Rosberg X Racing’s Johan Kristoffersson and Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky claimed the 2023 Extreme E title in bizarre fashion after a crazy final in Chile where both title-chasing teams hit trouble.
RXR, which won the Season 1 title, entered the final round of 2023 with the points lead, with a narrow advantage over Acciona Sainz’s Mattia Ekstrom and Laia Sanz. They needed to merely finish ahead, or hope that Acciona Sainz finished out of the podium positions, in order to secure the title, but a poor start handed an early advantage to the Spanish team who eventually hit trouble of their own.
After Ekstrom’s strong start, it looked as if a maiden title for Acciona Sainz was a certainty after the first lap. Kristoffersson meanwhile was shuffled back, then was pitched onto two wheels after clipping a bank just before Waypoint 4.
RXR sustained a front right puncture as a result of the near-roll, but Acciona Sainz’s win was far from secure. Veloce Racing’s Kevin Hansen applied the pressure on Ekstrom but the gap remained around 0.5s, increasing to 0.647s at the mid-race driver change.
It was at the Switch that Acciona Sainz’s title hopes began to unravel. Veloce’s Molly Taylor got the leap on Sanz at the exit of the Switch Zone, immediately turning the team from hunted to hunter.
Sanz had a look up the inside of Taylor at Waypoints 20 and 21 but Taylor remained resolute as Veloce chased a third win of the season after dropping out of title contention on Saturday. Sanz continued to push, but spun at Waypoint 2 on the final lap, and as she attempted to rejoin the track, she spun again, then rolled, ending the team’s race.
Puncture repaired, RXR returned to the track a lap down but then had to contend with a broken right-from track rod when Ahlin-Kottulinsky took over the car for the final two laps. Nevertheless, with Acciona Sainz unable to progress further, all RXR needed to do was get by stricken car. Their push was aided by a retirement for X44’s Vida Carbon Racing who retired after sustaining heavy damage from McLaren’s Tanner Foust upon entry to the Switch Zone.
Ultimately, the carnage gifted Veloce a relatively straightforward victory, while Ahlin-Kottulinsky wrestled RXR’s Odyssey 21 back, over 4m adrift of the race winner, to take second and lock in the title.
X44 made it past Acciona Sainz before retiring to take third, while McLaren’s race ended at the mid-race Switch as a result of damage from the contact.
Copper X Prix II Final
Veloce Racing, 8ms31.760
Rosberg X Racing, +4m19.110s
X44 Vida Carbon Racing, DNF
Acciona Sainz, DNF
NEOM McLaren, DNF
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Acciona Sainz had started the day stronger as well, with the team winning its Q1 heat while RXR finished second behind McLaren, that team’s new signing Hedda Hosaas putting in an impressive display to resist a charging Ahlin-Kottulinsky.
Both teams ended up in the same Q2 heat, with X44 winning ahead of Acciona Sainz and RXR, who sustained damage after a hit from Carl Cox Motorsport’s Lia Block at the Switch entry.
In the Redemption Race for the five teams that didn’t make the final – four teams at this round after Andretti Altawkilat withdrew after sustaining heavy damage on Saturday – GMC Hummer EV Chip Ganassi Racing’s RJ Anderson and Amanda Sorensen dominated, making a strong getaway from the middle of the grid. An early challenge from Carl Cox Motorsport’s Timo Scheider dissolved at the start of the second lap thanks to suspension failure, allowing Ganassi to cruise to the win.
Copper X Prix II Final
GMC Hummer EV Chip Ganassi Racing, 8m34.434s
Abt Cupra, +14.909s
JBXE, +20.993s
Carl Cox Motorsport, DNF
RXR took its second title – and first for Ahlin-Kottulinsky after Taylor drove for the team in 2021 – with an 11-point gap to Acciona Sainz. Veloce wound up third, with X44 and Ganassi completing the top five.
Extreme E Season 3 final standings
- Rosberg X Racing — 182
- Acciona Sainz — 171
- Veloce Racing — 155
- X44 Vida Carbon Racing — 121
- GMC Hummer EV Chip Ganassi Racing — 113
- Abt Cupra — 81
- Andretti Altawkilat — 71
- NEOM McLaren — 68
- Carl Cox Motorsport — 50.
- JBXE — 50