Tag: RXR

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Extreme E: What’s new for Season 3?

Images courtesy of Extreme E Extreme E is about to enter its third season and there have been a number of changes over the winter break to get your head around. Luckily, this handy guide breaks it all down for you!

 

Format:

The most noticeable change to Extreme E this year is to the format. Gone are the days of one day for qualifying and one day for races: now each weekend will be a doubleheader! 

Qualifying:

Qualifying remains two separate sessions, but there will be heats in both Qualifying 1 and Qualifying 2. In Qualifying 1, teams will race in one of two five-car heats, with intermediate points being awarded ten through two based on finishing position. 

These heats will also set the grids for Qualifying 2. First, third, and fifth in Qualifying 1 Heat 1 will compete against second and fourth from Qualifying 1 Heat 2 in Qualifying 2 Heat 1. The remaining teams will race each other in Qualifying 2 Heat 2. As with Qualifying 1, intermediate points are awarded ten through two to finishers first through fifth. The teams that win their heat will receive one championship point. 

After both qualifying sessions are complete, intermediate points are added up and the teams are ranked first to tenth from highest points tally to lowest. Any teams that are tied will be separated by their times in the Continental Traction Challenge, which awards the team with the fastest combined time over the course of the day an extra two championship points. Got that? Good! 🙂

Race:

There are no Semi-Finals or Crazy Races this year. Instead, the teams that qualify in the top five positions will go straight through to the Final, whereas the teams that qualify in sixth or lower will face off in the Redemption Race.

Despite its name, the Redemption Race will not provide teams the opportunity to make the final, which remains just five cars. Instead, the teams will attempt to gain as many championship points as they can, with the team finishing first in the Redemption Race receiving eight points. Points awarded for second to fifth in the Redemption Race will be six through one.

The Final remains unchanged from last year and will award 25 points to the winner. Second place will receive 18 points, whilst third, fourth, and fifth will pick up 15, 12, and ten points respectively.

If that doesn’t fill your racing appetite, teams will do it all again the following day! The new double-header race weekend will provide anyone who had a poor Saturday with a great opportunity to immediately bounce back and recover some crucial championship points. So, where are they racing this year?

 

Calendar:

The Season 3 Extreme E calendar will see teams return to some championship favourite locations, as well as some new courses that will provide a fresh challenge.

The season opener is, once again, taking place in Neom, Saudi Arabia this weekend (11th-12th March). Neom hosted the first round of Season 2, which saw the one-time championship winners, Rosberg X Racing, take the victory. Sardinia, Italy; and Antofagasta, Chile also return to this year’s calendar.

There will also be two locations making their Extreme-E-hosting debut. Scotland will run the Hydro XPrix on 13th-14th May, though the exact location is yet to be confirmed. Either the Amazon, or USA will feature a round on 16th-17th September.

The full race calendar is as follows:

11th-12th March – Desert XPrix – Neom, Saudi Arabia

13th-14th May – Hydro XPrix – Scotland

8th-9th July – Island XPrix – Sardinia, Italy

16th-17th September – TBC XPrix – Amazon or USA

2nd-3rd December – Copper XPrix – Antofagasta, Chile

 

Teams and Drivers:

Taking on these challenging courses will be a mixture of new drivers, and old, as well as at least one new team.

The freshest team on the grid, taking the place of Xite Energy, is Carl Cox Motorsport. Racing for British DJ, Carl Cox’s team will be the smiley Spaniard Christine GZ, as well as Timo Scheider. Both GZ and Scheider have a vast amount of experience in the series, which will surely help the team settle in quickly.

Jenson Button’s team, JBXE, will welcome a Finish former Formula 1 driver (no, not THAT one) in Heikki Kovalainen. Compared to much of the grid, Kovalainen has limited rallying experience so he will be hoping that his teammate, Hedda Hosas, can get him up to speed.

Other new additions to the grid include Fraser McConnel, who will drive for X44, and Amanda Sorensen, who will drive the Chip Ganassi car. Mattias Ekstrom will replace Carlos Sainz at Acciona Sainz for the Desert XPrix as the Spaniard is still recovering from an injury.

There was also supposed to be another team joining the grid this year, XE Sports Group. However, they will not race this coming weekend, and it is unconfirmed whether they will join the grid at all this year. Former footballer, Tim Cahill, was set to be one of the team’s backers.

