ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team Dominates Extreme E Desert X-Prix

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EXTREME E: ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team Dominates Desert X-Prix To Take First Ever Win

The Sainz family may have been a bit disappointed that Carlos Sainz Junior missed out on the podium at the Bahrain F1 GP last weekend, having been overtaken by BWT Alpine’s Fernando Alonso in the last quarter of the race. But they can still celebrate with Sainz Senior’s team taking their first ever win in the Extreme E all-electric off-road series over the weekend.

The ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team finished ahead of Veloce Racing and Rosberg X Racing (RXR) after a battle over the sands of NEOM in Saudi Arabia during the Desert X-Prix. The crew of Laia Sanz and Mattias Ekstrom dominated the race from start to finish, establishing a comfortable lead as Veloce Racing and RXR fought over the runners-up spot.

In fourth place were ABT CUPRA XE, having recovered well from a crash in opening round’s Redemption Race to make it to the Grand Final second time around. No.99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing finished fifth, marking two Grand Finals out of two for the team’s new driver-pairing of RJ Anderson and Extreme E newcomer Amanda Sorensen.

The Desert X-Prix double-header delivered two maiden victories, with wins for Veloce Racing and ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team. What’s more, with the Round 2 podium featuring the same top three teams from Round 1, they will be the ones to watch as the series heads into the next X- Prix weekend in Scotland in May.

“We had designed a strategy for the Grand Final and I executed it as well as I could. I am really happy that it turned out to be fruitful. It is always easier to race in front and have a clear view in front than being behind another car and having to deal with all the dust. I really enjoyed every corner. Laia drove very well and managed the gap perfectly. It is a good victory for the team,” said Ekstrom.

“It is also very special for Carlos. We have been teammates at the Dakar Rally for the past two years, but ever since I joined ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team he has been really caring. He has taught me many things, as a father would. He is a great guy and it makes me really happy that we can dedicate this victory to him,” he added.

The Grand Final

As the top 5 teams from Qualifying took on the Grand Final in Extreme E, Ekstrom set the tone for the race as he charged into the lead. Behind the Swede, Veloce Racing’s Kevin Hansen dug deep to get ahead of RXR’s Johan Kristoffersson to take second place, as the RXR machine bounced sideways through the dips in the course.

Just as the front three got some breathing space from No.99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing’s Anderson and ABT CUPRA XE’s Klara Andersson in fourth and fifth, respectively, Hansen accidentally hit the pit limiter. The Veloce Racing ODYSSEY 21 dropped back into third while Hansen recovered from the sudden loss of speed.

Ekstrom continued to extend his lead as the other teams lost time tussling for position, with Kristoffersson defending hard against Hansen until the Veloce Racing driver took a wider line and completed the overtake on RXR for second place.

Following the driver change, which saw Veloce Racing’s Molly Taylor and RXR’s Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky door-to-door as they exited the Switch Zone, it was a comfortable run for Sanz. The Spaniard kept a cool head to complete a clean run, while Taylor brought her ODYSSEY 21 home in second for Veloce Racing.

RXR’s Ahlin-Kottulinsky fended off Nasser Al-Attiyah in the final stages of the race to claim the third step on the podium, with ABT CUPRA XE finishing fourth after Al-Attiyah got past No.99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing’s Sorensen.

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Redemption Race

The remaining 5 teams fought it out in the Redemption Race in pursuit of those all-important sixth to tenth place championship points. Carl Cox Motorsport looked to have taken an early lead in the race as Timo Scheider pushed his ODYSSEY 21 to the limit, bouncing round the outside of the opening right-hander. X44 Vida Carbon Racing’s Fraser McConnell, however, stuck to his trusted inside line to jump to the front of the pack.

Behind them was Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E’s Timmy Hansen, followed by NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team’s Tanner Foust in fourth, and JBXE’s Heikki Kovalainen in fifth, until Foust pulled out onto a wider line and cut back in to overtake Hansen for third place.

Scheider kept just 2 seconds adrift of X44 Vida Carbon Racing’s McConnell as the German ran in second for Carl Cox Motorsport. Meanwhile, the front three pulled away from Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E and JBXE, and as they approached the Switch Zone, Scheider was late on the brakes, making contact with McConnell as they entered.

Carl Cox Motorsport managed to get the better of X44 Vida Carbon Racing at the driver change, as Christine GZ emerged ahead of Cristina Gutiérrez. The X44 Vida Carbon Racing driver soon retook the lead, however, as the NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team continued a trouble free run behind but JBXE ended their Desert X Prix with a DNF.