Emma Gilmour and co-driver Tanner Foust have finished second in Round 4 of the Extreme E Series in Scotland. Having missed out on making the Grand Final in Round 3 on Saturday, the pairing took their second-ever podium for the NOEM McLaren Extreme E team at the Hydro X Prix event.
“It’s been an amazing trip and it’s been very challenging – the weather conditions have made it even more so,” commented Gilmour. “It was very stressful, especially when there are slow zones and so many places where you can potentially make a mistake, but you are very happy when you can hand it over to your teammate having done a good job.
“To get a podium was a big relief for the team – just a great feeling – and everyone has put in so much work so we are all really happy.”
Veloce Racing took the win in Round 4, marking a second victory of the season and a return to the top of the standings on home soil. Kevin Hansen and Molly Taylor led from start to finish, fending off attacks from the NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team.
For the first time in Extreme E’s history there was rain falling during a Final, and it was hard to ignore as the cars battled the elements out on-course. Veloce Racing’s Hansen secured the lead out of the first corner, something that proved crucial as visibility worsened in the increasingly challenging conditions.
Mattias Ekström and Tanner Foust kept the Swede close, as RXR’s Johan Kristoffersson pulled up alongside the ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team and NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team cars in the slow zone by the cliff face – implemented off the back of earlier accidents in the sector.
As the ODYSSEY 21s progressed towards the ascent out of the quarry, Foust slotted into third for the NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team behind Ekström and ahead of Kristoffersson.
With clear air ahead Hansen began to extend his lead for Veloce Racing, while behind Foust pulled off what felt impossible given the conditions. The American swung round the outside of Ekström in the ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team car, finding the grip to complete the move and take second for the NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team.
Following the driver change, where teams were able to clear the windscreens before the cars exited the Switch Zone, Veloce Racing’s Taylor picked up where Hansen left off with a confident drive to take a second victory for the team this season and a return to the top of the leaderboard.
Behind the Australian, more and more mud was being kicked up by the ODYSSEY 21s as the drivers gave it everything they had. RXR’s Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinksy and ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team’s Laia Sanz came head-to-head once again following their incident in Qualifying 2 – which ended with both teams out of the race.
The Grand Final told a similar tale, but this time it was the RXR car going into the back of the ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team machine. As both drivers struggled with visibility and grip, they came into contact again as they tried to resume racing, leaving the door open for No.99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing to take third.
The damage caused from the incident left Åhlin-Kottulinsky with no choice but to come to a stop further down the course. Sanz still had some fight left in her, but it wasn’t long before the Spaniard found herself in the hay bales, which saw ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team drop out of contention and out of their top spot in the championship.
NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team’s Emma Gilmour and No.99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing’s Sorensen completed their runs without trouble in second and third place, respectively.
Championship Standings
1/ Veloce Racing: 80 points
2/ ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team: 69 points
3/ Rosberg X Racing: 52 points
4/ X44 Vida Carbon Racing: 51 points
5/ No.99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing: 50 points
6/ NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team: 36 points
7/ Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E: 29 points
8/ Carl Cox Motorsport: 23 points
9/ ABT CUPRA XE: 20 points
10/ JBXE: 15 points
Round 4 Results
Grand Final
1/ Veloce Racing 12:52.663
2/ NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team +6.419
3/ No.99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing +20.490
4/ ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team DNF
5/ Rosberg X Racing DNF
Redemption Race
1/ JBXE 12:19.448
2/ Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E +4.968
3/ ABT CUPRA XE +30.534
4/ X44 Vida Carbon Racing DNF
5/ Carl Cox Motorsport DNS
Round 3 Results
Grand Final:
1/ X44 Vida Carbon Racing 10:12.670
2/ Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E +8.986 (PENALISED)
3/ Carl Cox Motorsport +38.977
4/ No.99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing +1:01.716
5/ Rosberg X Racing DNF
Redemption Race:
1/ ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team 09:49.303
2/ Veloce Racing +3.650
3/ NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team +16.200
4/ JBXE +32.779
5/ ABT CUPRA XE DNS
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