The confirmed driver lineups for the Desert XPrix are as follows:

Veloce Racing – Kevin Hansen and Molly Taylor

Rosberg X Racing – Johan Kristoffersson and Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky

JBXE – Hedda Hosas and Heikki Kovalainen

Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E – Catie Munnings and Timmy Hansen

X44 Vida Carbon Racing – Cristina Gutierrez and Fraser McConnell

Acciona Sainz XE Team – Laia Sanz and Mattias Ekstrom

NEOM McLaren Extreme E – Emma Gilmour and Tanner Foust

GMC Hummer EV Chip Ganassi Racing – Amanda Sorensen and RJ Anderson

ABT Cupra XE – Klara Andersson and Nasser Al-Attiyah

Carl Cox Motorsport – Cristine GZ and Timo Scheider

 

The new season is now just days away and there are many questions just waiting to be answered. Will the change in driver lineup put reigning champions X44 on the backfoot? Will Heikki Kovalainen fare any better than his new boss Jensen Button did back in Season 1? How will championship newcomers Carl Cox Motorsport handle the series? And what impact will the change in format have on the series? Tune in on Saturday as we attempt to uncover the answers.

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X44 Claim Their Maiden Extreme E Title in Uruguay

  • X44 (Courtesy of Extreme E)

    Lewis Hamilton’s team, X44, won their first Extreme E championship title in Uruguay last month.

The British team, who were 17 points behind leaders Rosberg X Racing (RXR) going into the weekend, pulled off an unlikely comeback to take the crown from their rivals.

In the first round of the season in Saudi Arabia, it was RXR who looked the strongest. The German-team continued their performance from the previous season by claiming maximum points for the weekend. X44 had a decent race, finishing third.

The next two rounds in Sardinia seemed to confirm RXR as the title favourites. Despite finishing fifth in the first Sardinian round, they won the second.  X44 continued to be slightly off the pace, ending round three fourth in the standings – one point behind Acciona Sainz in third. Chip Ganassi came first in the second round.

But round four in Chile was when X44 started to show themselves as title protagonists. Despite picking up a 10 second penalty in the Semi-Final for knocking over a waypoint marker, they made the final and went on to win it. With RXR finishing sixth overall, the gap between them was seventeen points.

Going into the final round in Uruguay, X44 still had a lot to do to overtake RXR in the standings. If the British team were hoping for a miracle, it didn’t initially seem like they would get one. During Qualifying One, X44 driver Cristina Gutierrez crashed, leaving the team too much work to fix the car in time for Qualifying Two. They were allowed to use the spare car, but had to serve a five second time penalty in the Crazy Race the next day.

In Qualifying Two, Sebastien Loeb used all of his experience to help the team get the points they desperately needed. Sensing X44 were destined for the Crazy Race regardless of where they finished, Loeb dropped back from the pack to give himself space to go quickly through the Continental Traction Challenge. His plan worked as his and Gutierrez’s time through the section combined to put them quickest and gain the five bonus points.

To win the championship, though, X44 still needed to make it to the final and then finish at least third. Making the final wasn’t made any easier when championship leaders RXR also had a poor qualifying. Only one team could progress from the Crazy Race.

With it all on the line, and with the time penalty looming over them, X44 put in a great performance to see themselves through to the final. Even better for them, RXR were disqualified from the Crazy Race when they had too many engineers in the Switch Zone trying to repair damage sustained on the opening lap. RXR would only pick up one point the entire weekend.

The final approached and X44 were still in with a chance of winning the championship. When nobody was able to beat their time in the Continental Traction Challenge, X44 knew third was enough to win.

It was a slow start for the championship hopefuls, as they entered the switch zone in fourth place. They would remain there until the very end when it was revealed that Andretti United, who were only two seconds up the road, would receive a seven second penalty for speeding in the switch zone.

The stars had aligned and X44 had won the title.  Meanwhile, ABT Cupra won their first ever race, and McLaren claimed their first podium.

Championship Standings after Round 5:

  1. X44  86 Points
  2. RXR  84 Points
  3. Acciona Sainz  66 Points
  4. Chip Ganassi  63 Points
  5. McLaren  52 Points
  6. ABT Cupra  46 Points
  7. Andretti United  45 Points
  8. Xite Energy  33 Points
  9. JBXE  27 Points
  10. Veloce  18 Points

Another crazy season of on-track action in Extreme E has come to a close. But, of course, Extreme E is about more than what happens on track.

Off-track Extreme E have been involved in a number of legacy programmes aimed at leaving a positive impact on their race locations.

This year they have supported the protection of the Green and Hawksbill turtles in Saudi Arabia, restored seagrass habitants and areas hit by wildfires in Sardinia, rebuilt habitats for the Loa Water Frog in Chile, and are working with the Organisation for Cetacean Conservation in Uruguay.

