In Season 3 of Extreme E, ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team (AXSE) has undoubtedly emerged as the team to beat. With a successful third-place overall championship finish in Season 2, including podiums and consistent performances, the Spanish outfit have gone from strength to strength in 2023.
Despite Carlos Sainz Snr. having to miss the campaign through injury, Mattias Ekström has proven to be a more than worthy replacement alongside Laia Sanz. With two victories and multiple podiums, ASXE head the standings going into the title decider – the Antofagasta Minerals Copper X Prix in Chile.
After a strong 2022 campaign, ASXE was determined to claim its maiden race victory in 2023.
Despite Sainz Snr. unable to get behind the wheel following an incident in the 2023 Dakar Rally, up stepped Swede Ekström to partner Sanz, renowned as one of the world’s finest female off-road racers on both two and four wheels, at the Spanish outfit.
As well as being hugely experienced across multiple motorsport disciplines, Ekström was already familiar with Extreme E having previously raced for ABT Cupra XE, taking a podium during the championship’s maiden season in 2021.
Under the watchful eye of Sainz Snr. back in the team garage, the duo of Ekström and Sanz made a strong start to the season and secured ASXE’s first ever win in the Championship.
After a strong second-place in Round 1, ASXE went one better the following day to claim that all-important first series win ahead of Veloce Racing and Rosberg X Racing (RXR) in a sign of things to come for Season 3.
Extreme E then moved onto the wilds of Scotland, UK, for Rounds 3 and 4, where unfortunately the Spanish outfit was not so rewarded.
Entering the Hydro X Prix as joint championship leaders with 46 points, the team found itself in unfamiliar territory as it took on its first-ever Redemption Race in Round 3. However, taking victory ensured sixth place in the overall results and meant the team kept their top spot in the standings.
Further problems, though, in Round 4 dropped the team down to second in the standings. Despite reaching the Grand Final, a collision with RXR resulted in a DNF and, with Veloce Racing taking the spoils on home soil, ASXE conceded valuable championship points.
Back-to-back events in Sardinia were just the tonic, however, for ASXE to get their championship charge moving in the right direction.
Rounds 5 and 6 saw ASXE amongst the frontrunners, taking two second-place finishes to snatch back the Championship lead, as Veloce Racing were unable to make a Grand Final appearance at either round.
In both races, though, ASXE shadowed RXR home, meaning Nico Rosberg’s outfit and Season 1 champions clawed back valuable points as they looked to reclaim their Extreme E crown.
All eyes were on the new series leaders as they returned to the Italian island for the Island X Prix II.
Not to be fazed by a tough new track layout at Cape Teluda, the ASXE pairing took a convincing win in Round 7, having dominated the day’s racing action with two Heat victories in Qualifying. The victory marked ACCIONA’s second victory of Season 3 and first win at an Island X Prix, extending their championship lead.
And just as ASXE looked to be leaving the chasing pack in their wake, Round 8 was a reminder that anything can happen in Extreme E.
With Ekström and Sanz looking to preserve their championship position, multiple issues and misfortune ensured ninth was the best the team could achieve. Round 8 saw RXR and Veloce Racing steal back crucial points in the title race, with incidents and technical issues leaving ASXE to fight it out in the Redemption Race.
Despite this, ASXE still top the standings heading into the season finale in Chile, with a narrow three-point advantage over RXR and a 21-point gap to Veloce Racing.
Last time out in Chile, ASXE finished as runners-up following an enthralling Final in the Atacama Desert. The team will be aiming for a similarly strong performance and podium results if they are to take their maiden Extreme E crown.
The crowning of the 2023 champions in the five-team decider in Chile will be live across ITV and STV in the UK, while outside of the UK please visit here for broadcaster details.
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