate affair, with all teams able to post a time.

RXR were the first team to do their run, and they set a benchmark time of 9:00.503, some 10 seconds quicker than they set around the same track just a few days earlier.

RXR’s benchmark would not be beaten, with some drivers blaming evolving track conditions for their inability to beat it. Chip Ganassi went closest, with X44 not far behind.

Maximum classification points for Qualifying 1 were awarded to RXR, with Veloce’s continuing run of poor form see them prop up the classification.

Qualifying 1 Classification:

  1. RXR  9:00.503  –  10 Points
  2. Chip Ganassi  +10.741  –  9 Points
  3. X44  +11.374  –  8 Points
  4. McLaren +15.126  –  7 Points
  5. Andretti United  +15.203  –  6 Points
  6. ABT Cupra  +16.919  –  5 Points
  7. JBXE  +21.634  –  4 Points
  8. Acciona Sainz  +21.701  –  3 Points
  9. Xite Energy  +22.917  –  2 points
  10. Veloce  +34.065  –  1 Point

Qualifying 2 Heat 1:

The first heat of Qualifying 1 was contested between Xite Energy, Andretti United, X44, RXR, and JBXE.

RXR got the best start and took the lead of the race. Despite some intense pressure from X44 on the first lap, they would not relinquish the lead of the race.

Further behind, Xite Energy made contact with Andretti United, causing the right rear suspension to break on the Andretti car. Timmy Hansen, who was driving in the Andretti at the time, lost the back end, and spun. They dropped to the back of the field and would not complete their second lap.

After the switching of drivers, Xite Energy’s Tamara Molinaro overtook the less experienced JBXE driver, Hedda Hosas for third place.

X44 received a post heat penalty for leaving the switch zone early, but it was not enough to see them drop any positions.

Qualifying 2 Heat 1 Classification:

  1. RXR  –  10 Points
  2. X44  –  8 Points
  3. Xite  –  6 Points
  4. JBXE  –  4 Points
  5. Andretti  –  0 Points

Qualifying 2 Heat 2:

McLaren, Chip Ganassi, ABT Cupra, Acciona Sainz, and Veloce all competed against one another in the second and final heat in Qualifying 2.

Acciona Sainz got the best start, swiftly taking the lead before the first waypoint. Kyle Leduc in the Chip Ganassi harried the Acciona Sainz car for much of the lap, but was unable to make the move.

Towards the end of the first lap, Leduc made a mistake, seeing him lose control of the car and go the wrong way. The Chip Ganassi team dropped back into fourth place following Leduc’s off-course excursion.

Not much would happen for the remainder of the heat, as Acciona Sainz took a comfortable win ahead of McLaren and ABT Cupra.

Chip Ganassi received a 10 second penalty for dropping a waypoint marker, seeing them fall into last place in the second heat.

Qualifying 2 Heat 2 Classification:

  1. Acciona Sainz  –  10 Points
  2. McLaren  –  8 Points
  3. ABT Cupra  –  6 Points
  4. Veloce  –  4 Points
  5. Chip Ganassi  –  2 Points

Overall Qualifying Classification:

  1. RXR  20 Points
  2. X44   16 Points
  3. McLaren  15 Points
  4. Acciona Sainz  13 Points
  5. Chip Ganassi  11 Points
  6. ABT Cupra  11 Points
  7. JBXE  8 Points
  8. Xite Energy   8 Points
  9. Andretti United   6 Points
  10. Veloce  5 Points

RXR completed another qualifying clean sweep, putting them into Semi Final 1 against Acciona Sainz and Chip Ganassi.

Semi Final 2 will feature X44, McLaren, and ABT Cupra. JBXE, Xite Energy, Andretti United, and Veloce will all face off in the Crazy Race for the fifth and final place in the Final.

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RXR Top Extreme E Qualifying For The First Time


Image courtesy of Extreme E

Rosberg X Racing (RXR) topped Extreme E qualifying for the first time in their history in Sardinia. The German team beat X44, who had qualified fastest in every round prior to this week.

Qualifying 1

RXR were first to set a time in Qualifying 1. Drivers Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky and Johan Kristofferson both put in quick laps with little drama. They set a benchmark time of 9:13.966

That time would not be beaten the entire session, however, as several other teams had issues.

Veloce and McLaren both suffered front right suspension failures and neither team were able to complete their runs. This meant they picked up 0 intermediate classification points for Qualifying 1.

