Tag: veloce

Posted on

Extreme E: RXR Pick Up Where They Left Off With Round 1 Win

Image courtesy of Extreme E
FEBRUARY 17: Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky (SWE) / Johan Kristoffersson (SWE), Rosberg X Racing celebrate , 1st position during the Saudi Arabia on February 17, 2024. (Photo by Andrew Ferraro / LAT Images)

Two-time Extreme E champions, Rosberg X Racing (RXR), got their title defence off to a flying start today, as they won the opening round of the Desert XPrix.

The former F1 world champion’s team saw off close challengers McLaren to take almost maximum points from the round.

In an entertaining first day, here’s how the day’s action unfolded.

Qualifying 1 Heat 1:

McLaren, Veloce, SUN Minimeal, and JBXE got the first competitive session of the new season underway, with Veloce starting the better of the four teams to take the lead.

Though the pack stayed close together, there was little in the way of overtaking in the first qualifying heat.

It wasn’t all plain-sailing for Veloce, however. The team were initially awarded a time penalty for a switch zone infringement. The penalty was later revoked.

Veloce won the heat, taking ten classification points and setting themselves up nicely to make the final. McLaren finished second, closely followed by debutants SUN Minimeal. JBXE rounded up the grid.

Qualifying 1 Heat 2:

The remaining four teams – Legacy Motor Club, Andretti, Acciona Sainz, and RXR – competed in the second heat of qualifying one.

As the lights went out it was Andretti who got off the line quickest.

Their lead wouldn’t last long, however, as Johan Kristofferson pulled off a trademark move around the outside to put RXR into first place.

After that initial excitement, the cars started to spread out as they attempted to negotiate the ruts in the sand left by the previous heat.

RXR won the heat, with Andretti not too far behind in second. Last season’s runners-up, Acciona Sainz, finished third and Legacy Motor Club rounded out the heat.

Qualifying 2 Heat 1:

The second qualifying session started with Legacy Motor Club, Veloce, Acciona Sainz, and JBXE all looking to seal their place in the final.

Acciona Sainz got the best start and took an early lead, but not before Legacy Motor Club had attempted an unsuccessful move up the inside.

Not wanting to miss out on all the action, Veloce went side-by-side with Legacy Motor Club for second place. An initial move around the outside couldn’t quite get the job done, but a lunge up the inside into the next turn saw Veloce move into second.

Acciona Sainz won the first heat in Qualifying 2, with Veloce coming in second. Legacy finished third and JBXE once more rounded out the grid.

Qualifying 2 Heat 2:

The final qualifying race of the round was contested between SUN Minimeal, RXR, Andretti, and McLaren.

SUN Minimeal took an early lead, and looked good out front as the other three teams scrapped it out behind them.

After a lap of chasing down the lead, Andretti were close enough to force their way up the inside of SUN Minimeal and move into first place.

But it was in the switch zone that this heat was won. RXR were quicker on release than SUN Minimeal and were able jump up into second place, just behind leaders Andretti.

RXR then used their hyperdrive on the pit exit to leapfrog into first – a lead they would not relinquish.

Behind them, though, the battle for second was still well and truly on. McLaren chased down Andretti, and were eventually able to wrestle second place off of the American team.

RXR won the race, comfortably securing their spot in the final, alongside McLaren. Andretti finishing third meant they dropped down into the redemption race.

Overall Qualifying Classification Points:

  1. RXR – 20 Points
  2. Veloce – 18 Points
  3. McLaren – 16 Points
  4. Acciona Sainz – 16 Points
  5. Andretti – 14 Points
  6. SUN Minimeal – 10 Points
  7. Legacy Motor Club – 10 Points 
  8. JBXE – 8 Points

Redemption Race:

The bottom four qualifiers – JBXE Legacy Motor Club, SUN Minimeal, and Andretti – all looked to rescue some championship points in the redemption race.

As the lights went green, Andretti got the best getaway and sailed into an early lead.

Behind them, Andreas Bakkerud in the JBXE machine made an audacious move around the outside to go from the back of the pack into second.

As the teams entered the switch zone, Andretti had pulled out a comfortable gap to JBXE, who remained ahead of SUN Minimeal and Legacy Motor Club.

An mechanical issue on the third lap for SUN Minimeal meant they would, unfortunately, not get to complete their first ever round. As they went past, fellow debutants Legacy Motor Club gave the stricken car a wave.

Not content with third place, Legacy Motor Club pushed hard to close the gap to JBXE. When they were close enough, a smart move around the outside saw the team jump into second.

Andretti cruised to victory in the redemption race, taking 12 crucial championship points. Legacy Motor Club gave a good account of themselves on debut, finishing second in the race (6th overall). Last to finish were JBXE, still ahead of SUN Minimeal who recorded a DNF.