Now the teams look ahead to next season, where we will see a new race location (Scotland), and potentially some new driver line-ups too. The 11th March can’t come soon enough.

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Extreme E: RXR Aim to Claim Second Title in Season Finale

Image courtesy of Extreme ERosberg X Racing (RXR) will be trying to win their second team’s title in as many seasons at this weekend’s Extreme E finale in Uruguay.

The German team, who won the first ever Extreme E championship title last year, go into the final round with a 17 point lead over second placed X44.

There are four teams still in with a chance of claiming the championship (RXR, X44, Acciona Sainz, and Chip Ganassi), showing just how tight this season has been.

To win regardless of where their rivals finish, RXR need to achieve either 3rd or higher with no bonus points for the fastest time through the Continental Traction Challenge, or at least 5th if they do get the bonus points.

X44 need to outscore RXR by 18 points to win the title, whilst Acciona Sainz need 24 more points than RXR, and six more than X44. Chip Ganassi face the toughest challenge, needing to outscore RXR by 29 points, X44 by 12, and Acciona Sainz by 6.

Championship Standings:

  1. RXR 83 Points
  2. X44 66 Points
  3. Acciona Sainz 60 Points
  4. Chip Ganassi 55 Points
  5. McLaren 34 Points
  6. Andretti United 33 Points
  7. Xite Energy 29 Points
  8. JBXE 25 Points
  9. ABT Cupra 21 Points
  10. Veloce 8 Points

 

In the midst of the championship battle, we will see some new driver line-ups for this weekend. Veloce decided they wanted two new drivers, bringing in last season’s champion Molly Taylor, and former JBXE driver Kevin Hansen. They replace Christine GZ, and Lance Woolridge. GZ is one of the championship reserve drivers for this weekend.

Filling in for Kevin Hansen at JBXE will be Jamaican racer Fraser McConnell. McConnell had previously been a reserve driver for the championship.

Timo Scheider, formerly of Xite Energy will take McConnell’s spot on the side lines as he is replaced by Extreme E newcomer Ezequiel Perez Companc.

Another new face to the grid will be RJ Anderson, who is replacing Kyle Leduc at Chip Ganassi. Klara Andersson, who filled in for an injured Jutta Kleinschmidt at ABT Cupra in the last round, will take the seat permanently.

But Extreme E is not just about the racing. Every race weekend they have a new climate-related focus, and a legacy programme, that aims to leave a positive impact on their race locations.

This week, that focus will be on marine conservation, ecotourism, and renewable energy awareness.

Uruguay are a world leader in wind energy production, alongside Denmark, Ireland, and Portugal. Renewable energy generation is at the heart of their energy sector, with 98% of electricity in Uruguay coming from renewable sources.

Extreme E’s legacy programme for this weekend will see them team up with the Organisation for Cetacean Conservation (OCC) to help educate children about marine life. They will also help fund improvements to the OCC’s whale photo-ID catalogue.

In a press release, Extreme E founder and CEO Alejandro Agag said of the finale: “It has been an extremely competitive second season of Extreme E, with new winners and so many new teams securing podiums it just goes to show the strength of our field out on course.

“It is fitting that we are completing the season in Uruguay a country which shares so many of our beliefs around environmental progress, sustainability focuses, and raising awareness of the climate crisis.”

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Extreme E: X44 Keep Championship Hopes Alive With Win In Chile

X44 are still in with a chance of winning the Extreme E team’s championship after winning in Chile.

The result sees them jump up to second in the championship, just 17 points behind leaders RXR. With 30 points available in the final round, it’s still all to play for.

Semi Final One:

Race day on Sunday started well for RXR, who looked on course for yet another round win.

They cruised through the first semi-final, beating Acciona Sainz and Andretti United.

It was Acciona Sainz who had got the better start and led coming into the switch zone. However, RXR’s efficient driver change in the switch zone saw them leapfrog into first place.

From there, they didn’t look back, guaranteeing their spot in the final. Second place was taken by Acciona Sainz, who just held on at the line.

Andretti United were awarded a 10 second time penalty for dropping a waypoint marker.

Semi Final One Classification:

  1. RXR  9:04.370
  2. Acciona Sainz  +6.439
  3. Andretti United  +16.791

Semi Final Two:

X44’s semi final against ABT Cupra and Chip Ganassi was very sedate.

X44 took the lead into the first corner, ahead of Chip Ganassi. From there, the leaders were untroubled and crossed the line first to book their place in the final.

Further behind, ABT Cupra were piling the pressure on Chip Ganassi, the latter eventually making a mistake and ABT Cupra took the position.