Chip Ganassi’s bad luck continued as technical issues in the switch zone prevented Kyle Leduc from completing their run. Technical issues for Chip Ganassi were a common theme across Season 1 of Extreme E.

X44’s run was eventful too. Loeb was very quick on his lap, and the team looked close to challenging RXR’s time. Loeb might have been pushing too hard, however, as his rear right tyre got a puncture. He limped home and changed it in the switch zone as Gutierrez got into the car. Gutierrez completed the run, securing 4 crucial classification points.

Qualifying 1 Classification

  1. RXR 9:13.966  10 Points
  2. Acciona Sainz +11.893  9 Points
  3. Andretti United +13.011  8 Points
  4. ABT Cupra +15.744  7 Points
  5. Xite Energy +18.516  6 Points
  6. JBXE +30.460  5 Points
  7. X44 +2:07.008  4 Points
  8. McLaren +1 Lap  0 Points
  9. Chip Ganassi +1 Lap  0 Points
  10. Veloce +2 Laps  0 Points

Qualifying 2 Heat 1

The first heat in Qualifying 2 was made up of RXR, Andretti United, Xite Energy, X44, and Chip Ganassi.

When the lights went out Kristofferson for RXR and Munnings for Andretti got off the line well, and RXR led Andretti into the first checkpoint.

Further back, Chip Ganassi and Xite Energy were having a good battle, with X44 just behind. Then, Chip Ganassi’s day turned from bad to worse, as another technical issue saw them grind to a halt.

After all the remaining teams had been into the switch zone there was drama at the part of the track Chip Ganassi were stopped in. To allow the racing to continue, race control had put in a slow zone in that area, meaning teams had to enable their pit limiters and could not overtake.

It appeared, however, that X44 had closed in on Andretti United, and overtook them in the slow zone. At the time of writing, X44 are under investigation for the overtake, whilst Andretti United are being investigate for speeding in the slow zone.

The heat ended with RXR crossing the line first, securing them top spot in qualifying. X44 had also overtaken Xite Energy after the slow zone, with Andretti being the last of the finishers.

Qualifying 2 Heat 1 (provisional) Classification 

  1. RXR  10 Points
  2. X44  8 Points
  3. Xite Energy  6 Points
  4. Andretti United  4 Points
  5. Chip Ganassi  2 Points

Qualifying 2 Heat 2

The remaining five teams (Acciona Sainz, Veloce, McLaren, JBXE, and ABT Cupra) competed in Qualifying 2.

On the whole it was a much calmer affair than the first heat, although not without some potential penalty drama of its own.

Acciona Sainz led from start to finish, securing them an extra 10 classification points, and second placed qualifiers.

It was in the switch zone that most of the action happened. Coming in, McLaren held second place, with Veloce 12 seconds behind. As the teams left the switch zone, however, Veloce had caught up and overtaken McLaren, prompting an investigation into a potential Veloce early release and speeding. At the time of writing the investigation has not been concluded.

Qualifying 2 Heat 2 (provisional) Classification

  1. Acciona Sainz  10 Points
  2. Veloce  8 Points
  3. McLaren  6 Points
  4. JBXE  4 Points
  5. ABT Cupra  2 Points

Overall Qualifying Classification:

  1. RXR  20 Points
  2. Acciona Sainz  19 Points
  3. X44  12 Points
  4. Andretti United  12 Points
  5. Xite Energy  12 Points
  6. ABT Cupra  9 Points
  7. JBXE  9 Points
  8. Veloce  8 Points
  9. McLaren  6 Points
  10. Chip Ganassi  0 Points

RXR topped qualifying, closely followed by Acciona Sainz. Qualifying masters X44 scraped third after a difficult qualifying 1. Chip Ganassi’s woes continued for another weekend.

Into the races tomorrow RXR will compete in the first semi final against Andretti United and Xite Energy, whilst Acciona Sainz will compete against X44 and ABT Cupra for a place in the final.

JBXE, Veloce, McLaren, and Chip Ganassi will race against each other in the Crazy Race for the fifth and final place in the final.

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Extreme E: RXR Have One Hand On The Title | Race Report

Image courtesy of ExtremeE

Sara Price (USA)/Kyle Leduc (USA), Segi TV Chip Ganassi Racing

Rosberg X Racing have edged ever closer to the championship title following their third race win of the season at the Island X Prix.