Final:

The final race of the round proved to be the best race of the round – as the top four qualifiers did battle.

RXR got the best getaway and took an early lead, but Mattias Ekstrom in the McLaren car refused to be outwitted. Taking a very wide line, Ekstrom was able to put their power down much earlier than his competitors and he sailed by into first position.

RXR were not to be beaten, however. On the second lap, Nico Rosberg’s team went down the inside of the McLaren and made the move stick.

The teams entered the switch zone neck and neck – RXR just edging out McLaren, Veloce, and Acciona Sainz.

The McLaren-RXR battle continued as their female drivers took the wheel, with several points of contact causing minor bodywork damage to both cars.

Then, on the final lap of the race, McLaren regained the lead. Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky in the RXR machine kept the pressure on the McLaren, though, and managed to force the Gutierrez to go deep. Ahlin-Kottulinsky took the opportunity to sweep back into the lead to win the race by just one tenth of a second.

RXR completed an almost perfect first round, just missing out on the points for the Continental Traction Challenge. McLaren finished second, with Veloce rounding out the podium.

Acciona Sainz recorded a DNF as the car rolled on its side on the final lap. McConnell was able to get out of the car okay.

Overall Round Classification:

  1. RXR
  2. McLaren
  3. Veloce
  4. Acciona Sainz
  5. Andretti
  6. Legacy Motor Club
  7. JBXE
  8. SUN Minimeal

Championship Standings:

  1. RXR – 27 Points
  2. McLaren – 18 Points
  3. Veloce – 18 Points
  4. Acciona Sainz – 13 Points
  5. Andretti – 12 Points
  6. Legacy – 8 Points
  7. JBXE – 6 Points
  8. SUN Minimeal – 4 Points

The season kicked off with an exciting day of action. The series returns tomorrow for what is sure to be another entertaining couple of races.

Posted on

Extreme E: Veloce Take Title Lead with Win in Scotland

Image courtesy of Extreme EVeloce won Round 4 of the Extreme E championship to take the lead in the title race. Here’s how the day’s action unfolded.

Qualifying 1:

No sign of the fog that cancelled Saturday’s Qualifying 1 session, as the teams looked to start the final day of the Hydro XPrix on the front font.

In the first heat, contested between Chip Ganassi, Carl Cox, ABT Cupra, X44, and RXR, Chip Ganassi took an early lead.

As they entered the switch zone, the front four teams were neck and neck, with Carl Cox some way behind.

After the teams had switched drivers, X44 closed in on the ABT Cupra car. Eventually, the two teams made contact, and X44 went through. Race Control, however, took a dim view of the contact that aided the pass, and swapped the positions back again.

Chip Ganassi crossed the line to win the first heat of the day, with RXR in second. ABT came in third, X44 behind them, and Carl Cox Motorsport propped up the results.

The remaining five cars competed against each other in Qualifying 1 Heat 2.  Acciona Sainz led off the start line, and would not lose the lead for the entirety of the race.

Meanwhile, further behind them, a spin for Timmy Hansen in the Andretti car saw them drop to the back. McLaren also passed Veloce before the switch zone.

The second half of the race was a sedate affair, though Veloce picked up a 10s penalty for downing a flag.

Acciona Sainz win their heat, with McLaren in P2. Veloce finished P3, and JBXE and Andretti rounded off the first part of qualifying.

Qualifying 2:

The Scottish weather Gods, who had been kind enough to allow  Qualifying 1 to go ahead today,  decided they wanted to spice things up between the two sessions.

Heavy rain made for a particularly tricky track, which would cause many problems for the drivers for the rest of the day.

As the drivers hit they hay to get Qualifying 2 Heat 1 underway, three drivers, quite literally, Hit The Hay.

First the McLaren, who had made the best start, spun the car and collided with the hay bales at the side of the track. They were, however, able to continue.

Behind the McLaren, the Carl Cox and ABT Cupra machines weren’t so lucky. Unsighted by the mud on their windscreens, they drove straight into the hay bales and were both forced to retire.

After a brief red flag, the race resumed, though JBXE had issues getting away from the line. A slow-zone had been put in place where the initial carnage occurred and McLaren were caught out, as they over-sped on entry.

Though McLaren would cross the line first, a 30s penalty for that over-speeding dropped them into second, behind Chip Ganassi. JBXE finished third whilst the two retires never resumed after the red flag.

More carnage in the final Qualifying heat as Acciona Sainz and RXR made contact on the run down to the first corner. Acciona Sainz spun out, and the RXR car was sent careering over the crest of the first turn and smashed into X44. Amazingly, only RXR were forced to retire.

