The very first round of the new Extreme E series for electric SUVs got off with a highly-charged (no pun intended) qualifying session at Al-‘Ula in Saudi Arabia yesterday. The round is known as the Desert X Prix and is run in the desert with stunning backdrops.
There was high drama throughout the qualifying session which saw each member of the 2-person crew (one must be a female) driving the specially developed electric SUVs around a challenging, high-speed 8.8-km off-road track. The layout was designed to push drivers and cars absolutely to their limits and apart from the unique noise of the electric motors echoing off the hillsides, there was also a heart-stopping moment when the car of ABT CUPRA XE’s Claudia Hurtgen flipped and rolled 5 times in the sand.
Winding its way spectacularly between canyons, through ravines, across deep sand dunes and punctuated by 33 waypoints, the rock-strewn course was bumpy and undulating in equal measure, with steep climbs offset by ‘The Drop’ – a 100-metre, 45-degree descent likened by some competitors to tackling a black ski run. For almost everybody, it represented a journey into the unknown – and it produced some memorable action.
Lewis Hamilton’s X44 team ended the day at the top of the rankings following a duel against Nico Rosberg’s competitive Rosberg X Racing outfit, as the two Formula 1 World Champions renewed battle in the desert dunes (through their teams) and mere fractions-of-a-second separated the leading drivers.
Sebastien Loeb, the X44 driver, said: “We’re very happy to have finished Qualifying in first place. Today went really well and the whole X44 team did a great job with the car in difficult conditions. We were the first drivers to get out onto the track so it was hard to know what to expect in the first Qualifying round, but obviously our strategy paid off and we achieved the time we needed to. Tomorrow is a new day and the standard of the other teams will be really high, so we’re just going to keep doing what we’re doing and pushing to win.”
Wile Hamilton and Rosberg did not actually drive, 2-time World Rally Champion Carlos Sainz did, with the ACCIONA | Sainz XE Team. There was no lack of commitment from the 58-year-old – possibly the oldest driver in the field – who was partnered by Laia Sanz – a 13-time Women’s Trial World Champion – who demonstrated her rapid learning abilities on 4 wheels to secure second place for the squad.
Veloce Racing, a British team, won’t be able to continue this weekend as Stephane Sarrazin’s roll. The accident resulted in severe damage to the roll-cage and it cannot be repaired in time to be safe enough for today’s races.
All teams use a vehicle called the ODYSSEY 21 which comprises a common package of standardised parts with a battery pack produced by Williams Advanced Engineering. The vehicle, which has a 400 kW (550 bhp) powertrain, has a niobium-reinforced steel alloy tubular frame, as well as crash structure and roll cage which protected the two drivers who crashed. “It is a testament to CBMM Niobium and their robust and tough chassis which was put to the ultimate test today and delivered,” said Alejandro Agag, Founder and CEO of Extreme E.
“I think the first day of Extreme E has been absolutely fantastic. I have been blown away by the action and the images – there was just so much to look at. It was even better than we expected, and the feedback on social media has been amazing – and this was only Qualifying! I really think we are onto something huge here!” he added.
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