After suffering title heartbreak in the final event of the 2023 campaign, ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team (ASXE) had to bounce back strongly in the opening X Prix of Season 4.
With a new driver line-up of Fraser McConnell and Laia Sanz, the Spanish outfit showed they had lost none of their speed in Saudi Arabia, taking victory in Round 2 and leaving the Desert X Prix in second place in the overall standings.
Despite reaching both Grand Finals in Jeddah, it was not all plain sailing for the team led by Carlos Sainz.
A roll in the Round 1 Grand Final put paid to their chances of taking victory in the opening bout of the 2024 campaign. A difficult start from Sanz meant the ASXE ODYSSEY 21 dropped down to fourth place, behind leaders Rosberg X Racing (RXR), the NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team and E.ON Veloce Racing.
After the driver change, McConnell got behind the wheel and rapidly closed the gap on the cars in front as he sought a podium on his debut outing for the Spanish outfit. Disaster struck on the final lap for ASXE, however, as McConnell rolled whilst battling E.ON Veloce Racing’s Molly Taylor, which left them unable to finish Round 1 of Season 4 and ruled out any possibility of a podium finish.
After coming home first and third in Round 2’s Qualifying Heats, the team looked to regain some points after that Round 1 misfortune.
The team were not to be denied in the second Grand Final of the weekend, with a strong getaway from McConnell ensuring ASXE leapt into the lead. It was a position they would hold throughout in a statement victory for the team.
Despite Sanz coming under strong pressure from Andretti Altawkilat’s Catie Munnings in the closing stages, the Spaniard held on expertly for a first win in 2024.
Laia Sanz, ASXE, said: “The opening weekend was a tough fight because the pace is super high and everyone is improving, but I am super happy to take this first race victory with Fraser. Winning that race was made even more special after what happened last year in the season finale, where we narrowly missed the title.
“The team did a great job over the weekend to improve the car in each session and we felt really quick in the Round 2 Grand Final, with enough strength to go for the win. We are feeling strong following the first event in Saudi Arabia. We know that the championship will be very tight, but we saw that we have the pace to go for the win. We must keep working hard.”
Fraser McConnell, ASXE, commented: “I am really happy for the team, happy for Laia and everybody back in Jamaica. This was a big, big win. Stepping into this team was such a huge step for me. It was a very good first weekend. We didn’t get what we wanted in Round 1, but these things can happen when you push. We are here to win, not to be second or third, and everyone in ASXE is doing everything they can to fulfil this goal.
“I am going to enjoy this win as much as I can. It is a long break now until the next event, but we will go through everything to analyse what we did right and what we did wrong. We will carry the positives and work on the negatives. It is an awesome feeling and we are ready to go for it again.”
ASXE is now second in the championship standings with 39 points, trailing leaders RXR by two after the opening X Prix of 2024. As well as the 25 points claimed for the Round 2 victory, the team scored an additional point for winning Sunday’s Qualifying 2 Heat.
Carlos Sainz, ASXE Team Advisor, added: “We are very happy to take the first race win of the season at the Desert X Prix, especially after the disappointment we had in Round 1. The victory tasted really good and gives us plenty of hope for the rest of the championship, which we know will be very tight.
“Both Fraser and Laia did an excellent race and I am very happy for them and for the entire team. I want to thank ACCIONA and Red Bull for their support to keep on racing. We showed that we can fight for everything this year, so let’s go for it.”
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