How RXR won the 2023 Extreme E championship
As the championship kicked off in NEOM, Saudi Arabia, for the Desert X Prix, RXR’s Johan Kristoffersson and Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky brought home a solid set of points as they looked to secure a spot at the top end of the standings.
They claimed two third-place finishes from the first rounds of the campaign, which could have been even more since they crossed the line at the head of the pack in the Round 1 Grand Final. However, the team was later hit with a penalty, undoing their Grand Final efforts.
The all-new racing format gave RXR the opportunity to go for the win once again in Round 2. A place in the Grand Final was secured and a race-long battled ensued with Veloce Racing. The duo tussled for second place, but RXR would have to settle for third once more as they left the deserts of Saudi Arabia third in the standings.|
The Hydro X Prix marked the only X Prix of the season that RXR did not take their place amongst the top-three positions at either round despite making both Grand Finals.
After losing out to Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E and X44 Vida Carbon Racing at the start of the Round 3 Grand Final, RXR would drop out of contention after a crash for Kristoffersson with a rocky bank of the course, rolling his ODYSSEY 21 in the process and into a retirement.
Round 4 offered an opportunity to bounce back in Scotland, however in a Grand Final which saw title rivals Veloce Racing pull clear, contact with challengers ASXE ruled both teams out of the running and thus dropping further points.
They would both recover strongly in Sardinia as the championship returned for its Mediterranean leg of the season, though. The region had proven to be a particularly popular hunting ground for Nico Rosberg's outfit in previous seasons and much was expected in 2023.
A dominant weekend from RXR saw the team win Rounds 5 and 6 on the Italian island, continuing their success in Sardinia, and leaping them up to second in the overall standings.
Nevertheless, they were shadowed home in both races by ASXE, who took over the championship lead in the process, while Nico Rosberg’s team benefitted from a post-race penalty handed to No. 99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing in Round 5 after the American outfit crossed the line in first.
Given RXR’s history of success racing in Sardinia, their form looked ominous heading into Rounds 7 and 8.
Fourth was the maximum that RXR could achieve in Round 7 after a tumultuous Grand Final – which saw multiple cars suffer damage and visibility issues out on course as they battled for position.
A difficult start in the Round 8 Grand Final dropped RXR down to fourth, but some feisty driving from Kristoffersson moved RXR into second place before shadowing X44 Vida Carbon Racing home to bank valuable points. Both ASXE and Veloce Racing contested the Redemption Race for Round 8, closing the gap still further as the championship headed for an incredible conclusion.
Five teams would head to the Atacama Desert in Chile still in contention for the 2023 title - a record for Extreme E, demonstrating how competitive the campaign has been on track.
RXR went into the Antofagasta Minerals Copper X Prix only three points behind nearest championship rivals ASXE so it was all to play for.
Round 9 went as planned in the end for RXR, marking the team’s third victory of Season 3 and first win in South America. A puncture in their opening Qualifying Heat nearly derailed their title bid, but a strong recovery saw them take the championship lead heading into the final day.
After making the Grand Final once again in Round 10, rivals ASXE made a great start and took the lead off the line. Disaster nearly befell Nico Rosberg's outfit in the form of puncture, and near roll, for Kristoffersson which dropped the team down the order on the opening lap.
It initially looked like their 2023 title chances had gone, with ASXE in the leading positions. However, in the closing stages of the race Laia Sanz rolled her ODYSSEY 21, which ensured an instant retirement for the Spanish outfit.
The DNF for ASXE, along with a retirement for NEOM McLaren XE plus significant damage for X44 Vida Carbon Racing's ODYSSEY 21 which hampered their pace, meant that RXR just had to finish the race to take third place and seal the championship.
Despite crossing the line over four minutes after winners Veloce Racing, RXR’s second place was enough to secure a second Extreme E championship win.
A second Extreme E title in three years for RXR marks Nico Rosberg's outfit as the team to beat once again in the series. The championship will return once again in 2024, with no doubt another tumultous title battle on the cards once again.