Semi-Final 1:

It was to be a day of attrition as top qualifiers, X44, Chip Ganassi, and Andretti United all prepared to face off for two spots in the weekend’s final.

Having qualified slowest of the three teams, Andretti United had the worst line leading off from the start. As the lights went out, the American team’s Timmy Hansen looked to get the jump on the teams ahead of him. He did manage to gain a slight lead ahead of Chip Ganassi’s Sara Price, but in trying to get onto a quicker line, he cut across the front of his rival. The contact caused him to temporarily lose control of his vehicle and he punted into X44’s Christine Gutierrez. This caused something to break at the back of the Spaniard’s car and she was unable to prevent it from slamming into a rock. The X44 team were out of the race.

Following the contact with the X44 car, Hansen in the Andretti United machine also had to pull over; as the damage he sustained was too much to continue on with. Chip Ganassi appeared to have shaken off their bad luck as they sailed through to the final in first place.

Initially, Andretti United were also set to be through to the final, given that they made it round more of the lap than the X44 team. However, the stewards judged Hansen to be wholly at fault for the two retirements and the team were demoted to the back of the grid. Miraculously, X44 were through to the final, if only they could get the car fixed in time!

Semi-Final 1 Classification:

  1. Chip Ganassi
  2. X44
  3. Andretti United

Semi-Final 2:

With the craziness of the first semi-final, it would be easy to forget that we had a second coming up: and I don’t think RXR, ABT Cupra, or Acciona Sainz would forgive you if you did!

It was RXR’s Johan Kristofferson who took an early lead for the championship hopefuls. ABT Cupra also got a good start but the poor visibility caused by the dust meant that Ekstrom had to back off a little. As all the cars merged into one path, RXR lead Acciona Sainz, who led ABT Cupra.

This would not be for long however, as the course claimed another victim. At some point towards the start of the race, the steering column on the Sainz car broke, and he had to crawl around for the rest of the lap.

With one car all but officially out of the race, the two remaining teams took it slow as they tried to ensure their car remained in one piece before the final.

Semi-Final 2 Classification:

  1. RXR
  2. ABT Cupra
  3. Acciona Sainz

Crazy Race:

The final three teams to face off for the final spot in the Island XPrix final were Veloce, JBXE, and Xite Energy.

JBXE got off the line well and led into the first turn. Xite Energy were also just able to get ahead of Veloce. Towards the end of the first lap Veloce looked to put some pressure on the Xite Energy team. Ultimately the teams entered the switch zone in the order they had been for most of the lap.

Following the driver switch, Veloce’s Stephane Sarrazin hoped to apply even more pressure to the Xite Energy team. This looked to have paid off as the course claimed one more victim when Xite Energy’s steering broke. Sarrazin was through and he pushed hard to close down JBXE.

It would not be, however, as the Frenchman pushed too hard and he rolled the car; having one of the biggest crashes of the season so far. Slightly misjudging his speed as he went over a crest, the back end of the car flew into the air. The nose then dug into the ground and the car ended up doing a couple of barrel-rolls; tearing off one of the wheels and a lot of bodywork in the process. Thankfully Stephane was okay, but the crash meant JBXE eased into the fifth and final spot in the final.

Crazy Race Classification: 

  1. JBXE
  2. Veloce
  3. Xite Energy

Final:

The weekend’s action had all come down to this race and we were all set for a crucial 15 minutes. With the rain coming down hard in between sessions, the teams and drivers had new challenges in which they would need to negotiate.

As the lights went out it was Chip Ganassi’s Kyle Leduc who took a commanding lead. X44, sitting in second place off the start, looked to hunt him down. However, disaster struck as a slow puncture caused the team to retire, losing them vital points in their championship battle with RXR.

As Leduc handed over to Sara Price, it appeared as if the bad luck of the previous races was behind them. They lead the race by over 40 seconds. The fairy tale was not to be, however, as once again the steering on the car snapped. RXR capitalised on their misfortune and took the lead of the race.

So the final finished, RXR taking their third win from four races as they put one hand on the title. A little further behind, ABT Cupra finished in second despite a stall off the start line and JBXE rounded out the podium.