ABT Cupra joined RXR, Acciona Sainz, and X44 in reaching the final.

Semi Final Two Classification:

  1. X44  9:02.840 
  2. ABT Cupra  +3.519
  3. Chip Ganassi  +6.314
SEPTEMBER 24: Sara Price (USA) / Kyle Leduc (USA), Chip Ganassi Racing Catie Munnings (GBR) / Timmy Hansen (SWE), Genesys Andretti United Extreme E Tamara Molinaro (ITA) / Timo Scheider (DEU), Xite Energy Racing Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky (SWE) / Johan Kristoffersson (SWE), Rosberg X Racing during the Antofagasta on September 24, 2022. (Photo by Sam Bagnall / LAT Images)

Crazy Race:

The last place in the final was contested between McLaren, Veloce, Xite Energy, and JBXE in the Crazy Race.

McLaren got the best start, leading JBXE after the first corner. Further behind, Xite Energy got a penalty for dropping a waypoint marker.

The battle for a place in the final was hard fought between JBXE and McLaren. Despite an initial early lead, McLaren lost the position to JBXE, who overtook on a jump. The two would remain close, however.

After each team had come into the switch zone to change drivers, the battle recommenced. Eventually, McLaren drew alongside JBXE and they were side by side going over a jump.

However, on landing, both teams lost control of the car and they steered into each other. Dust flew up everywhere and once it had settled it was clear to see that McLaren had retaken the lead, with Xite Energy now in second.

That would be how they crossed the line, with McLaren progressing through to the final. JBXE were promoted to second thanks to Xite Energy’s penalty.

Crazy Race Classification:

  1. McLaren  9:12.588
  2. JBXE  +15.042
  3. Xite Energy  +19.474
  4. Veloce  +2:17.762

Final:

The first drama of the final – and there would be more to come – saw disaster for the championship leaders. Unfortunately for the German team they were unable to fix damage they sustained in the semi final and could not start the race. Chip Ganassi were given a lifeline.

As the lights went out, X44 and Chip Ganassi went side by side for the lead through the first few corners. X44 eventually managed to get ahead.

In more side by side battling, Chip Ganassi made contact with another car and lost control of their vehicle. The team span and dropped a waypoint marker.

Hitting waypoint markers would be theme of the final, as the McLaren team, who were by this point fighting with X44 for the lead, also dropped a flag.

X44 also hit a waypoint marker but, crucially, did not knock it over and did therefore not incur a penalty. McLaren then downed a second flag.

McLaren crossed the line in first position but with their penalties, they dropped down to fifth place. X44 won the race, giving their title hopes a boost. Acciona Sainz, who just looked to stay out of trouble, finished in second, with ABT Cupra rounding out the podium.

Final Classification:

  1. X44  8:59.728
  2. Acciona Sainz  +6.093
  3. ABT Cupra  +8.612
  4. Chip Ganassi  +10.159
  5. McLaren  +18.935

Overall Weekend Classification:

  1. X44 +25 Points
  2. Acciona Sainz +18 Points
  3. ABT Cupra +15 Points
  4. Chip Ganassi +12 Points
  5. McLaren +10 Points
  6. RXR +8 Points
  7. Andretti United +6 Points
  8. JBXE +4 Points
  9. Xite Energy +2 Points
  10. Veloce +1 Point

McLaren also gained five points for achieving the weekend’s fastest time through the Continental Traction Challenge.

X44 move into second place in the championship and close the gap to RXR to 17 points.

Acciona Sainz and Chip Ganassi in third and fourth place respectively are also just about still in the championship battle.

Another poor weekend for Veloce sees them comfortable at the bottom of the table.

Championship Standings:

  1. RXR 83 Points
  2. X44 66 Points
  3. Acciona Sainz 60 Points
  4. Chip Ganassi 55 Points
  5. McLaren 34 Points
  6. Andretti United 33 Points
  7. Xite Energy 29 Points
  8. JBXE 25 Points
  9. ABT Cupra 21 Points
  10. Veloce 8 Points

 

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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 Perfect Season Continues With Final Win

Cristina Gutierrez (ESP) / Sebastien Loeb (FRA), Team X44 Laia Sanz (ESP) / Carlos Sainz (ESP), Acciona | Sainz XE Team
Cristina Gutierrez (ESP) / Sebastien Loeb (FRA), Team X44 Laia Sanz (ESP) / Carlos Sainz (ESP), Acciona | Sainz XE Team

RXR completed the perfect weekend after winning an entertaining final and taking maximum points for the round.

