Story By: EXTREME E – LONDON, UK – Despite two top-five finishes at the Hydro X Prix, Rosberg X Racing (RXR) lost ground on the leaders at the head of the standings. With the next round in Sardinia being a happy hunting ground for Nico Rosberg’s outfit, Johan Kristoffersson and Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky reflect on Rounds 3 and 4 and a challenging weekend in Scotland, despite picking up crucial points.
RXR made a fast-start to proceedings at the Hydro X Prix once they finally got underway.
After Saturday’s Qualifying 1 was cancelled, RXR demonstrated their mettle under pressure in Qualifying 1 Heat 2. In a restarted race due to a red flag, following a crash for ABT CUPRA XE’s Klara Andersson, Åhlin-Kottulinsky’s clean getaway gave the team a comfortable buffer to the chasing pack before Kristoffersson sealed victory in his run by more than 20 seconds.
The Grand Final, though, did not prove to be as fruitful for the Season 1 champions.
It was X44 Vida Carbon Racing’s Fraser McConnell who snatched the lead at the start, with RXR’s Kristoffersson close behind in third as the Swede tailed fellow countryman Timmy Hansen in the Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E ODYSSEY 21. As Hansen grabbed the lead from McConnell, Kristoffersson seized the initiative to take second.
RXR’s Grand Final was to be short-lived, however, as his ODYSSEY 21 connected with the rocky bank of the course, resulting in a roll and ultimately retirement from Round 3.
On the opening round in Scotland, Kristoffersson said: “Unfortunately, that was not a Grand Final we wanted. We had a good start, but from there on, it was extremely difficult. I couldn’t see anything and unfortunately hit one of the banks and flipped the car.
Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky added: “The most important thing is that Johan was okay. Motor racing has its highs and lows, and we experienced both in Round 3.”
Round 4 marked an opportunity for RXR to get back on track in Scotland.
Kristoffersson was beaten off the start line by RJ Anderson for No. 99 GMC Hummer EV Chip Ganassi Racing and as the action settled after the initial jockeying for positions, RXR were down to third.
Åhlin-Kottulinsky managed to jump up the order to second following an issue for X44 Vida Carbon Racing in the Switch Zone to secure crucial points.
Those points would prove to be vital, as contact at the start of Qualifying 2 Heat 2 between RXR, ACCIONA | Sainz XE Team and X44 resulted in retirement for Nico Rosberg’s outfit. They would be classified fourth, however, following a penalty after the race issued to the Spanish outfit for causing the collision, which secured them another Grand Final spot.
As conditions worsened, RXR would have to settle for back-to-back fifth places at the Hydro X Prix.
After falling behind the leaders at the start, RXR would once again engage in wheel-to-wheel contact with ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team as they battled for position.
The damage following the contact between Åhlin-Kottulinsky and Laia Sanz ensured both teams were ruled out of contention once more – leaving RXR with a feeling of what could have been from Rounds 3 and 4 in Scotland.
Kristoffersson was in reflective mood after the event: “It was a tough weekend for us. We had to start the Grand Final in a very tricky grid position, and then due to the rain and my wipers not working, visibility was extremely limited. It was not a great weekend, but we still managed to make it to the final on both days and have points on the board, which is important for us.”
Åhlin-Kottulinsky added: “I think we showed good speed, but it was tough circumstances. The guys and girls worked hard to get the car ready for the final, and Johan did the best he could without the wipers. We got them working again at the Switch, but unfortunately, they stopped working on my turn, too and then I experienced a hard hit from the car in front, which is where the race ended for us.
“It is definitely not where we want to be, but sometimes you have weekends like this. We just need to bounce back in Sardinia and do our best there.”
Having taken two victories from the searing heat of Sardinia so far in Extreme E, RXR will look to close the gap at the front when the series returns for Rounds 5 and 6 of Season 3 in July.