Weekend Classification:

  1. RXR
  2. ABT Cupra
  3. JBXE
  4. Chip Ganassi
  5. X44
  6. Andretti United
  7. Acciona Sainz
  8. Veloce
  9. Xite Energy

Another strong weekend for Nico Rosberg’s team means they now extend their lead at the top of the table. X44 were, however, able to limit the weekend’s points deficit somewhat as Loeb’s incredible qualifying run meant they took 5 points for being the fastest in the Continental Traction Zone (formerly the Super Sector). Elsewhere Chip Ganassi were able to lift themselves off the bottom of the table, despite their misfortunes.

Championship Standings:

  1. RXR 129 Points
  2. X44 113 Points
  3. Andretti United 93 Points
  4. JBXE 92 Points
  5. ABT Cupra 83 Points
  6. Acciona Sainz 78 Points
  7. Chip Ganassi 63 Points
  8. Veloce 60 Points
  9. Xite Energy 55 Points

We head off to the south coast of England next for the final round of the Extreme E season. It’s still (mathematically) all to play for as we look to crown the first ever Extreme E Champions. Make sure you join us on the 18th and 19th of December!

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Extreme E: X44 Continue Saturday Streak | Qualifying Report

image courtesy of ExtremeE

Lewis Hamilton’s team, X44, qualified fastest for the fourth race in a row this weekend in Sardinia; putting in a dominant display over their championship rivals.

Qualifying 1:

Championship leaders Rosberg X Racing (RXR) kicked off the Island X Prix qualifying, with the German team coming into the weekend mathematically able to win the title. Johan Kristofferson showed some strong early pace but that was to be undone as teammate Molly Taylor had an off. The RXR car stepped out as she was going over a blind crest and it rolled as the tires dug into the dust. Fortunately for the team, the car landed upright and Molly was able to finish her lap, setting a respectable time of 11:37.557.

Chip Ganassi’s Sara Price was next to take to the track as the team hoped they had put all their bad luck behind them. It was not to be, however, as the suspension broke within the first minute. Christine GZ also suffered from mechanical problems on her lap, which meant both Chip Ganassi and Xite Energy recorded a DNF.

X44 followed Xite Energy as they looked to continue their hot run of qualifying form. Christine Gutierrez was first out and barring a minor spin, set a solid foundation for Loeb to build upon. And build upon it he did! Loeb flew round the course to comfortably set the fastest time of the session so far with a 11:05.105.

Andretti United’s Timmy Hansen had the unfortunate job of trying to follow that run and a loss of power steering certainly didn’t help the cause. He limped the car to the pits and the issue was fixed as Katie Munnings jumped in. She had a steady lap and the American outfit posted a time 1:18.79 off of X44’s benchmark.

The final four teams all had quick runs, but none were able to match the pace of the X44 team, who finished Q1 top of the pile and took maximum qualifying points from the opening session.

Qualifying 1 Classification:

  1. X44 11:05.105 (9 Points)
  2. Acciona Sainz +12.28 (8 Points)
  3. Veloce +18.07 (7 Points)
  4. ABT Cupra +19.69 (6 Points)
  5. JBXE +22.90 (5 Points)
  6. RXR +32.45 (4 Points)
  7. Andretti United +1:18.79 (3 Points)
  8. Xite Energy +1 Lap (2 Points)
  9. Chip Ganassi +2 Laps (1 Point)

Qualifying 2:

Christine GZ kicked off Qualifying 2 for Xite Energy. Fortunately for them, she and teammate Oliver Bennett were able to finish their run and set a decent time of 11:33.636. Not so fortunately, the team received a 10 second time penalty after Bennett missed a waypoint flag.

Current Qualifying leaders X44 were next onto the track and they set a blistering run to smash their Q1 time and go provisionally to the top of the standings with a time of 10:55.401. They were to be the only team to go under 11 minutes.

Andretti United’s Katie Munnings followed as the team looked to just get round the course without a repeat of the issues from Q1. They did so, just 18.72s off of X44’s time.

It was disaster for Acciona Sainz and Veloce though, with both teams suffering from mechanical faults. The Sainz team had an issue with the steering which saw them finish some two minutes off the back of the pack, whilst Stephane Sarrazin’s suspension broke completely and he was unable to complete a lap.

The remaining four teams all had fast and uneventful runs to put themselves right up the order. None, however, were able to get near X44, who had taken maximum qualifying points.