Semi Final 1

An enthralling morning’s action started in Semi Final 1 as top qualifiers RXR raced Andretti United and Xite Energy for the first two spots in the final.

The lights went out and Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky for RXR got off the line well to take the lead, with Xite Energy’s Tamara Molinaro not far behind.

It wasn’t long before Timmy Hansen for Andretti United had got past Molinaro and was hot on the tail of Ahlin-Kottulinsky. Hansen followed closely behind, with an overtake looking likely. Just as they approached the end of the lap, Hansen took a wider line into a corner and his superior exit speed allowed him to take the lead going into the switch zone just marginally in front.

After the changing of drivers RXR and Andretti continued to do battle. Catie Munnings in the Andretti United car worked hard to keep Johan Kristofferson for RXR behind her. It wasn’t to be for Andretti United, however, as a technical issue slowed the car down significantly.

Kristofferson, having surpassed Munnings with his now superior acceleration, cruised home to take first place. Xite Energy took the other final spot that was up for grabs.

Semi Final 1 Classification

  1. RXR
  2. Xite Energy
  3. Andretti United

Semi Final 2

Two more places in the final were available in the second of the two semi finals. JBXE, Acciona Sainz, and X44 would compete for them.

JBXE had made the final after a post-heat penalty in qualifying for Veloce saw JBXE jump ahead of ABT Cupra in the classification.

Off the start Acciona Sainz and X44 both got away well and were side by side until some slight contact between the two saw Acciona Sainz get their noses in front. After having taken an alternative line, JBXE slotted into second position.

It wasn’t long, though, until JBXE had got ahead of Acciona Sainz. After keeping his foot to the floor, Kevin Hansen for JBXE overtook Laia Sanz in the Acciona Sainz car. Hansen continued to extend his lead for the rest of the lap. X44 managed to get into second position before the switch zone.

However, X44 had an issue during the changeover when the safety net would not reattach properly. The team fell back behind Acciona Sainz, and they would not regain the position. The day ended there for last year’s championship challengers.

The rest of the race was about whether Carlos Sainz in the Acciona Sainz could catch Hedda Hosas, who was competing in the JBXE car for the first time. Ultimately, Sainz could not close the gap enough and JBXE secured their position in the final. Acciona Sainz would also be there.

Semi Final 2 Classification:

  1. JBXE
  2. Acciona Sainz
  3. X44

Crazy Race

The fifth and final spot in the final was contested between Chip Ganassi, McLaren, ABT Cupra, and Veloce.

ABT Cupra’s Nasser Al-Attiyah got a great start and swiftly took the lead. Behind him, though, Emma Gilmour in the McLaren made contact with Chip Ganassi’s Sara Price. Gilmour lost control of the car and rolled over. Fortunately, she was unscathed, but the same could not be said of the car, as McLaren could not continue.

With the dust becoming an increasing problem, a couple of drivers managed to lose their way in the Crazy Race. First, Chip Ganassi’s Sara Price lost control of the car and ended up veering off course. In an attempt to rejoin the track she almost reversed into Veloce’s Lance Woolridge. Woolridge himself also went the wring way but was just able to stay ahead of the Chip Ganassi car.

Some drama in the switch zone saw ABT Cupra under investigation for two separate offences: speeding in the switch zone, and leaving too early.

ABT Cupra would cross the line first, ahead of Chip Ganassi and Veloce, but post race penalties saw ABT Cupra demoted into second place, and Chip Ganassi claimed the final spot in the final.

Crazy Race Classification

  1. Chip Ganassi
  2. ABT Cupra
  3. Veloce
  4. McLaren

Final

After a day of entertaining races the final didn’t disappoint either. Xite Energy, RXR, JBXE, Acciona Sainz, and Chip Ganassi all faced off to take top spot for the second round of the season.

As the lights went out Acciona Sainz got the best start, swiftly taking the lead. RXR and Xite Energy took an alternative line for the first major corner.

The action came as the two lines met, with RXR hitting the Acciona Sainz car, causing Acciona Sainz to roll. RXR picked up heavy damage in the collision but still took the lead. Acciona Sainz were out of the race.

The teams came in to the switch zone as the red flag was called with RXR leading Chip Ganassi, Xite Energy, and JBXE. Once the race restarted these positions would not change, and RXR claimed another victory, whilst Chip Ganassi and Xite Energy both scored their first podiums in the series.

In the final, RXR also extended their lead in the Continental Traction Challenge, scoring an additional five points in the championship.

