Back-to-back podium finishes at the Island X Prix in Sardinia saw ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team take the Extreme E championship lead with four races to go. With a four-point lead over nearest challengers Rosberg X Racing (RXR) and a 14-point cushion over previous pacesetters, Veloce Racing, we caught up with Mattias Ekström and Laia Sanz on heading the championship with just two X Prix remaining.
ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team continued their consistent form in Extreme E Season 3, snatching the advantage in the title race with two second-place finishes on the Italian island.
The Spanish outfit followed home RXR in both rounds of the Island X Prix, with Nico Rosberg’s outfit now their most immediate contenders just four points off the lead.
Such was Ekström and Sanz’s consistency that they usurped two-time Season 3 winners and previous championship leaders Veloce Racing, heading the British team by 14 points.
On topping the standings with four races to go, Carlos Sainz Snr., ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team, said: “Sardinia was a fantastic weekend for the team. Congratulations to everyone for the results and for the lead in the championship. The standings have gotten tighter and the four races that remain will be crucial. Everything is so close, but it is better to tackle them as leaders than being behind. Laia [Sanz] and Mattias [Ekström] had a very good pace. Congratulations to the team for a good performance and let’s keep pushing.”
A strong start in Sardinia set the tone. Coming out on top in Q2 Heat 1 and second in Q1 Heat 2, Ekström and Sanz also set the fastest time in the Continental Traction Challenge to reach the top of the Qualifying standings. The team ultimately finished second in the Round 5 Grand Final behind RXR, losing out on the win by just under two seconds, but kept hold of the lead in the Continental Traction Challenge for what could be a crucial two additional points at the end of the campaign.
A win and a third place from their respective Heats in Round 6 ensured ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team another safe passage to the Grand Final in Sardinia, however once again it was RXR who would take the honours and the top step of the podium. Despite the best efforts of Ekström and Sanz, a haul of 40 points across the weekend ensured ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team leapt to the top of the leader board.
Laia Sanz, ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team, said: “I think we can be very happy with the weekend we did. We were really consistent. I think we drove very intelligently during the weekend, thinking about the Championship, and in the end, I think it’s a great result.”
Mattias Ekstrom, ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team, added: “We were really fast, Laia [Sanz] did a good job and we finished second twice. We shouldn’t complain in this sport. We are leading the Championship and we can look forward to the last two races.”
With the top three teams separated by just 14 points, the final four races of Extreme E Season 3 are not to be missed.
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