Acciona Sainz recorded their first win of the season at Round 2 of the Desert XPrix this afternoon.
Their victory means the Spanish team move into second in the championship – just two points behind reigning champions RXR.
In a day full of excitement, here’s how the action unfolded.
Qualifying 1 Heat 1:
Yesterday’s race winners, RXR, kicked off qualifying in Round 2, as they faced off against McLaren, Veloce, and Legacy Motor Club.
Championship newcomers, Legacy Motor Club, got away the best off the line, moving into first position ahead of RXR. Veloce were initially right on RXR’s tail, but they dropped off as the teams started the second lap.
After the switch, RXR looked to close back up to Legacy – eventually taking them for first on the final lap.
RXR won the first heat of the day, followed by Veloce, and McLaren. Legacy dropped down to fourth after they were awarded a 17s time penalty for leaving the switch zone too early.
Qualifying 1 Heat 2:
The remaining four teams – Acciona Sainz, JBXE, SUN Minimeal. and Andretti, completed the first qualifying session.
Acciona Sainz took an early lead, as Andretti and SUN Minimeal battled it out behind them. After initially dropping behind SUN Minimeal, Andretti were able to get through into second place.
And that was pretty much all for Qualifying 1. Acciona Sainz took the win, followed by Andretti, SUN Minimeal, and JBXE.
Qualifying 2 Heat 1:
The first heat of Qualifying 2 got underway with Veloce, McLaren, JBXE, and Andretti all looking to secure a place in the final.
It was McLaren who led after turn one, after experienced racer Mattias Ekstrom took a very wide entry and used his superior traction to speed past his rivals. Veloce came out of the first turn in second, closely followed by McLaren.
There would be no moves before the switch zone, but Veloce were able to jump McLaren after the iconic team suffered a slow stop.
Andretti were next to try their luck with the McLaren team. And despite some incredible defensive driving from Gutierrez in the McLaren car, Andretti were eventually able to get the move done.
Andretti then made light work of the Veloce car, moving up into first place, and taking the win. McLaren also got Veloce on the line, finishing second.
Overall Qualifying Classification:
- RXR – 20 Points
- Andretti – 18 Points
- Acciona Sainz – 16 Points
- Veloce – 14 Points
- McLaren – 14 Points
- Legacy Motor Club – 12 Points
- SUN Minimeal – 10 Points
- JBXE – 8 Points
Redemption Race:
The bottom four qualifiers looked to salvage some points from the round in the Redemption Race.
Off the start line, JBXE’s weekend went from bad to worse. Light contact with the McLaren saw the JBXE machine dig into the sand and role over. The driver, Dania Akeel, was able to get out okay, but they would take no further part in the race.
A brief red flag for the incident meant a three-car, three-lap shootout. Legacy took the lead off the line, closely followed by SUN Minimeal in second and McLaren in third.
There would be no changes to the order before the switch zone, but it wouldn’t take long after it for McLaren to close up on SUN Minimeal. Though it took a few attempts, McLaren were able to move into second place, and start chasing down the Legacy Motor Club car.
And close down the Legacy Motor Club team, McLaren certainly did. In the final corner, McLaren sent a move up the inside and took the Redemption Race win.
Final:
The final race of the weekend saw the top four qualifiers battle it out for a place on the podium. And if yesterday’s final was a cracker, today’s was a bit of a damp squib.
Acciona Sainz took the lead off the start, with Andretti not far behind. RXR had found themselves in third place, but Veloce were able to get through.
And that is how the final would finish. Acciona Sainz took home the first placed trophy, putting them right into the championship fight. Andretti recorded their best result of the season so far, with a second place, and Veloce rounded out the podium.
Overall Round Classification:
- Acciona Sainz
- Andretti
- Veloce
- RXR
- McLaren
- Legacy Motor Club
- SUN Minimeal
- JBXE
Championship Standings:
- RXR – 41 Points
- Acciona Sainz – 39 Points
- Veloce – 33 Points
- Andretti – 31 Points
- McLaren – 30 Points
- Legacy Motor Club – 18 Points
- SUN Minimeal – 10 Points
- JBXE – 10 Points
An exciting weekend concluded with victories for RXR and Acciona Sainz.
New entrants Legacy Motor Club also made a good account of themselves, taking the Continental Traction Challenge in Round 2.
Extreme E returns in July with a European race yet to be confirmed. It is sure to be an exciting weekend, and – as ever- we will be there to take you through all the action.
