Genesys Andretti United Extreme E won a thrilling Crazy Race to take the fifth spot in the NEOM Island X Prix Final II.
10 July 2022, Sardinia: Catie Munnings and Timmy Hansen have shown speed throughout the double-header in Sardinia without results but produced a superb performance to first hold off Veloce Racing’s Lance Woolridge and then JBXE’s Kevin Hansen to claim the win.
Munnings got an excellent start to lead ahead of JBXE’s Hedda Hosås and XITE ENERGY Racing’s Tamara Molinaro, with Woolridge taking the alternate line for Veloce Racing.
As the track merged into the single lane there was contact between Munnings and Woolridge. The Genesys Andretti Extreme E driver held firm to retain the lead, with Woolridge momentarily going off track, before regrouping to take the fight to Munnings throughout the first lap.
Munnings made her ODYSSEY 21 as wide as possible as Veloce Racing closed the gap, but Woolridge was unable to get past.
The duo took alternate lines as they fought to secure the lead, with Munnings keeping the South African at bay as Hosås began to close on the leaders.
A spin for Woolridge gave Munnings breathing room in the final corners of the lap, but the Veloce Racing ODYSSEY 21 recovered, staying ahead of JBXE while XITE Energy Racing’s Molinaro spun as she avoided Woolridge, putting her team out of the race.
After the driver change, JBXE’s Kevin Hansen stormed out of the Switch Zone in pursuit of his brother in the Genesys Andretti United Extreme E car, quickly passing Veloce Racing’s Christine GZ as he ate into Timmy Hansen’s lead.
Pushing hard in second, Hansen ended up in a spin, making contact with the waypoint flag as he tried to recover. The Swede didn’t lose his position on track, though, and the team retained second-place despite the subsequent penalty.
Despite nursing some damage from the earlier collision between his team-mate Munnings and Veloce Racing’s Woolridge, Hansen got his ODYSSEY 21 across the line in first, securing Genesys Andretti United Extreme E a spot in the NEOM Island X Prix II Final, co-organised by the Automobile Club d’Italia and Regione Sardegna.
Results:
- Genesys Andretti United Extreme E 9:21:335
- JBXE +20.538 (penalised)
- Veloce Racing +48.232 (penalised)
- XITE ENERGY Racing DNF