Genesys Andretti United Extreme E were so close to a place in the Antofagasta Minerals Copper X Prix Final.
Victory in Qualifying 2 Heat 1, after showing great initial pace in Free Practice, looked to be the springboard for further success for Catie Munnings and Timmy Hansen, but a combination of bad luck and penalty misfortune ensured they were not able to make it back-to-back podiums.
As a result, the team had to settle for seventh overall and further evidence that despite Genesys Andretti United Extreme E’s obvious speed they are not banking the points to show for it.
“It’s strange because the results were not at all reflective of our pace,” said Hansen.
“We had a very strong weekend, always been amongst the fastest and we definitely had what we needed to fight for a win, had we made it to the Final. It was disappointing being knocked out before the finals.
“Catie got a big splash of muddy water on the windscreen, and for some reason the wipers didn’t start when she activated them. She couldn’t see for a while and once she got going, she made a good run and closed the gap to the girls in front. When she handed the car over to me, there was a reasonable gap to the cars ahead.
“I did as much as I could and pushed to the maximum, passing Sainz Snr. in the air over the finish jump but, unfortunately, we’d already crossed the line by then. We gave it everything we had but our issues in Qualifying 1 and in the Semi-Final were major setbacks for us.”
As Hansen mentions, Munnings having troubles with her wipers proved pivotal in denying the team back-to-back Final appearances after being regular podium finishers in Season 1.
Munnings said: “I was unfortunate to be sprayed with a lot of standing water from the track and with no visibility and the wipers not functioning properly, I couldn’t do much. It resulted in a big gap to the cars in front which ultimately meant that it left Timmy with a big job to do.
“He did an amazing drive as always, almost catching Carlos [Sainz Snr.] on the last lap. I think that, overall, it’s been a positive week for the team in terms of pace; everybody has worked well together. It just seems we need a bit of luck for it all to come together, and hopefully that will come in Uruguay.”
With one race to go in 2022, the Energy X Prix in Punta del Este, Uruguay, Munnings and Hansen will be doing all they can to combine their speed with a large haul of points when Extreme E returns to South America for the Season Finale on November 26-27.
Hansen said: “This championship is very tough, extremely competitive and everything needs to go right to be in contention. Unfortunately, last weekend not everything was perfectly smooth, but I’m proud of the team for doing a brilliant job.
“It’s frustrating when most things are out of our control, but we’ll keep our heads held high as I think this was our best race of the season in terms of overall pace. We performed well but didn’t get a good result. We’ll stay positive, keep working hard and try to end the season well in Uruguay.”
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