Andretti United Extreme E, ABT Cupra XE and Acciona | Sainz Extreme E reflect on first season
It was a hotly contested inaugural season of Extreme E and this was possibly best evidenced in the midfield, where the teams fourth to sixth in the Championship were separated by just 17 points.
Andretti United Extreme E were one of three teams to score a victory in Season 1 and finished fourth in the standings, while ABT Cupra XE and ACCIONA | Sainz XE Team were tied on points in fifth and sixth having scored podiums in Sardinia and Greenland, respectively.
In fourth were Andretti United Extreme E’s line-up of Catie Munnings and Timmy Hansen were competitive throughout the campaign, scoring their first win in Greenland in the third X Prix of the season to back up their strong showing at the series opener in Saudi Arabia where they finished in second.
Munnings and Hansen entered the season-finale in the UK still with a mathematical shot at the Championship and backed up their credentials with a fine third place at the Jurassic X Prix, but difficult weekends in Senegal and Sardinia proved crucial in their bid for title honours.
“Our first win in Greenland was probably our standout highlight,” says Munnings.
“We endured a difficult race in Senegal and then for us to bounce back so strongly at the Arctic X Prix was great.
“We worked so hard as a team throughout the campaign and overall our pace was good. We also endured bad luck at some events, too. So many things can happen in this series so our approach was to make sure we did our best and bring the car home as regularly as we could.
“There have been so many highlights over the course of the season, though, and not just on track. We were able to travel to so many amazing locations and get involved in the Legacy Programmes which was really important."
ABT Cupra XE endured a difficult start to life in Extreme E after Claudia Hürtgen’s sizable barrel roll in the first Qualifying session in Saudi Arabia. A herculean effort from the team’s engineers and mechanics saw their ODYSSEY 21 repaired for Finals day, only for a collision with SEGI TV Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kyle LeDuc to call a premature end to both team’s events.
The following round in Senegal saw a change in the driver line-up, with Hürtgen replaced by Jutta Kleinschmidt to partner Mattias Ekström. Their strong pace was clear enough, with Ekström and Kleinschmidt finishing in the top-three fastest qualifiers in their first three X Prix together, but they were unable to translate that into a big result on Finals day.
At the fourth X Prix, though, ABT Cupra XE finally secured their first podium with a strong showing at the Enel X Island X Prix to claim second despite Ekström losing a door off his ODYSSEY 21 in the Final.
A technical problem at the season-ending Jurassic X Prix meant the team finished in seventh.
“The podium in Sardinia was a great reward for the hard work of the entire team”, says Kleinschmidt. “This is also exactly where we want to be as a team – fighting for trophies and for the win at each and every race.
“The biggest surprise this season was getting used to the suspension. We're only in our first year, though, and we’re working hard on this. You only have a throttle and a brake pedal in this car which makes it easier.
“The Extreme E format is super challenging because when competing over such a short distance you have to make every corner perfect otherwise you lose. You must be fast and on point, and for me that is challenging as I am used to much longer distances.
“I wanted to be a part of Extreme E from the beginning and when I was told about the series having both male and female drivers I was immediately excited about it and thought it was a fantastic idea. Gender equality, electric technology, and the environmental projects are all so important, and we are here showing the way.”
ACCIONA | Sainz XE Team began their maiden Extreme E campaign with a strong showing in Saudi Arabia, qualifying second and finishing the Desert X Prix in fourth. A difficult Ocean X Prix meant Carlos Sainz Sr. and Laia Sanz could only finish eighth but they bounced back strongly in Greenland to take their first podium in the series.
Sainz Sr. and Sanz’s progress was hindered in Sardinia as they finished seventh, but a strong fifth place at the season-finale in the UK after qualifying in the top three ensured they ended the campaign on a high.
“It has been really nice, but also really challenging,” says Sanz. “Nevertheless, I can see how I’m learning from race to race. Of course, I am fortunate that I have the best teacher – although it is Carlos [Sainz Sr.] and that isn’t easy because he wants to win every race! Carlos is very passionate, and I am grateful for this opportunity to drive with him.
“Our highest point of the season was definitely the podium we achieved in Greenland. We have been quick in all the races, but for many reasons, and mainly not related to us, we haven't always transformed the speed into points. We did achieve that in Greenland, though, so it is a standout moment from the season.”
