X44 Vida Carbon Racing take Crazy Race win to set up thrilling season finale

With championship contenders ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team and No.99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing already ruled out of the Final, only Rosberg X Racing and X44 Vida Carbon racing remained in contention to win this year’s Extreme E title.

As the teams launched off the start-line, the championship rivals were neck and neck up the opening straight as Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky and Cristina Gutiérrez tussled for the all important lead.

The Spaniard came out in front for X44 Vida Carbon Racing, and as Åhlin-Kottulinsky tussled with JBXE's Hedda Hosås for second place, the RXR driver lost her ODYSSEY 21 in a spin following contact from XITE ENERGY Racing's Tamara Molinaro.

Åhlin-Kottulinsky found herself back in the fight Hosås with a great recovery, however subsequent contact forced the JBXE off course and out of the race, while damage from the incident put RXR's race in question.

With X44 Vida Carbon Racing out in front, Gutiérrez pushed hard to extend her lead, conscious of the five-second penalty the team would be serving in the Switch Zone for the repairs to their ODYSSEY 21 post Qualifying 1.

Åhlin-Kottulinsky continued to push, making it to the Switch Zone where RXR worked hard to get their damaged ODYSSEY 21 back out into the race in search of essential points. With RXR still in the Switch Zone, a two-car race ensued, playing right into the hands of Sébastien Loeb and X44 Vida Carbon Racing.

As Lewis Hamilton's outfit exited the Switch Zone side-by-side with XITE ENERGY Racing, a fight between Loeb and Extreme E debutant Ezequiel Companc was all that stood in the way of a spot in the Final and a chance at stealing the championship title away from RXR.

A measured drive from Loeb saw X44 Vida Carbon Racing take the win they needed, coping with the pressure from an impressive performance from Companc. XITE ENERGY Racing finish second in the race despite a 30-second penalty for Molinaro's collision with Åhlin-Kottulinsky and Companc's 10-second penalty for contact with Loeb in the Switch Zone.

The race wasn't over yet, though, as the RXR team continued to work on their ODYSSEY 21 in a bid to take third place and a precious 2 championship points. Nico Rosberg's team appeared to have done the impossible as Johan Kristoffersson set off from the Switch Zone, but RXR were soon disqualified for a Switch Zone infringement.

Falling short of the Final, RXR must watch on as X44 Vida Carbon Racing fight for championship winning points the Final. Sitting 17 points behind RXR in the standings, Loeb and Gutiérrez must secure a spot on the podium and retain the 5 points from the Continental Traction Challenge to take a maiden Extreme E title.

With the Uruguay Natural Energy X Prix Final getting underway shortly, find out where you can watch the action here.

Results 
 
X44 Vida Carbon Racing 10:44.858

XITE ENERGY Racing +47.784 (PENALISED)

JBXE DNF

Rosberg X Racing DISQUALIFIED