Final Classification

  1. RXR
  2. Chip Ganassi
  3. Xite Energy
  4. JBXE
  5. Acciona Sainz

Overall Weekend Classification

RXR took top spot for the weekend, following their victory in the final. Chip Ganassi and Xite Energy rounded out the podium.

Further down the grid X44 beat out other semi final losers Andretti United to sixth place after having a faster time in the Continental Traction Challenge, McLaren brought up the rear after their crash in the Crazy race

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

Championship Standings

RXR extend their lead in the championship, taking maximum points once again. Chip Ganassi leap frog Acciona Sainz to go into second. Thirty points separate the top two teams.

After another poor weekend, Veloce continue to prop up the standings. They will be hoping for a better time in the next round, starting in just a couple of days time.

  1. RXR  60 Points
  2. Chip Ganassi  30 Points
  3. Acciona Sainz  28 Points
  4. X44  23 Points
  5. Xite Energy  23 Points
  6. JBXE  14 Points
  7. Andretti united  12 Points
  8. McLaren  11 Points
  9. ABT Cupra  6 Points
  10. Veloce  5 Points 
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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 Victorious in Season Opener

image courtesy of ExtremeE Carl Bingham

The reigning Extreme E champions, RXR, got their title defence off to a dream start as they crossed the line to win the Desert X Prix.

Semi Final 1:

Race day for the Desert X Prix kicked off with Semi Final 1 as X44, RXR, and Xite Energy looked to book their place in the final.

The lights went out and John Kristofferson of RXR and Cristina Gutierrez of X44 were neck and neck for first position as they approached the first flag. Unfortunately for X44, Cristina went slightly off line and lost out to both RXR and Xite Energy.

As the first lap progressed Tamara Molinaro in the Xite Energy car hounded Johan Kristofferson, but a mistake saw her lose a position to Gutierrez. They came into the switch zone RXR, X44, then Xite Energy, all seemingly close to one another.

After the changeover of drivers, the Xite Energy and X44 cars jostled hard for position as they looked to close in on Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky in the RXR machine. However, in the battle between Xite Energy and X44, Oliver Bennett knocked over a flag which would see Xite Energy handed a ten-second time penalty.

It was relatively plain-sailing for Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky out front until she made what could have been a crucial error. Capitalising on her mistake, both Loeb in the X44 and Bennett in the Xite Energy overtook her, with the latter swapping positions with the RXR car for much of the rest of the lap.

X44 crossed the line first to book their place in the final as Xite Energy just pipped the RXR car to the post. Luckily for RXR, the time penalty given to Xite Energy saw the German team promoted into second place, and also secure their place in the final.

Semi Final 1 Classification:

  1. X44 9:05.107
  2. RXR +7.660
  3. Xite Energy +17.590

Semi Final 2:

ABT Cupra were supposed to be lining up alongside Andretti United and Chip Ganassi in the second semi final, but were replaced by Acciona Sainz after the stewards deemed an incident between the two in qualifying was the fault of ABT Cupra.

It was lights out and away the teams went with Laia Sanz in the Acciona Sainz getting the best initial getaway. Kyle Leduc in the Chip Ganassi was not one to let the lead get away, however, and used his hyperdrive to gain first place.

Leduc didn’t look back after that, handing over to Sara Price in the switch zone in a very good position. Behind them, Acciona Sainz were just able to stay ahead of Andretti United as they came into the switch.

Upon leaving the switch zone, Carlos Sainz in the Acciona Sainz car and Timmy Hansen in the Andretti United car were nose to tail. Disaster struck then for Hansen, as he struck a tuft of grass whilst trying to overtake. The car rolled but thankfully Timmy Hansen got out of the car seemingly unharmed.

With two places in the final up for grabs and only two cars left in the race, Carlos Sainz and Sara Price cruised home to the finish.

Semi Final 2 Classification:

  1. Chip Ganassi 9:12.337
  2. Acciona Sainz +6.850
  3. Andretti United +1 Lap

Crazy Race:

The fifth and final place in the final was to be contested by JBXE, ABT Cupra, McLaren, and Veloce. Veloce reserve driver Hedda Hosas replaced Christine GZ, who had broken her foot in a crash on qualifying day.

Off the line JBXE got an early lead as Emma Gilmour in the McLaren produced a stunning move around the outside to go from fourth to second.

Meanwhile the bad weekend continued for Veloce as Lance Woolridge hit a bump too hard and damaged the car.

Jutta Kleinschmidt in the ABT Cupra sought to chase down Emma Gilmour and the two came into the switch zone neck and neck, just behind Kevin Hansen in the JBXE but some distance ahead of the Veloce car.