Another red flag came and went, though there was some confusion as to whether Acciona Sainz would be allowed to start. Marshals told them they couldn’t as they made their way to the grid, despite a broken suspension.

Veloce took the win, as Andretti passed X44 for second place.

Qualifying Classification:

The win in both heats saw Chip Ganassi top qualifying, with Veloce, McLaren, RXR, and Acciona Sainz making it through to the final with them.

  1. Chip Ganassi – 20 Points
  2. Veloce – 16 Points
  3. McLaren – 16 Points
  4. RXR – 12 Points
  5. Acciona Sainz – 12 Points
  6. X44 – 10 Points
  7. JBXE – 10 Points
  8. Andretti – 10 Points
  9. ABT Cupra – 8 Points
  10. Carl Cox Motorsport – 6 Points

Redemption Race:

Only four of the five cars due to compete in the Redemption Race took the start, as issues for the Carl Cox team compounded a miserable day.

Extreme E’s newest driver, Andreas Bakkerud, took an early lead in the JBXE car, which the team would not lose.

Further behind, X44 were unsighted by the mud and slammed into the back of the ABT Cupra machine. The damage sustained by the X44 was too great to continue.

Apart from that incident, it was a rather sedate affair as teams struggled for visibility in the mud. JBXE won the redemption race and earned some crucial championship points.

Andretti began closing in on JBXE in the final lap, but they would ultimately finish second, ahead of the ABT Cupra.

Final:

The five top qualifiers competed for a spot on the podium in the final race of the weekend.

Veloce led off the start line, though they were side-by-side with another team going into the slow-zone – a legacy of the crash in Qualifying 2 Heat 1.

Veloce would come out of the slow-zone in the lead, though behind them Tanner Foust in the McLaren pulled off a brilliant move around the outside of the Acciona Sainz for P2.

After the switch-zone the drivers’ poor visibility really came to a head. RXR had closed in on the Acciona Sainz car, but as they looked to overtake, the two cars made contact and spun round.

Unsighted, the two teams drove head-on into each other as they looked to get going again. Thankfully, it was a slow-speed collision and both drivers were okay, though the RXR car could not continue the race.

In all of that mayhem, Chip Ganassi snook past the two of them, and would seal a solid 3rd place for the American team.

Veloce went on to win the race, putting the back in charge of the title race. McLaren finished second.

Round 4 Classification:

  1. Veloce
  2. McLaren
  3. Chip Ganassi
  4. Acciona Sainz
  5. RXR
  6. JBXE
  7. Andretti
  8. ABT Cupra
  9. X44
  10. Carl Cox Motorsport

Championship Standings:

Veloce’s win see them move into first in the standings, leapfrogging Acciona Sainz who drop into second.

A close battle for third sees three teams separated by just two points, whilst JBXE continue to prop up the leaderboard.

  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 – 29 Points
  8. Carl Cox Motorsport – 23 Points
  9. ABT Cupra – 20 Points
  10. JBXE – 15 Points

The fifth and sixth rounds of the championship see us return to an Extreme E favourite – Sardinia, Italy – on the 8th-9th July. With the season now in full swing, you would be a fool to miss it.

Posted on

Extreme E: Acciona Sainz Win Desert XPrix

Acciona Sainz claimed their first ever victory on Sunday as they cruised to the win in the final race of the weekend. Here’s how the day unfolded:

Picture courtesy of Extreme E
Picture courtesy of Extreme E

Qualifying 1 Heat 1:

Sunday’s first qualifying session started with ABT Cupra, Andretti United, X44, Veloce, and Carl Cox Motorsport all racing against each other.

ABT Cupra, who picked up damage during Saturday’s running, were using the championship car as they could not fix their own in time.

The lights went green and all but one of the teams got off to a good start. Unfortunately for ABT Cupra, they had issues and were slow to get going. They would finish the race, but they would treat it more like a shakedown than qualifying.

For the rest of the field, though, the running was tight. Andretti United made a good start but dropped to third on the final lap.

Veloce crossed the line first to take maximum intermediate points, with X44 not far behind. Andretti United would remain in third as Carl Cox Motorsport did not leave the switch zone.

Qualifying 1 Heat 1 Classification:

  1. Veloce – 10 Intermediate Points
  2. X44 – 8 Points
  3. Andretti United – 6 Points
  4. ABT Cupra – 4 Points
  5. Carl Cox Motorsport – 2 Points

Qualifying 1 Heat 2:

The remaining five teams, McLaren, Chip Ganassi, Acciona Sainz, RXR, and JBXE competed in Heat 2.

After an initial aborted start, RXR took a lead they would not relinquish. Further behind there was some side-by-side action between Chip Ganassi and McLaren, with Chip Ganassi eventually winning out. Acciona Sainz also got past.

