Technical analysis of the performances of the two teams which topped the first Qualifying Round (RXR) and the second Qualifying Round (X44) and gave defining qualifying performances throughout the two sessions, in the first ever Extreme E Qualifying sessions.
The Qualifying sessions were intense as Extreme E exceeding expectations of many with the Odyssey 21 making the big drops, gong airborne and the drivers showing some extreme skills. Some teams also faced issues with their car and some crashed out but all in all, it was a session that resulted in learnings for all the drivers, as the new ones grew in confidence and the experienced ones overcame new challenges, and as analyzed and highlighted in the EXTREME E: SHINING HIGH UNDER THE SAUDI SUN | DESERT X – PRIX PREVIEW, the main challenges were seen to be choosing the right line to drive on, the difference in the terrain around the track and the drivers getting used to handling the new car!
The two teams who gave exceptional performances were the X44 and the Rosberg X Racing team, with their two driver pairings being on pace. The Acciona | Sainz XE team also did well, with Carlos Sainz showing a lot of commitment and speed but the two teams to look out for, based on the data, driver pairings and their performances will be X44 and Rosberg X Racing!
TOPPED THE QUALIFYING ROUND 2
Team X44 were the first to get out and set a time on the board on the sunny Saturday as Sébastien Loeb crossed the start line to start the first ever Extreme E Qualifying session. Sébastien had an open track in front of him, but had to go through areas where visibility might not be his greatest friend, and would be the first one to decide which line would be the fastest and safest to race on, and did not have any reference footage of anyone from the morning to look at and see, what is the right line and way to control the car.
He was showing his expertise and was driving beautifully and even took the drop beautifully, but what is even more challenging for many are the parts after the drop, where there are a lot of big undulations before the road crossing and before Gate 5 as it is a complete sandy part of the circuit where they gain a lot of speed on approach as it is a part where it is plain straight approach, and Loeb in the uphill section while crossing a gate seemed to slide a bit and tried to correct his car’s direction during which his car’s front bounced from some kind of impact, and that is the moment where experience counts. Loeb knew how to handle and quickly controlled the car and turned it, going down on the side of the dune, but was able to put in the torques and follow a sideways line and get on the top quickly, something that had him lose a bit of time.
Gutiérrez gave a decent run, and di not make any such mistakes and the line taken by her at the big drop zone was a smooth line, which meant that she did not spin and neither did she require a lot of steering correction but one characteristic of her runs in both the first and second round were that while cornering, she was not as efficient as her teammate and seemed to get stuck a bit more, whereas Loeb would turn, carry a lot of speed and even slide a bit into position. Gutiérrez seems to dig a bit more than Loeb and hence, required around a tenth of a second more per corner.
Loeb was a river who was very aggressive and was picking lines that shortened the distance. The key characteristic of his laps in both the first and second Qualifying rounds were the smoothness he drove with. He would carry the speed through the corners and looked like the lines he picked were shorter, and he did not lose as much speed. Both the drivers picked the lines in a great manner, but Loeb translated it better and got more torque out of his car and good speed, whereas Gutierrez was getting decently good speed but did not get that much torque, as per the data, which might affect her acceleration.
TOPPED THE QUALIFYING ROUND 1
The Rosberg X Racing team has gotten the two fastest drivers on the grid, and they showcased their speed finishing top in the first Qualifying Round, but were not able to finish top in the second as they were handed a 60 second time penalty for over speeding in the switch zone (the pit lane). Rosberg X Racing were still lucky as JBXE Racing got a 175.5 seconds penalty and Hispano Suiza Xite Racing Team got a 75 second penalty. The key factor for the runs by Rosberg X Racing where finding back the time they lost and performing well in areas where others just had to slow down a bit. In the first session, a jump by Molly Taylor got them around 3 seconds worth of time which helped them a lot, and in the second one they just showed good pace and Johan Kristoffersson recovered lost time by handling the car well in the tricky areas.
Rosberg X Racing’s both drivers have the capability to make up a lot of time, and that is what advantages them over teams like X44. They have been the ones who have not selected the general line necessarily, and the more telling fact about their performance is that they are able to pick the line, which allows them to drive smoothly and they are able to keep complete control of the car through the dunes and the rocky terrains. The complete control over the car is the key factor, and this comes from the years of experience both the drivers have. The car does not look going of the planned line as often it looks to be in the hands of the other drivers. Both drivers were also getting good torque, traction and speed.
This might also give them an advantage in the race as well, as maintaining that line at high speeds and under pressure and having the control, and having the experience driving on the circuit after it has evolved a lot in terms of the height differences around the track due to the cars which drove before them, having shifted and moved the sand, displacing the sand, and removing it from those areas and also forming deep tracks, reducing the round clearance for the car.
These two teams were the ones who showed how important the various different factors are, and how a driver pairing which has both drivers with a lot of rallying experience helps in the Desert X Prix. These two are also the main contenders when it comes to the final race as the Acciona | Sainz XE Team is at a little disadvantage with Carlos Sainz Sr. having the commitment, but might miss out a bit in the race, and his teammate Laia Sanz is new to four wheel racing which will impact her precision. The others who will take part in the Crazy Race, and one of whom will enter the Final Race are a bit too far to beat these two teams.
|A LOT OF INTERSTING RACING AND BATTLES TO LOOK FORWARD TO|
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