After finishing top of the podium in Chile in September, Lewis Hamilton’s X44 Vida Carbon Racing is set to battle Rosberg X Racing (RXR) for the Extreme E championship title in Uruguay this month.
Sébastien Loeb and Cristina Gutiérrez’s first victory of the season at the Antofagasta Minerals Copper X Prix last month propelled X44 up the Extreme E leaderboard, only 17 points behind championship leaders RXR, who were unable to take to the course due to a technical issue.
“It was important for us to win again,” said Loeb. “We won only one race last year so to be in with a chance of winning the championship it was important to do well here. We did the best we could.”
X44 had demonstrated their speed throughout the weekend and it all came together for the team in the final race at Chile, where they dueled with McLaren in an epic fight for the win, with the two teams swapping positions continuously.
Although McLaren took the honors on track, they were to be denied a maiden win in the series due to penalties handed to drivers Tanner Foust and Emma Gilmour for infringements earlier in the race.
This ensured X44 Vida Carbon Racing took the win as Extreme E debuted in South America and climbed to second in the championship as RXR’s nearest challengers.
The team has been here before, entering the finale as underdogs in the title battle in Extreme E Season 1 at the Jurassic X Prix in the UK. Despite winning the event and drawing level with RXR on points, Loeb and Gutiérrez were denied championship glory due to fewer X Prix victories over the campaign, with one win against RXR’s three.
The season 2 finale of the Extreme E Championship will be the Energy X Prix in Punta del Este, Uruguay, on 26-27 November.