The ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team (ASXE) celebrated its first victory of the season in the second round of the Desert X Prix. Fraser McConnell and Laia Sanz achieved victory for the Spanish team, surpassing Timmy Hansen and Catie Munnings of Andretti Altawkilat, who showed a notable recovery in form. E.ON Veloce Racing secured third place for the second time in Saudi Arabia, achieving consecutive podiums and leaving Rosberg X Racing (RXR) in fourth place in the Grand Final of the second round.
This result brought ASXE to second place in the drivers' standings, just two points behind RXR, who lead the table, and with E.ON Veloce Racing completing the top three positions.
Fraser McConnell of ASXE expressed his joy for the team and his teammate Laia, as well as for his country, Jamaica. He highlighted the importance of this opportunity provided by Carlos Sainz and the team, referring to Sainz as his childhood hero. Despite the challenges of the previous day, he emphasized the team's focus on victory and their preparation for the upcoming rounds.
Laia Sanz, also from ASXE, shared her enthusiasm for the victory, especially after the challenges of the previous year. She mentioned the continuous improvements of the car and the strong competition, indicating that the team has the necessary pace to win.
The start was decisive in the Grand Final of the second round, and it was McConnell who took the lead from the first turn, an advantage he did not relinquish, putting ASXE on the path to victory in their debut in the X Prix. Behind McConnell, Timmy Hansen of Andretti Altawkilat took second place, while Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky of RXR and Molly Taylor of E.ON Veloce Racing battled for position, with Taylor securing third place for her team.
During the driver change, Sanz from ASXE resisted pressure from Catie Munnings of Andretti Altawkilat, defending her position and securing victory for ASXE. Carlos Sainz Snr, visibly excited, celebrated his team's triumph.
On the other hand, Kevin Hansen of E.ON Veloce Racing and Johan Kristoffersson of RXR contended for the last podium place, with Hansen taking third place and ensuring that both Hansen brothers finished on the podium. Nico Rosberg and his team settled for fourth place, but still lead the championship after the first round of 2024.
Grand Final
| Position | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team | 10:54.593mins |
| 2 | Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E | +1.406s |
| 3 | E.ON Veloce Racing | +4.662s |
| 4 | Rosberg X Racing | +8.051s |
Carrera Redemption
| Position | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team | 8:32.825mins |
| 2 | LEGACY MOTOR CLUB IN ASSOCIATION WITH JIMMIE JOHNSON | +0.692s |
| 3 | SUN Minimeal Team | +9.809s |
| 4 | JBXE | DNF |
Championship
| Position | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rosberg X Racing | 41 |
| 2 | ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team | 39 |
| 3 | E.ON Veloce Racing | 33 |
| 4 | Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E | 31 |
| 5 | NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team | 30 |
| 6 | LEGACY MOTOR CLUB IN ASSOCIATION WITH JIMMIE JOHNSON | 18 |
| 7 | SUN Minimeal Team | 10 |
| 8 | JBXE | 10 |