After that there was not much action to report. McLaren were given a 2.4 second time penalty for speeding in the switch zone, but they would not lose a position.

Qualifying 1 Heat 2 Classification:

  1. RXR – 10 Points
  2. Chip Ganassi – 8 Points
  3. Acciona Sainz – 6 Points
  4. McLaren – 4 Points
  5. JBXE – 2 Points

Qualifying 2 Heat 1:

The first heat of Qualifying 2 got under way with Veloce getting the best start. Chip Ganassi and Andretti United were not far behind, with McLaren and Carl Cox Motorsport in fourth and fifth respectively. That order wouldn’t change into the switch zone.

However, disaster struck for Andretti United not long after. For the third time this weekend, the car rolled over, and they were unable to finish the race. The driver, Timmy Hansen, got out of the car okay.

The race was temporarily red flagged whilst the car was recovered, and when it was restarted, the teams finished in the position they resumed in.

Veloce took maximum intermediate points from qualifying to guarantee their place in the final, whilst a poor day for Carl Cox meant they would compete in the redemption race.

Qualifying 2 Heat 1 Classification:

  1. Veloce – 10 Points
  2. Chip Ganassi – 8 Points
  3. McLaren – 6 Points
  4. Carl Cox Motorsport – 4 Points
  5. Andretti United – 2 Points

Qualifying 2 Heat 2:

The final qualifying race of the weekend got underway, with Acciona Sainz getting the best start. Going into turn two, however, RXR’s Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky took the lead.

ABT Cupra, who had a poor first race, were using a different strategy to the other teams. Their make driver was put in the car first, and Nasser Al-Attiyah made his way to the front and stormed ahead.

Ultimately it would be a strategy that paid off, as they were not caught for the rest of the race. Further behind, though, there was trouble for X44, who picked up a 3.7 second penalty for speeding in the pitlane. As a result, Acciona Sainz and X44 were tied on intermediate points, though Acciona Sainz went through to the final because they were quicker through the Continental Traction Challenge.

Qualifying 2 Heat 2 Classification:

  1. ABT Cupra – 10 Points
  2. RXR – 8 Points
  3. Acciona Sainz – 6 Points
  4. X44 – 4 Points
  5. JBXE – 2 Points

Overall Qualifying Classification:

  1. Veloce – 20 Points
  2. RXR – 18 Points
  3. Chip Ganassi – 16 Points
  4. ABT Cupra – 14 Points
  5. Acciona Sainz – 12 Points
  6. X44 – 12 Points
  7. McLaren – 10 Points
  8. Andretti United – 8 Points
  9. Carl Cox Motorsport – 6 Points
  10. JBXE – 4 Points

Redemption Race:

Just as yesterday, the redemption race was full of action as the bottom five qualifiers looked to salvage as many championship points as possible.

The first two laps were fairly uneventful as X44 lead into the switch zone. Carl Cox Motorsport were just a little way behind and, when X44 took slightly too long, the two cars appeared side by side.

Upon exiting the switch zone, Carl Cox Motorsport took the lead, though X44 soon regained it again. A subsequent roll for the championship’s newest team and they dropped to the back.

Also having a roll was JBXE, as the car ended up on its side. They would not finish the race.

X44 won the redemption race to claim eight championship points, with McLaren just behind. Andretti United came in third.

Redemption Race Classification:

  1. X44
  2. McLaren
  3. Andretti United
  4. Carl Cox Motorsport
  5. JBXE

Final:

The final race of the weekend was contested between the top five qualifiers, ABT Cupra, Acciona Sainz, Veloce, RXR, and Chip Ganassi.

Off the line it was Acciona Sainz who got the best start, leading Veloce then RXR. However, problems for Veloce on the opening lap saw them lose out a position to RXR. Acciona Sainz flew off into the distance, whilst Veloce regained the position before the switch zone.

Not a lot of action followed that, despite a flying ABT Cupra in the last two laps. Acciona Sainz won their first ever Extreme E race, followed by yesterday’s winner Veloce. RXR rounded out the podium,

Final Classification:

  1. Acciona Sainz
  2. Veloce
  3. RXR
  4. ABT Cupra
  5. Chip Ganassi

The weekend saw two new race winners, as Veloce and Acciona Sainz started the season on a great note. Hoping for better in the rounds to come will be Andretti United and Carl Cox Motorsport, who have both had weekends to forget.

Championship Standings:

  1. Veloce – 46 Points
  2. Acciona Sainz – 46 Points
  3. RXR – 31 Points
  4. X44 – 23 Points
  5. Chip Ganassi – 21 Points
  6. ABT Cupra – 15 Points
  7. McLaren – 14 Points
  8. Carl Cox Motorsport – 8 Points
  9. JBXE – 5 Points
  10. Andretti United – 5 Points

With Veloce top of the standings, all eyes will be looking ahead to Scotland for the Hydro XPrix in May.

