The chasing pack look set to challenge
The middle three teams in the standings, Andretti United Extreme E, ACCIONA | Sainz XE Team and XITE ENERGY RACING, will be looking to chase down the leading trio and compete at the front of the pack once more. We caught up with the drivers to see what they’ve been up to since Senegal and their expectations for Greenland.
After claiming second place in Saudi Arabia, Andretti United Extreme E (fourth) fell to last at the Ocean X Prix after suffering mechanical issues in qualifying, meaning they could only take nine points away from Senegal. In fifth, and level with Andretti United Extreme E in the standings with 37 points, are XITE ENERGY RACING. After qualifying in sixth place in Senegal, drivers Oliver Bennett and Christine GZ became embroiled in a fierce battle with British-outfit Veloce Racing in Semi-Final 2 in their bid to reach the final race of the day, but were ultimately unsuccessful and so had to make do with sixth place, leaving with 17 points from Senegal.
Currently lying sixth in the standings are ACCIONA | Sainz XE Team. After setting purple sectors in qualifying with Carlos Sainz Snr. and Laia Sanz behind the wheel, the team suffered mechanical issues in the first part of qualifying and were then narrowly beaten by the flying Kyle LeDuc in the Shoot Out, meaning they finished the Ocean X Prix in eighth.
With only 14 points separating JBXE in third and Andretti United Extreme E, drivers Timmy Hansen and Catie Munnings are well aware that a strong weekend at the Arctic X Prix could see the team pull clear of the chasing pack.
The pair will be looking to recapture their form from the opening round in Saudi Arabia, where they finished in second place. “Saudi was a dream event for us but in Senegal, we got unlucky – the conditions were tough and very different from those in Saudi where the bumps were more predictable” says Catie Munnings. “Then the mechanical issue was just unfortunate, it could have happened to any of the teams but the luck wasn’t on our side for that race and sometimes that happens in motorsport. Timmy and I will come back stronger for Greenland where we’ll be racing on gravel – a surface we both know really well.”
Her teammate Timmy Hansen has been very busy since Senegal finishing second in the Spanish round of the World Rallycross Championship after a close fought battle with his brother Kevin who took victory. The pair are also competing against each other in Extreme E.
“Kevin and I have always had a very close relationship so I‘m very happy he gets the chance to race again in Extreme E” Timmy says. “It will be a bit different though as we will not be teammates as we are in rallycross so we can’t share all our secrets now. Any rivalry is always healthy – whether it’s been brothers or friends, and for me the most important thing is fair and honest racing. At the end of the day, he’ll always be my brother no matter what happens on track.”
XITE ENERGY RACING who currently lie fifth in the standings showed plenty of improvement last time out in Senegal and after a steady opening event in Saudi Arabia will be looking to continue that upturn in performance in Greenland.
“Well, for sure we are the least experienced drivers down there, but I’m working really hard between the races to keep improving at each round” says Christine. “Greenland seems like a completely new challenge again, so it’s important for us to keep working closely with the team and maximise our performance. Let’s go!”
The team were involved in a classic wheel-to-wheel battle with Veloce Racing during Semi-Final 2, with Bennett and GZ unlucky not to make their maiden X Prix Final appearance. The terrains of the Arctic X Prix will present a different kind of challenge for the drivers, with both Bennett and GZ eager to capitalise and put more pressure on the series’ leaders so far.
“I’m super Xited about competing at the Artic X Prix in Greenland” says Oli. “The course will be very challenging from what I’ve seen and with one point covering three places in the standings it’s going to be the biggest fight we’ve had on our hands all season. But both Christine and I are ready and have been preparing with lots of off road seat time so we can capitalise on our position, which will prove crucial if we are to stand a chance of podiuming the championship.”
After demonstrating strong pace at the opening event in Saudi Arabia, ACCIONA | Sainz XE Team suffered multiple mechanical setbacks last time out in Senegal. The team were also dealt a further blow in the Shoot Out, as on the brink of victory they were denied by a spirited comeback from SEGI TV Chip Ganassi Racing meaning they finished the Ocean X Prix in eighth.
ACCIONA | Sainz XE Team will be looking for a reversal in fortunes when they hit the track in Greenland. “We didn’t get the results we expected in Senegal,” says Carlos Sainz Snr., “but we have worked hard to face the Arctic X Prix in the best shape possible. We want a good result and we cannot wait to land in Greenland so we can be pitting again against the best in the sport”.
“To be honest, Greenland is an unknown territory for us” Laia continues. “We have little information about the surface and the layout, but our goal is to give our best and get to the Final. The target is to be among the best and to show our true speed. In Senegal we couldn’t show it because we had a technical issue, so we need a clean weekend in Greenland, with no issues, so we can show the speed we have reached this season so far”.
As the championship heads north for the first international motorsport event to take place in Greenland, who will be climbing up the leaderboard at the third X Prix of the season?