Qualifying 2 Classification:

  1. X44 10:45.401 (9 Points)
  2. Chip Ganassi +17.20 (8 Points)
  3. RXR +18.37 (7 Points)
  4. Andretti United +18.72 (6 Points)
  5. ABT Cupra +47.16 (5 Points)
  6. JBXE +48.75 (4 Points)
  7. Xite Energy +58.23 (3 Points)
  8. Acciona Sainz +2:32.54 (2 Points)
  9. Veloce +2 Laps (1 Points)

Overall Qualifying Classification:

  1. X44 18 Points
  2. RXR 11 Points
  3. ABT Cupra 11 Points
  4. Acciona Sainz 10 Points
  5. Chip Ganassi 9 Points
  6. Andretti United 9 Points
  7. JBXE 9 Points
  8. Veloce 8 Points
  9. Xite Energy 5 Points

Teams on the same number of qualifying points were separated by the fastest traction zone (formerly super sector) times. Qualifying points do not count towards the championship, the points for which were distributed 12-4 through the field.

It will be X44 racing against Chip Ganassi and Andretti United in the first semi final, as the teams battle it out for their spot in the final. RXR, ABT Cupra, and Acciona Sainz will compete in semi final 2, whilst JBXE, Veloce, and Xite Energy will face off in the crazy race.

RXR’s championship lead shrunk (albeit ever so slightly) today as X44 look to chase them down. Chip Ganassi, who sit at the bottom of the table, were also able to close in on the team above them (Xite Energy).

Championship Standings:

  1. RXR 104 Points
  2. X44 96 Points
  3. Andretti United 83 Points
  4. JBXE 74 Points
  5. Acciona Sainz 70 Points
  6. ABT Cupra 64 Points
  7. Veloce 54 Points
  8. Xite Energy 51 Points
  9. Chip Ganassi 48 Points
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Extreme E: Island X Prix Preview

image courtesy of ExtremeE

Extreme E returns this weekend with its penultimate round of the inaugural season. The all-electric off-road series heads to Sardinia for the Island X Prix.

Taking place at Capo Teulada in Sulcis-Igelsiente, Sardinia, the track is set to provide a unique set of challenges for the teams and drivers. Italy has just come off the back of a long, hot summer, meaning the ground will be much harder than the soft sands they’ve previously raced on. The course will also include a number of interesting features including fast, downhill sections; water splashes; and natural obstacles such as trees and bushes.

For the first time this season, the sporting format remains unchanged! Qualifying points will be awarded (9-1) for both sessions and the combined total sets the grid. The first, fifth, and sixth fastest qualifiers will face off in the first semi-final, whilst the second, third, and fourth, fastest will race in the second semi-final. Finishing in the top two of either of these races will see you joined by the winner of the crazy race (qualifiers seven, eight, and nine) in the final.

Rosberg X Racing go into the penultimate round leading the championship on 93 points and able to seal the very first championship title. However, X44 (84 points) and Andretti United (76 points), along with the other six teams, will be looking to ensure that the title battle goes to the final race in December.

But Extreme E is about more than just racing. This weekend the series looks to highlight the issues surrounding green carbon (carbon stored on land) and blue carbon (carbon stored at sea). Speaking ahead of the weekend, Extreme E CEO and founder Alejandro Agag said: “The island has been suffering at the hands of the climate crisis, and I’m really pleased our legacy programmes here will be two-fold, focussing both on the land, and the ocean, through reforestation in areas affected by wildfires, and blue carbon through seagrass restoration and conservation.”

Extreme E will work alongside the Mediterranean Sea and Coast Foundation (MEDSEA) on two projects. The first one will look to reforest some of the 20,000 hectares that have been damaged by vicious wildfires. In July 2021, there were 13,000 more wildfires in Italy than had ever been recorded before, killing animals (around 13 million bees among them) and doing significant damage to local economies that rely on agriculture. The second project will focus on the restoration and conservation of seagrass.

This second project is particularly exciting as, not only is seagrass up to 35 times faster at capturing carbon than tropical rainforests (according to WWF), the Smithsonian Institute believes that just one hectare can produce around 100,000 litres of oxygen a day, meaning it’s great for the overall ecosystem. Safe to say seagrass is a really useful tool in combatting climate change.

We’re all set for an exciting and informative weekend as Extreme E heads to Sardinia for the penultimate round of the season. You won’t want to miss it!

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