Posted on

Extreme E: Veloce take Maiden Win in Opening Race

The opening day of the new Extreme E season was full of action, which ultimately saw Veloce win their first ever Extreme E race. Here’s a roundup of the day’s action.

Image courtesy of Extreme E

Qualifying 1:

The first action of the day, Qualifying 1 Heat 1, saw Extreme E’s newest team, Carl Cox Motorsport, take on ABT Cupra, Andretti United, Acciona Sainz, and Chip Ganassi.

Chip Ganassi were best off the line and took an early lead. Acciona Sainz were right on their tails. Despite being close behind, there was little action before the switch zone, with Chip Ganassi heading out Acciona Sainz, Carl Cox Motorsport, Andretti United, and ABT Cupra.

The pressure eased on Chip Ganassi after the switch zone after Laia Sanz in the Acciona Sainz team got a bit too close to the water’s edge, costing the team a lot of time.

Further behind, ABT Cupra’s Klara Andersson also got too close to the water. All the way to the back.

The biggest drama of the session, however, was when Catie Munnings rolled her Andretti United car whilst attempting an overtake on Carl Cox Motorsport. Thankfully Munnings was okay, but the team would not finish the race.

Chip Ganassi crossed the line first, receiving 10 intermediate points and the first championship point of the season. Acciona Sainz came second with championship new boys, Carl Cox Motorsport, picking up six intermediate points.

Qualifying 1 Heat 1 Classification:

  1. Chip Ganassi 11:32.914 – 10 Intermediate Points
  2. Acciona Sainz +3.384 – 8 Points
  3. Carl Cox Motorsport +18.663 – 6 Points
  4. ABT Cupra +57.726 – 4 Points
  5. Andretti United DNF – 0 Points

Qualifying 1 Heat 2:

The five remaining cars, JBXE, McLaren, X44, RXR, and Veloce, all competed in Heat 2.

Qualifying 1 Heat 2 was a much calmer affair. Whilst the teams were all tightly packed, the only move of note was a lovely move from X44’s Fraser McConnel to take the lead.

X44 crossed the line first, with Veloce just behind, and JBXE in third. Season 1 championship winners, RXR, finished fourth ahead of McLaren.

Qualifying 1 Heat 2 Classification:

  1. X44 12:32.993 – 10 Points
  2. Veloce +8.734 – 8 Points
  3. JBXE +19.100 – 6 Points
  4. RXR +20.980 – 4 Points
  5. McLaren +28.728 – 2 Points

Qualifying 2 Heat 1:

The second part of qualifying saw Chip Ganassi, Carl Cox Motorsport, Andretti United, Veloce, and RXR all compete for more intermediate points in Heat 1.

After a messy start, Veloce took an early lead that they would not relinquish. RXR made some good overtakes on first Carl Cox Motorsport, then Chip Ganassi, but that would be the extent of the action. Carl Cox Motorsport would later grind to a halt after experiencing a technical issue.

Veloce won the heat, securing their place in the final, whilst Andretti United’s fourth place cemented their spot in the redemption race.

Qualifying 2 Heat 1 Classification:

  1. Veloce 11.380 – 10 Points
  2. RXR +8.86 – 8 Points
  3. Chip Ganassi +14.42 – 6 Points
  4. Andretti United +25.39 – 4 Points
  5. Carl Cox Motorsport – 0 Points

Qualifying 2 Heat 2:

The final qualifying race consisted of Acciona Sainz, ABT Cupra, X44, JBXE, and McLaren.

As the lights went out, Laia Sanz for Acciona Sainz got a lightening start, with X44 and JBXE battling ot out for second place behind.

After the start there was little action, and Acciona Sainz topped both their heat and qualifying overall. X44 finished in second place, with McLaren finishing in third.

When all the intermediate points were added up, three teams, Acciona Sainz, RXR, and Veloce, had 18 points, only being separated by times through the Continental Traction Challenge

Qualifying 2 Heat 2 Classification:

  1. Acciona Sainz 11:29 – 10 Points
  2. RXR +5.34 – 8 Points
  3. McLaren +11.34 – 6 Points
  4. ABT Cupra +18.34 – 4 Points
  5. JBXE +25.52 – 2 Points

Overall Qualifying Standings:

  1. Acciona Sainz – 18 Points
  2. X44 – 18 Points
  3. Veloce – 18 Points
  4. Chip Ganassi – 16 Points
  5. RXR – 12 Points
  6. ABT Cupra – 8 Points
  7. JBXE – 8 Points
  8. McLaren – 8 Points
  9. Carl Cox Motorsport – 6 Points
  10. Andretti United – 4 Points

Going through to the final following qualifying were tje top five teams, Acciona Sainz, X44, Veloce, Chip Ganassi, and RXR. The bottom five qualifiers would compete in the redemption race.

