Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E back to podium ways at Desert X Prix
Sitting fourth in the standings after the Desert X Prix double-header, Andretti Altawkilat was one of five teams to reach the podium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with second place in Round 2. Could this mark a change in fortune for the American outfit moving forward?
Catie Munnings and Timmy Hansen are recognised as one of the most consistent driver-pairings on the grid, having raced together for Andretti Altawkilat in every Extreme E campaign so far.
Season 1 saw Hansen and Munnings win the Arctic X Prix in Greenland and secure two further podiums, but that flying start has proven difficult to live up to, and the pair only managed three podiums across Seasons 2 and 3.
In such intense conditions and challenging terrains, however, small mistakes in Extreme E can lead to big repercussions. Andretti Altawkilat arrived at the Extreme E Season 4 opener off the back of a difficult end to 2023, which saw the team out of action for most of the final weekend following a crash in Qualifying 2 of Round 9.
Finishing the rebuild of the car in Saudi Arabia, Round 1 of Season 4 represented a fresh start in more ways than one for Andretti Altawkilat, and Round 2 provided the podium result they needed.
Catie Munnings, Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E, said: “What a fantastic effort from the team to go from full chassis rebuild all the way to the podium at the Season 4 opener in Saudi Arabia! The team didn’t stop working, and they did such a brilliant job to build such a fast car. I’m so proud of Timmy and I’m happy with the pace that we’ve got. It sets the tone for the rest of the season, and I know we’re going to be fighting for the top step for many times to come this year.”
A change in the sporting format for Season 4 of Extreme E dictates that there must be an equal number of starts between the male and female drivers. With no team knowing the strategy of another, the rule change promises an exciting mix of head-to-heads throughout the campaign.
It was down to Munnings to take the team’s first start of the year, and the Brit pulled off an amazing launch, only just losing out to Rosberg X Racing’s Johan Kristoffersson to take second place. Teammate Hansen pulled off an equally strong run to maintain track position in a positive opening race for Andretti Altawkilat.
The team slotted into second once again in Qualifying 2, but Hansen soon took the lead with a dominant overtake on SUN Minimeal Team’s Timo Scheider. Munnings held off Kristoffersson and NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team’s Mattias Ekström as long as she could but ended up third in the Heat which meant Andretti Altawkilat fell just shy of a spot in the Grand Final.
Another new rule for 2024 adds greater weight to Redemption Race victory, as the winner is now awarded the same 12 championship points as last place in the Grand Final. Munnings was quickest out of the blocks once again. This put Andretti Altawkilat into the lead through the opening corner, setting up Hansen to bring home the Redemption Race win for the team.
Qualifying 1 of Round 2 saw another nail-biting battle between Hansen and Scheider, with the Swede coming out on top after multiple manoeuvres, at one point resulting in mid-air contact. Munnings took over and the team second place in the Heat.
The next Qualifying session saw Munnings hot on the heels of Ekström and E.ON Veloce Racing’s Kevin Hansen throughout her two-lap stint. Hansen went on the charge, soon closing the two second deficit and getting passed NEOM McLaren XE and E.ON Veloce Racing for the Heat win.
Up against stiff competition in the Grand Final, ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team’s Fraser McConnell held off Hansen for the first two laps, while ASXE’s Sanz kept Munnings at bay until the finish line.
The pace shown by both Munnings and Hansen throughout the weekend’s racing ended with a spot on the second step on the podium, providing Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E with the momentum they need for a successful Season 4.
Timmy Hansen, Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E, said: "A podium in the second race of the new season and it was a great day. We were one hundred percent challenging for the win, but just came out second which is still a fantastic result. We've got great performance and pace. Catie drove so fast all weekend, she was unstoppable. The whole team has done a great job with the rebuild of the car after last season, as well as being on top of the setup and just always focusing forwards.
“We had a real winning mentality in the garage throughout the weekend, and it's great to start the year like this. I'm super proud of Catie and the whole team - we deserve this so much. The team is in a good place in the championship, just ten points off the lead, so we’re going to keep our heads down, keep focused on the job at hand, and keep trying to find a little bit more performance like we always do."
