Desert X Prix left some good sensations when the first race of the 2022 Extreme E season took place last weekend. NEOM witnessed what promises to be a great dispute that will probably be defined at the end. There, ACCIONA | Sainz XE Team proved that it has enough material to fight.
Rosberg X Racing and X44 were as solid as in the previous season. However, a big change on behalf of Carlos Sainz and Laia Sanz’s team was evident on the Saudi desert. An incredible pace by the two drivers put more than one rival in trouble and sent a clear message for the next round in Sardinia.
If it hadn’t been for Tanner Foust’s crash during the Final Race, crashing his ODYSSEY 21 into the rear of Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky’s car and forcing a red flag, ACCIONA Sainz XE Team would surely be celebrating their first victory in the 100% electric single-seater series.
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The accident cut the great pace set by ‘El Matador’ during the first lap of the final battle. The Spaniard established a wide margin over his rivals, and although they kept it for the rest of the competition, the extensive stop in the gearbox completely annihilated the momentum they were carrying for the second lap.
Once everything resumed, Laia Sanz got behind the wheel and rode excellently. Unfortunately, she could not resist Johan Kristoffersson’s final attacks, who seemed to have ‘nitro’ on his vehicle during the final sectors of the track to overtake Sanz and take the lead of the race, even though she had left the ideal race line by far, she managed to recover and seal the victory on NEOM.
Despite this, second place delivers 18 valuable points for the rest of the championship, and without a doubt, ACCIONA Sainz | XE Team showed that it has power, talent and grit on the ODYSSEY 21 of Extreme E season 2, ready to fight and become a deluxe entertainer in the quest for a new champion.
Written by | Ronald Ortega