Redemption Race:

The redemption race saw the most action of the day, with three cars not seeing its end.

McLaren took an early lead off the start but the main action was happening just behind. Three cars converged through a waypoint with Andretti United coming off worse. Their car rolled over and was unable to continue.

Things calmed down for a couple of minutes after that, but a move from the ABT Cupra car on the McLaren also saw the former end on its side in an incident not dissimilar from Catie Munnings’ in Qualifying One. All drivers were okay but the race was red-flagged.

The race resumed and JBXE reclaimed their lead. However, technical issues for the team saw them slow down and eventually stop, becoming the third retirement of the race.

With three cars out of the race it was a comfortable finish for McLaren, who crossed the line in first, with Carl Cox Motorsport not far behind in second.

Redemption Race Classification:

  1. McLaren 28:55.292
  2. Carl Cox Motorsport +5.552
  3. JBXE DNF
  4. ABT Cupra DNF
  5. Andretti United DNF

Final:

The last race of the day was the final, being fought between the top five qualifiers.

RXR took an early lead with a brilliant move from Johan Kristofferson. All five cars were neck and neck for most of the first lap.

However, Chip Ganassi ran into a technical issue and were forced to retire. A slow zone was put by the stricken car, restricting speeds to the switch zone speed limit. X44 also had an issue and retired not long after.

The remaining teams came into the switch zone with just a few seconds separating them. RXR led, with Veloce in second, and Acciona Sainz in third.

As the cars neared the slow zone, RXR’s Molly Taylor lost track of where she was and failed to slow in time, They were given a post-race penalty of 136 seconds.

There was little going on after that incident, as RXR crossed the line first but Veloce taking the victory. Acciona Sainz came in second and RXR were saved a place on the podium by virtue of the other cars retiring.

Final Classification:

  1. 11:56.291
  2. Acciona Sainz +16.709
  3. RXR + 2:08.041
  4. X44 DNF
  5. Chip Ganassi DNF

Championship Standings:

  1. Veloce – 26 Points
  2. Acciona Sainz – 21 Points
  3. RXR – 15 Points
  4. X44 – 13 Points
  5. Chip Ganassi – 11 Points
  6. McLaren – 8 Points
  7. Carl Cox Motorsport – 6 Points
  8. JBXE – 4 Points
  9. ABT Cupra – 2 Points
  10. Andretti United – 1 Point

So concluded an exciting day’s racing. With the chance to do it all again tomorrow, Veloce will be hoping for a similarly successful day, whilst Andretti United will welcome the chance to immediately get their championship back on track.

Posted on

Extreme E: Qualifying Report

image courtesy of ExtremeE

X44 topped an incredible day’s qualifying yet again as the Arctic XPrix weekend gets into full swing.

It was the new girl, Emma Gilmour, who kicked off qualifying in Q1 for the Veloce team. Coming in for the occupied Jamie Chadwick, Emma set a strong pace for teammate Stephane Sarrazin to build upon. Stephane had an uneventful run and, after a 10 second penalty was awarded for Emma knocking over a flag, Veloce Racing set a benchmark time of 14:19.436.

JBXE’s Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky was next out on track and was going strong until the suspension broke as she went over the rocks. Their Q1 session ended without Kevin Hansen getting in the car.

Xite Energy Racing and ABT Cupra followed as both teams had incident free runs to go 3rd and 1st respectively, with ABT Cupra posting a superb time of 13:48.947, some 30.48 seconds quicker than Veloce’s initial time.

With ABT Cupra the new benchmark it was the turn of championship leaders Rosberg X Racing to take to the track. Johan Kristoffersson was the first of their two drivers to tackle the track and was several seconds up as he got to the halfway point of the lap. At that point disaster struck. As Johan went over a bump, the motor suddenly cut out. It took a few crucial seconds to reboot the car, and, as the car cut out twice more, they were left over a minute down when Molly Taylor took over. Yet more bad news for the RXR team as, just a short way into the lap, Molly rolled the car, sustaining huge bodywork damage in the process. Somehow, she was able to continue and brought the car home 1:40.69 seconds down on ABT Cupra’s time.

Sara Price got Chip Ganassi’s qualifying off to a flyer, handling the track superbly to give the team a lead coming in to the changeover. Last event’s super sector dominator, Kyle Leduc, came into the car and stormed the track to give the team a lead in this weekend’s super sector and provisionally fastest qualifier. However, at some point in the lap, Leduc hit a flagpole and was given a 10 second time penalty. This put them just behind ABT Cupra in the standings.