After the switch, Tanner Foust in the McLaren and Nasser Al-Attiyah in the ABT Cupra looked to close the gap to Molly Taylor in the JBXE car.

Towards the end of the race, Foust and Al-Attiyah had finally caught up to Taylor and the former used all his experience to send his car down the inside. Al-Attiyah behind soon followed.

That’s how the race would finish with McLaren crossing the line to reach an impressive final on debut. Meanwhile, JBXE were handed a seven-second time penalty for speeding in the pitlane, although this didn’t change the end result.

Crazy Race Classification:

  1. McLaren 9:14.250
  2. ABT Cupra +2.642
  3. JBXE +11.623
  4. Veloce +3:39.676

Final:

Acciona Sainz, RXR, Chip Ganassi, X44, and McLaren all lined up on the grid for the final, hoping to get their seasons off to the best possible start.

Carlos Sainz in the Acciona Sainz car got off to a great start, leading out X44 and RXR as they reached the first flag. Foust in the McLaren and Price in the Chip Ganassi were just behind.

But then tragedy struck for McLaren. Unsighted by the dust, Foust drove into the back of RXR’s Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky and rolled the car. Thankfully he was able to walk away but McLaren would go no further on an impressive debut.

Nothing changed for the rest of the lap and a red flag was called just as the other four teams entered the switch zone.

Once Foust had been assessed and the stricken McLaren moved, the race restarted, with teams being staggered according to how they came in. Laia Sanz in the Acciona Sainz went first with Cristina Gutierrez in the X44 machine not far behind. A bit further back Johan Kristofferson for RXR and Kyle Leduc for Chip Ganassi were released.

In the final lap shootout the damaged RXR car looked to chase down the two leaders. Using his hyperdrive to make the move, Kristofferson overtook last year’s championship runners up X44.

An inspired move came next from Kristofferson as he used all of the width of the course to carry as much momentum as possible into the final corners, snatching the lead off of Acciona Sainz. RXR crossed the line first, swiftly followed by Acciona Sainz and X44. Chip Ganassi was a little further behind in fourth.

Final Classification:

  1. RXR 17:50.908
  2. Acciona Sainz +2.483
  3. X44 +5.807
  4. Chip Ganassi +25.202
  5. McLaren +2 Laps

RXR top the weekend classification with that win in the final, seeing them claim twenty-five crucial points in their bid to retain the title.

Elsewhere McLaren come an impressive fifth place overall, gaining them ten points on debut and X44 got twenty points (fifteen for finishing third and five for having the fastest time through the Continental Traction Challenge).

Weekend Classification:

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

Championship Standings:

  1. RXR 25 Points
  2. X44 20 Points
  3. Acciona Sainz 18 Points
  4. Chip Ganassi 12 Points
  5. McLaren 10 Points
  6. Andretti United 8 Points
  7. Xite Energy 6 Points
  8. ABT Cupra 4 Points
  9. JBXE 2 Points
  10. Veloce 1 Point
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Extreme E: X44 Continue Qualifying Dominance

New season, same X44 for Sir Lewis Hamilton’s team as they finished top qualifiers yet again in Extreme E’s season two opener in Saudi Arabia.

Qualifying 1:

Heavy rain overnight meant we would have to wait to witness Extreme E’s new qualifying format, which would have seen two five-car races. However, due to the track conditions, the organisers decided a return to the previous season’s format of individual team runs was required.

Jutta Kleinschmidt for ABT Cupra got the first competitive session of the season under way, putting in a strong lap time for her teammate and debutant Nasser Al-Attiyah to build upon.

His first lap in anger was going well too, until he missed the finish line. Rather than accepting a five-second time penalty, however, Al-Attiyah turned around and made sure he went through the finishing gate. It’s estimated this cost him thirty five seconds.

Chip Ganassi and Andretti United were the next teams to set a time. The Ganassi team initially went fastest, but were just beaten out by Andretti United. After their runs, both teams received a five second time penalty for various switch zone infringements.

Last year’s championship contenders, X44 and RXR hit the track with incredible speed and after their laps the teams went into second and first respectively.

JBXE followed RXR and they pushed hard. Perhaps too hard, as during Molly Taylor’s lap something broke on the car. She struggled to the end of the lap and finished one minute behind RXR’s benchmark time of 9:03.604.

Acciona Sainz and Xite Energy were next onto the track, with both teams completing their runs within twenty seconds of the leader.

Veloce became the penultimate team to try and set a time in Qualifying 1. Lance Woolridge was very quick around his lap and handed over to Christine GZ just marginally down on RXR’s time. GZ flew round the track but pushed just a little too hard and rolled the car. Thankfully, GZ was able to limp away from the crash but the team would not finish their run.

