- Laia Sanz and Carlos Sainz overcame a spectacular double rollover crash in the semi-finals of Uruguay’s Energy X Prix. They were able to carry on, but the sensor of the throttle was compromised and they finished the race with 100 PS less than their rivals.
ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team finished the 2022 Extreme E season in third place in the Teams’ Championship after the season finale, Uruguay’s Energy X-Prix. Laia Sanz and Carlos Sainz were third in the Drivers’ standings, confirming the massive step forward that the team has made this season.
The ASXE Team had title hopes for today, but its ambitions were cut short earlier than expected given that it finished third in the second semi-final. Therefore, the team was not able to qualify for the Final, which was what they needed in order to stay in the fight for the Championship.
The semi-final was heavily compromised by a spectacular crash in the first lap of the race when Laia Sanz rolled over twice while fighting another car for second place. She did not only land on her feet, but she managed to carry on and make it to the switch zone to lend the car to Carlos Sainz, who also did all he could.
Both Laia and Carlos reported a power loss following the incident. The mechanics later found an issue in the sensor of the throttle, whose deployment didn’t go beyond 52%. This cost them approximately 100 horsepower, which makes their heroic effort even more epic as they finished just five seconds short of the Final.
ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team, therefore, finishes third in the Teams’ and Drivers’ Championships, which is a solid step forward compared to 2021. The team establishes itself as one of the major forces in the series. The second place in Saudi Arabia and Chile were the highlights of the season, just as a heavy crash in Sardinia when the team was fighting for the win, a crash that compromised the second round in the calendar and therefore had a direct impact on the Championship.
Quotes:
Carlos Sainz, driver:
"It is a disappointment because we really wanted to get to the Final and fight for the Championship until the end. It’s such a blow, but in the end, we have to take the positives. Throughout the season we were really consistent as a team. We were in every final except this one and obviously the crash we had in Sardinia compromised the Championship. What happened today is just bad luck. These things can happen in racing. I take the positives, like the tremendous evolution that Laia has done ever since she started racing in cars. Now we must prepare even better for next season and try again."
Laia Sanz, driver:
"I am sad about what happened. It is a shame. We had to finish first or second in the semi-final and we had to go for it. Unfortunately, while taking a corner through the inside line, the car rolled over. I had another car on my right, so there was nothing I could do. I feel really bad for the team because we deserved better this year. Luck was not on our side in some key moments. Other teams also had to deal with some things, but they maybe didn’t compromise that much on the final result. Anyway, we can be really proud of the work we have done this season and look towards the 2023 season feeling more confident than ever."
Joan Orús, Team Principal:
It was an incredible Extreme E season, to be honest. We really enjoyed it and we fought from the very first race, the Desert X-Prix, where we lost the victory in the last corner and we finished second. We could have won the Island X Prix in Sardinia, but they crashed into us and our car rolled over. In Chile, we fought again for the win and we finished on the podium. It’s tough to finish third in the Championship after a Semi-Final in which Laia sadly rolled over the car, but it was an incredible season and we are really satisfied. The team is capable of winning in any circumstance and we can face the future convinced that we will be there."