X44 were fastest qualifiers in both the previous rounds coming in to this weekend and they made a strong case to do so again. Both drivers had clean yet fast runs and they went quickest by about 3 seconds, with a time of 13:45.235.

Andretti United and Acciona Sainz finished off the first qualifying session in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland as both teams looked to set themselves up nicely for the races tomorrow. Acciona Sainz had a careful run and went 6th quickest, some 55.64 seconds off the pace. Unfortunately for Andretti United, the car shut off as Timmy Hansen came into the braking zone for the change over, losing him a minute of time. Catie Munnings was only able to claw back a bit of the deficit as the American outfit finished Q1 in 7th position.

Classification standings and points following Q1:

  1. X44 13:45.235 9 points
  2. ABT Cupra +3.71 8 points
  3. Chip Ganassi +6.39 7 points
  4. Veloce +34.20 6 points
  5. Xite Energy +51.74 5 points
  6. Acciona Sainz +55.64 4 points
  7. Andretti United +1:29.95 3 points
  8. RXR +1:44.40 2 points
  9. JBXE DNF 1 point

Stephane Sarrazin kicked off Q2 for Veloce but problems started almost immediately for the Frenchman. By the time he had reached the first turn, the power steering had broken. He tried to reset the system but was unable to fix it and the team were only able to set a benchmark time of 16:51.810

Kevin Hansen then did his first and only lap of the whole of qualifying for the JBXE team. He was initially very quick but more issues struck as the car shut down coming in to the braking zone for the switch over, just as it did for his brother Timmy. Once they’d got the car going again, Mikaela jumped in and had a solid lap that saw the team go fastest so far with a 14:42.102.

Problems seemed to be the theme of the day as the next three teams all failed to complete their Q2 runs. Xite Energy’s Oliver Bennet suffered techincal issues, meaning he was unable to complete a lap. ABT Cupra’s Ekstrom made it a little further but came in to the switch zone with both rear tires punctured. The team were unable to change them and Jutta Kleinschmidt did not finish the run. Chip Ganassi’s Kyle Leduc didn’t even make the halfway stage as the rear left suspension broke going over a jump.

Next it was the turn of the Q1 quickest, X44. Loeb set the pace early, handing over to teammate Gutierrez with a 10 second advantage over JBXE. Christina had a steady run and brought the car home to provisionally top the session with a time of 14:37.598.

The rest of the qualifying session was uneventful as Andretti United, Acciona Sainz, and RXR all had solid runs to round off qualifying 3rd, 5th and 1st respectively.

Classification standings and points for Q2:

  1. RXR 14:26.647 9 points
  2. X44 +10.951 8 points
  3. Andretti United +14.917 7 points
  4. JBXE +15.455 6 points
  5. Acciona Sainz +30.377 5 points
  6. Veloce +1:56.163 4 points
  7. ABT Cupra DNF 3 points
  8. Xite Energy DNF 2 points
  9. Chip Ganassi DNF 1 point

For the final qualifying classification the points from both qualifying sessions were added up, with ties  being settled by who had the fastest super sector times. X44 topped the classification, going on to compete against Veloce and Acciona Sainz  in Semi Final 1. ABT Cupra, RXR, and Andretti United will compete in Semi Final 2. The first 2 finishers in each semi final will progress to the final. The last spot in the final will be contested between Chip Ganassi, JBXE, and Xite Energy.

Final Qualifying Classification:

  1. X44 17 points
  2. ABT Cupra 11 points
  3. RXR 11 points
  4. Andretti United 10 points
  5. Veloce 10 points
  6. Acciona Sainz 9 points
  7. Chip Ganassi 8 points
  8. JBXE 7 points
  9. Xite Energy 7 points

RXR’s lead at the top of the championship has weakened slightly following qualifying as X44 close to just 12 points away. Points that count in the championship are awarded by the position in qualifying, with the fastest, X44, receiving 12 points, and the slowest, Xite Energy, receiving just 4.

Here’s how the championship looks heading in to the races tomorrow:

  1. RXR 81 points
  2. X44 69 points
  3. JBXE 49 points
  4. Andretti United 46 points
  5. ABT Cupra 46 points
  6. Acciona Sainz 43 points
  7. Xite Energy 41 points
  8. Veloce 39 points
  9. Chip Ganassi 36 points

With qualifying completed, we’re finely poised for an exciting day of racing tomorrow!

Posted on

W Series Hungary: Chadwick dominates to retake title lead

Jamie Chadwick took her second win of the W Series season, beating title rival Alice Powell by some margin to reclaim the lead of the championship standings.