Newcomers McLaren finished off the qualifying session as Emma Gilmour took to the wheel. A steady run from both her and Tanner saw them finish in a respectable seventh position.

RXR were fastest in Qualifying 1, gaining ten intermediate points, with X44 just behind in second and Andretti United in third.

Qualifying 1 Classification:

  1. RXR 9:03.604    10 Points
  2. X44 +6.911    9 Points
  3. Andretti United +11.091   8 Points
  4. Chip Ganassi +12.238   7 Points
  5. Xite Energy +13.799   6 Points
  6. Acciona Sainz +17.751   5 Points
  7. McLaren +23.375   4 Points
  8. ABT Cupra +46.781   3 Points
  9. JBXE +1:00.763    2 Points
  10. Veloce +1 Lap   1 Point

Qualifying 2:

Qualifying 2 saw Extreme E revert back to the intended qualifying format this season. The teams were divided into two heats (teams in even positions after Qualifying 1 in Heat 1, odd positions in Heat 2).

In Heat 1, X44, Chip Ganassi, Acciona Sainz, ABT Cupra, and Veloce were all due to race against each other for more intermediate points. Veloce, however, were not able to take part as they were not able to repair the car following GZ’s Qualifying 1 accident.

As the lights went green X44 got a good start and took the lead. After the first few markers they lined up X44, Acciona Sainz, ABT Cupra, and Chip Ganassi.

Towards the end of the first lap, ABT Cupra’s Nasser Al-Attiyah was chasing down Acciona Sainz’s Carlos Sainz. Al-Attiyah used all his experience to throw the car up Sainz’s inside but crucially missed a waypoint marker. In trying to get back on line, he cut across Sainz and both teams suffered damage. Sainz dropped to the back and ultimately wouldn’t leave the switch zone. ABT Cupra lost power steering.

Heat 1 in Qualifying 2 ended with X44 winning the race comfortably, ahead of Chip Ganassi and ABT Cupra, and took home ten more intermediate points.

Heat 1 Classification:

  1. X44 9:00.620   10 Points
  2. Chip Ganassi +19.580   8 Points
  3. ABT Cupra +3:13.972   6 Points
  4. Acciona Sainz +1 Lap   4 Points
  5. Veloce DNS   2 Points

Heat 2 saw the remaining five teams (RXR, Andretti United, Xite Energy, McLaren, and JBXE) all take to the track as they tried to get themselves into a semi-final.

Andretti United had the best start, propelling themselves into first position after the first few flags. Behind them, McLaren, RXR, Xite Energy, and JBXE followed in that order.

Tanner Foust in the McLaren was chasing Andretti United’s Timmy Hansen for much of the first lap, but was ultimately not able to overtake him before the switch. Further behind, RXR and Xite Energy jostled for third position.

Disaster struck for McLaren in the switch zone as a technical issue meant Emma Gilmour could not get the car started quickly. By the time she got moving, the Woking based team had dropped far to the back.

With Johan Kristofferson now behind the wheel, RXR hoped to claw back some time on the cars ahead. He managed to do just, providing us with a thrilling finish to pass Katie Munnings in the Andretti United just before the line. Sadly for the German team, they received a post-race seventeen-second time penalty for speeding in the switch zone, promoting Andretti United into first place.

Heat 2 Classification:

  1. Andretti United 9:10.693   10 Points
  2. Xite Energy +13.703   8 Points
  3. JBXE +15.371   6 Points
  4. RXR +16.079   4 Points
  5. McLaren +52.673   2 Points

With the intermediate points from Qualifying 1 and 2 added together and any tying teams separated by fastest Continental Traction Challenge time, X44 came out on top, leading Andretti United and Chip Ganassi.

The results of qualifying mean X44 will race against RXR and Xite Energy for two places in the final in Semi-Final 1, while  Andretti United, Chip Ganassi, and ABT Cupra will do battle in Semi-Final 2. This leaves Acciona Sainz, JBXE, McLaren, and Veloce to fight for the fifth and final place in the final in the Crazy Race.

Overall Qualifying Classification:

  1. X44 19 Points
  2. Andretti United 18 Points
  3. Chip Ganassi 15 Points
  4. Xite Energy 14 Points
  5. RXR 14 Points
  6. ABT Cupra 9 Points
  7. Acciona Sainz 9 Points
  8. JNXE 8 Points
  9. McLaren 6 Points
  10. Veloce 3 Points

With the first qualifying day of the new season completed, attention turns to tomorrow, as we look to another exciting day of action.

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