ASXE and ABT CUPRA XE take Heat wins in Qualifying 1

Laia Sanz and Mattias Ekström fought from second to first in Heat 1, securing a crucial extra championship point as the fight to stay at the top of the standings.

Also gaining an extra championship point, Klara Andersson stole the lead for ABT CUPRA XE from championship contenders Rosberg X Racing following confusion around a slow zone on-course in Heat 2.

Qualifying 1 Heat 1 

Carl Cox Motorsport’s Timo Scheider took an early lead, getting the inside line as the ODYSSEY 21s cleared the jump and entered the first corner.

Mattias Ekström secured second for ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team with RJ Anderson slotting into third in the No.99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing car ahead of JBXE’s Hedda Hosås. 

Following Emma Gilmour’s incident in Free Practice yesterday, the NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team had to serve a 30-second penalty in Qualifying 1 for switching to the championship car. This could explain why Tamara Molinaro – stepping in for Gilmour - didn’t use her ENOWA Hyperdrive off the start, allowing the team to avoid trouble from the rest of the grid.

Ekström continued to pile pressure on Scheider out in front, taking multiple lines to try to slide through on the inside of the corners. One of these attempts ended with the ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team car taking a chunk out of the rear of the Carl Cox Motorsport machine. 

Failing to complete the move, Scheider entered the Switch Zone inches ahead of Ekström, with Anderson right in the mix following the incident between the pair in front. 

Executing the driver change better than their rivals, the ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team left the Switch ahead of Carl Cox Motorsport. The teams each held track position as they crossed the finish line, with Laia Sanz taking the win for the Spanish outfit.

Qualifying 1 Heat 2

It was tight off the start with all five teams leaping over the jump into the first corner, where Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E’s Timmy Hansen collided with RXR’s Johan Kristoffersson.

Meanwhile X44 Vida Carbon Racing’s Fraser McConnell pulled off his favoured manoeuvre, dropping back to cut up the inside of the RXR machine to take the lead, with ABT CUPRA XE’s Sébastien Loeb slotting into third.

Managing to keep his car on all four wheels, Hansen stayed in the race for Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E behind his brother Kevin in the Veloce Racing ODYSSEY 21, who soon passed the ABT CUPRA XE car as it looked to be causing problems for Loeb.

As the front three came closer and closer together, Kristoffersson went into the back of X44 Vida Carbon Racing, reminding McConnell he needed to push hard to keep the lead into the Switch Zone.

Leaving the driver change, Cristina Gutiérrez set off to hold the win for X44 Vida Carbon Racing, but soon had to pull over due to an issue with her ODYSSEY 21. Forced to slow down behind the Spaniard in a narrow section, RXR’s Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky was soon under pressure from Veloce Racing’s Molly Taylor.

Suffering from the damage caused in the first corner of the race, Catie Munnings also came to a stop out on track, meaning a DNF for Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E.

This resulted in a temporary slow zone, which was cleared just as RXR and Veloce Racing approached the WayPoint. However, a miscommunication for RXR saw them back off for a slow zone, allowing ABT CUPRA XE’s Andersson to shoot into first place.

Having initially slowed down too, Taylor reacted quickly to take second from Åhlin-Kottulinsky, and the three teams finished Heat 2 in this order.

Q1 Heat 1: 
1. ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team 9:50.643mins 
2. Carl Cox Motorsport +1.935s 
3. No.99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing +6.027s 
4. JBXE +8.876s 
5. NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team +39.660s 

Q1 Heat 2:  
1. ABT CUPRA XE 10:02.949mins 
2. Veloce Racing +3.314s 
3. Rosberg X Racing +10.833s 
4. X44 Vida Carbon Racing DNF 
5. Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E DNF