RXR close in on top spot ahead of title decider
However, it won’t be just a two-team showdown in Chile – there are still five teams in contention of taking the coveted 2023 championship crown in the Atacama Desert.
Nevertheless, Season 1 champions RXR take plenty of momentum with them to South America, having secured another podium at the Island X Prix in Sardinia as well as yet another top five finish – their eighth in a row across Season 3.
Such consistency has left them well placed to challenge for their second championship in three seasons in Chile.
Reflecting on the weekend’s events, Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky, RXR, said: “It was a bit of a challenging weekend. Round 7 had its highs and lows, but we pushed through. Losing power steering in the opening Grand Final was tough, but we managed to bring the car home for crucial points.
“The track conditions make it tough if you're not in the lead. That said, Johan's overtakes were nothing short of incredible. Securing the P2 spot in the championship standings is crucial for our title fight.
"We're only three points behind, and we're eagerly looking ahead to Chile."
Looking back at Rounds 7 and 8 at the Island X Prix, co-organised and coordinated by the Automobile Club d'Italia and Regione Sardegna, Nico Rosberg’s RXR outfit faced some challenges on track, but still came away with a total points haul of 31.
After being top of the timesheets in Free Practice, Round 7 Qualifying at Sardinia’s Capo Teulada was not as smooth for RXR’s driver pairing of Johan Kristoffersson and Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky.
An initial collision with Andretti Alkawkilat Extreme E’s Timmy Hansen, followed by a miscommunication when slowing down for a yellow flag, meant the team could only finish as high as third in their opening Heat, leaving them with plenty of work to do in Qualifying 2.
With a slot in the Grand Final at stake, RXR duly delivered to take the Heat victory in Qualifying 2, after initially running in second behind JBXE’s Andreas Bakkerud before the Norweigan’s ODYSSEY 21 suffered technical problems.
In a dramatic Grand Final, which saw a number of drivers fighting with their cars and the terrain to secure a podium finish, a technical issue for Kristoffersson and Åhlin-Kottulinsky meant the Swedish duo had to settle for fourth behind nearest championship contenders ASXE, who took the win, and Veloce Racing, who claimed third place.
In a bid to turn the tables, RXR gave it everything in their opening Heat of Qualifying for Round 8. Having led for much of the four-lap race, Nico Rosberg’s outfit were pipped right on the line by ASXE’s Laia Sanz, losing out on victory by just 0.06 seconds - the closest margin in Extreme E history to date.
This gave RXR a solid foundation to reach their second Sardinian Grand Final of the weekend, but the team were made to sweat for it after a challenging Qualifying 2 Heat.
After receiving a 10-second penalty for dropping a Way Point flag, RXR took third spot in Q2 H1, and had to rely on their pace through the Continental Traction Challenge to seal their spot in the Grand Final.
After initially dropping to fourth in the Grand Final, Kristoffersson showed his class to claw his way up to second ahead of the driver change.
Åhlin-Kottulinsky exited the Switch Zone behind X44 Vida Carbon Racing’s Cristina Gutiérrez up front, but despite closing the gap during her stint had to settle for second behind the Season 2 champions.
After title rivals ASXE and Veloce Racing could only manage to line up in the Redemption Race, a fifth podium of the campaign ensured RXR narrowed the gap to just three points heading into the championship decider in Chile.
Looking back on the Island X Prix, Kristoffersson said: "Being in the lead around the track in Sardinia offers a big advantage due to the mud that hampers visibility. Overall, though, I'm satisfied.
“The first Grand Final was a rollercoaster, to say the least. We showed good pace but faced unforeseen challenges. Both Mikaela [Åhlin-Kottulinsky] and the team performed really well despite some frustrations that we all faced over the weekend. We’ve now got it all to play for in Chile in December.”
The crowning of the 2023 champions will be live across ITV and STV in the UK, while outside of the UK please visit here for broadcaster details.
