How Carl Cox Motorsport fared in their Extreme E debut
While flashes of speed and some competitive battles on track were encouraging highlights for the new team, a mixture of technical problems and bad luck stopped Carl Cox Motorsport from progressing to a Grand Final and instead, left them fighting for the remaining points available in the Redemption Races.
Carl Cox, Carl Cox Motorsport Team Boss, said: “Both our drivers did a fantastic job in Saudi for their first race with the team, we showed great flashes of pace and our team really gelled together. They have such great energy which was lovely to experience, especially watching our ODYSSEY racing in style on the track with the new livery. Expect us to go all out this season!
“Our team also took part in the Legacy with NEOM, it was amazing to see the rewilding and regreening efforts in the region. Taking part in the Legacy initiatives with something as simple as planting trees is something we at Carl Cox Motorsport supports and looks to continue with the team.
“I look forward to seeing what we achieve in the next race, Carl Cox Motorsport is ready for Scotland and beyond!”
Qualifying 1 Heat 1 of Desert X Prix Round 1 was an impressively strong start to for the team, with driver Timo Scheider slotting into third off the line and maintaining this track position through to the Switch Zone.
A tight battle ensued between Carl Cox Motorsport and Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E for third place. However, an aggressive move by Munnings on the inside of Christine GZ caused Munnings to roll on an unforgiving bump in the terrain. The incident put Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E out of the race, ensuring a competitive third on debut for Carl Cox Motorsport.
However, it was Qualifying 2 Heat 2 where setbacks started to arise for Scheider and GZ.
It was a chaotic start, as contact between RXR’s Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky and GZ kept the team from progressing further up the pack; while initially setting into third, Åhlin-Kottulinsky was able to pass GZ before the Switch Zone.
Misfortune for the team continued to unfold, and they were forced to retire with a DNF for technical issues, sending them straight into the Redemption Race.
The early stages of the race saw plenty of action; as ABT CUPRA XE’s Nasser Al-Attiyah completed an overtake on Scheider, the German accidentally veered into Timmy Hansen, sending him into a spin.
This was the first of three DNFs in the race, as Al-Attiyah also rolled his ABT CUPRA XE ODYSSEY 21 over the top of the NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team as the Qatari attempted to undercut Tanner Foust for the lead. The remaining trio made their way back to the Switch Zone, as a Red Flag stopped the race.
As the action got back underway, technical issues soon ruled JBXE out of contention. This meant Carl Cox Motorsport’s Christine GZ was able to take home an important P2 in the Redemption Race, and seventh overall, securing six maiden points for the team.
Christine GZ, Carl Cox Motorsport, said: “It’s been a great first race back to Extreme E with Carl Cox Motorsport, we had a few issues here and there as expected with us being a new team, but it was great to work with such a hard-working team alongside Timo.
"Before our race, we spoke with Carl which gave all of us a lot of energy and motivation. I cannot wait for the next time in the car and look forward to working with the team more closely, we will come back stronger and build on our performance as we know we have the pace. Bring on Scotland!"
Round 2 of the doubleheader offered a fresh start for both drivers.
After setting off in fourth, Scheider remained close and competitive to the front pack, pushing to gain positions. But problems for Carl Cox Motorsport in the Switch Zone saw the team suffer another Qualifying DNF. It was an unfortunate setback after a strong showing in the initial laps.
Scheider and GZ looked to fight back in Qualifying 2 Heat 1, but a slow start and red flag meant the heat turned into a thrilling one lap shoot-out, but Carl Cox Motorsport had to settle for fourth.
In the Redemption Race, Scheider again took an early lead, before X44 Vida Carbon Racing’s Fraser McConnell used the inside line to jump to the front of the pack.
Scheider kept just two seconds adrift of X44 Vida Carbon Racing’s Fraser McConnell as the German ran in second for Carl Cox Motorsport. It was a strong show of pace for the team, highlighting how difficulties over the weekend had limited the opportunities to see their true potential.
Carl Cox Motorsport then managed to get the better of X44 Vida Carbon Racing at the driver change, as GZ emerged ahead of Cristina Gutiérrez. However, the X44 Vida Carbon Racing driver soon retook the lead.
At this point, GZ suffered a roll during her stint. GZ was able to recover and crawl home in fourth, but the incident held the team back from fighting for any points.
Timo Scheider, Carl Cox Motorsport, said: “It was super exciting to start the season for the first doubleheader in Saudi Arabia for Carl Cox Motorsport.
“A lot of new things and challenges from being a new team, especially as the team saw the car for the first time. However, we still pushed for the maximum and showed great pace with some of our laps, so a lot of learnings and improvements over the weekend.
“Unfortunately, with the roll in the last Redemption Race, we have quite a bit of work with the mechanics but that’s racing. We can’t wait to hit the ground running in Scotland with the aim of that podium step.”
It was an unfortunate end to an otherwise competitive debut, and the team will now be looking towards Scotland (13-14 May) as a chance to get back into the fight in Season 3.
