Tag: X44

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Extreme E: RXR Double at Island XPrix

Imagine courtesy of Extreme ENico Rosberg’s team, RXR, won both races at this weekend’s Island XPrix, putting them right back into championship contention.

Meanwhile Acciona Sainz took advantage of Veloce’s poor weekend, going into the lead of the championship with two second place finishes.

Round 5 Redemption Race:

A bad qualifying from the championship leaders saw Veloce compete in the redemption race against McLaren, X44, Carl Cox Motorsport, and JBXE.

Contact off the start line with McLaren caused Bakkerud in the JBXE machine to spin out. The McLaren would lose its door.

But with all the chaos going on behind them. Veloce cruised to a win in the redemption race, securing crucial points in their championship fight.

Round 5 Final:

The top five qualifiers from the round five competed in a thrilling final.

As the cars raced towards the first turn, Johann Kristofferson was forced off into the bushes.

Miraculously, the car was relatively unharmed and the experienced swede quickly got it going again.

Kristofferson made light work of the ABT Cupra car, which had picked up a puncture, before closing down on Acciona Sainz.

After the switch Kristofferson’s teammate, Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky, passed Acciona Sainz and looked to overtake Andretti United.

However, contact between the two cars saw the Andretti United roll onto its side. The driver, Catie Munnings, was unharmed but unable to finish the race.

Chip Ganassi crossed the line first but a penalty for a switch-zone infringement saw them drop down into third, behind RXR and Acciona Sainz.

Round 6 Redemption Race:

If Veloce thought Sunday would allow them to bounce back, they were to be mistaken, as they once again found themselves in the Redemption Race.

ABT Cupra got the best start and led into the first turn, swiftly followed by X44 and Veloce.

It was a relatively uneventful race after the initial start, with ABT Cupra taking the victory. Veloce finished in second, and X44 were just behind in third.

Round 6 Final:

In a move similar to the previous day’s Final, Andretti United’s Timmy Hansen was forced into the bushes off the start line.

Learning from the day before, though, was Kristofferson, who initially slowed to avoid getting squeezed, before storming into the lead in the aftermath of the contact ahead. Acciona Sainz were just behind.

Though the cars ran fairly close to one another for the entire race, there was little action for the remainder of the race, and RXR took their second win of the weekend.

Acciona Sainz finished in second and Andretti United rounded out the podium.

Championship Standings:

  1. Acciona Sainz – 109 Points
  2. RXR – 105 Points
  3. Veloce – 95 Points
  4. Carl Cox Motorsport – 80 Points
  5. X44 – 59 Points
  6. Andretti United – 55 Points
  7. McLaren – 44 Points
  8. ABT Cupra – 40 Points
  9. Carl Cox Motorsports – 26 Points
  10. JBXE – 26 Points

Another fascinating weekend of Extreme E is over and only two rounds remain in the season. The next round location is yet to be confirmed but a trip to the Americas seems likely. You won’t want to miss it!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Form Guide:

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

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

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

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

Championship Standings:

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

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

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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.

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Extreme E: All-Electric Off-Road Series Comes to Scotland

Images courtesy of Extreme EExtreme E will take to an old Scottish coal mine for the Hydro XPrix this weekend. This is only the second time the series has raced in the UK, with the UK’s last event coming at the end of the first season in Dorset.

New Driver Line-Up:

With the long gap between rounds, Extreme E is known for its constant adjustments. But with the series now in its third season, it appears that the championship has become more stable – with just one change from the last round in Neom, Saudi Arabia.

It appeared that Jensen Button’s team, JBXE, had pulled off a major coup when they signed former Formula One driver Heikki Kovalainen at the start of this campaign. But, after a less than impressive debut, the team have opted for experienced rally driver Andreas Bakkerud.

Bakkerud has won two Super1600’s and has seven wins in the World Rallycross Championship.

Carlos Sainz Sr remains side-lined by a back injury he sustained at the 2023 Dakar Rally. Mattias Ekstrom will continue to partner Laia Sanz in his stead.

Format:

If you missed the last round, you may not be aware of the new format for this season.

Now, both the Saturday and Sunday are their own separate events with two rounds of qualifying, a redemption race, and a final each.

Timed qualifying has been ditched for this season, with teams now competing in two five-car heats, in which teams are awarded classification points based on finishing position.

After qualifying is completed, the five teams with the most classification points progress to the final. The other five teams compete in the Redemption Race. In the event that multiple teams are tied for classification points, the team that has the fastest combined male-female time in the Continental Traction Challenge will be classified ahead.

Championship Standings:

After a tough first two seasons, the surprise of the last round were Veloce, who currently tied Acciona Sainz for the lead of the championship.

The team has an all new driver-pairing for this year (Kevin Hansen and inaugural Extreme E champion Molly Taylor) which looks to have turned their fortunes around.

A difficult opening weekend for Andretti sees them prop up the table with a 10th and an 8th placed finish.

  1. Veloce – 46 Points
  2. Acciona Sainz – 46 Points
  3. Rosberg X Racing – 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 – 5 Points

Legacy Programme:

As viewers of the series will be aware, one of the main aims of Extreme E is to raise awareness of different environmental issues, and leave a positive impact on their race locations.

This weekend, the focus is on energy, with the track being held at a former coal mine. The mine was closed in 2012 but will soon become a Pumped Storage Hydropower plant and wind farm.

For its legacy programme, the series will work with various organisations to help restore and protect salmon stocks on the River Nith.

When and Where to Watch:

UK viewers will be able to watch qualifying on YouTube at 7am, with the race broadcast being  on ITV1 at 1pm both days.

After Veloce’s shock win last round, make sure you tune in this weekend for guaranteed racing excitement!

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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.

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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.

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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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