Chadwick lost the title lead to Powell following the latter’s victory at Silverstone two weeks ago, but Chadwick struck back this weekend with pole position. She then got a much better launch off the line than Powell on race day to hold the lead into Turn 1.

Powell briefly had to go on the defensive to stay in second ahead of Nerea Marti, who got away quickly from third. Meanwhile, Marti’s Academy teammate Ira Sidorkova jumped forward from fifth position to challenge Beitske Visser, and claim fourth place at Turn 4 on the opening lap.

Further back in the pack, Chadwick’s Veloce teammate Bruna Tomaselli dropped back from sixth on the grid to ninth behind Marta Garcia, Emma Kimilainen and Belen Garcia. At Turn 1, Fabienne Wohlwend got caught up in the jostling for position and lost her front wing, forcing her into a pit stop at the end of lap 1, and retirement shortly after.

 

Over the opening few tours, Chadwick set a series of fastest laps in clean air to stretch clear of Powell. The gap was already over a second by the end of lap 2, and that continued to grow with each following lap. As Chadwick drove away, Powell and Marti also began opening up a gap on the rest of the field.

Chadwick continued to lead for the remainder of the race, and opened a gap of over seven seconds after consistently setting fastest lap times and lapping within a second of her pole time from Friday. She crossed the line to take the win at the end of lap 19 with Powell a distant second, and Marti further back in third and taking her first podium in the series.

Behind the top three, Sidorkova and Visser remained locked in a tight battle over fourth place. Sidorkova made an error at Turn 11 on lap 3 which allowed Visser to close to within half a second, although Sidorkova responded well in the following laps to keep ahead of the Forbes car.

 

Visser continued to put the pressure on the 18-year-old ahead and was consistently a tenth quicker per lap. But with the Hungaroring being such a difficult circuit to overtake on, Visser had to follow Sidorkova home over the line in fifth place.

Kimilainen took sixth place, having pounced on a late wide moment by Marta Garcia through Turn 11 to take the position on lap 16. Marta Garcia was seventh ahead of Belen Garcia, Tomaselli and Jess Hawkins.

Chadwick’s win puts her back at the top of the championship standings with 73 points, although Powell is just one point behind in second place. Marti’s podium moves her up into third in the standings on 37 points, with former third-place driver Sarah Moore one point behind her after finishing the Hungary race in 15th.

W Series returns after the summer break on 28th August at Spa-Francorchamps, in support of the Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix.

Posted on

W Series Austria: Chadwick dominates at the Red Bull Ring

Reigning W Series champion Jamie Chadwick kickstarted her title defence with a dominant win from pole position in the second Red Bull Ring round.

Chadwick got a dream start from pole as Beitske Visser stalled off the line from second position. She was then given another advantage as her Veloce teammate Bruna Tomaselli and Academy’s Irina Sidorkova tussled for second, allowing Chadwick to arrive at Turn 1 with a healthy lead already.

Sidorkova came out on top in the battle with Tomaselli and pulled clear of the Brazilian over the opening lap. That left Tomaselli under pressure from Emma Kimilainen, who had jumped up from sixth on the grid to join the podium fight.

 

Kimilainen passed Tomaselli for second on lap 2 and stuck close to the back of Sidorkova. As Chadwick pulled clear of the pair, Kimilainen kept her car consistently within a second of Sidorkova and tried to find a way past the Russian.

But despite the pressure from Kimilainen throughout the race, Sidorkova managed to close off any opportunity and finish second behind Chadwick for her first W Series podium. Kimilainen ran out of laps to make a move happen, but finished half a second behind Sidorkova in third.

As the podium trio bolted down the road, Tomaselli led a tight battle for fourth place. The Veloce driver soon had a train behind her with Sarah Moore, Nerea Marti and Abbie Eaton. Moore in particular had great pace, and had already got herself up to fifth from eighth on the grid.

 

Moore initially got past Tomaselli on lap 7, but was repassed and had to fend off Marti on the following lap. Moore then regrouped in the closing laps to try around the outside of Tomaselli at Turn 3 on lap 18, before finally making a move stick at Turn 4 on lap 22.

Moore and Tomaselli finished fourth and fifth, with Eaton getting ahead of Marti for sixth and her first W Series points. Alice Powell finished a disappointed eighth between Marti and Belen Garcia, after saying on the radio that she had no straight line speed.

Sabré Cook had held the final point in tenth for much of the race after recovering from a spin in qualifying that put her at the back of the grid. But her Bunker Racing teammate Fabienne Wohlwend grabbed the position in the closing laps to round out the top ten.

Chadwick’s win moves her to the top of the standings by three points from Moore, with Round 1 winner Powell another point behind in third. W Series returns in two weeks’ time at Silverstone, in support of the British Grand Prix.

©2014-2024 ThePitCrewOnline