After finishing second fastest in Free Practice, hopes were high in the SUN Minimeal Team camp for a strong showing at the Hydro X Prix in Scotland.
And when Klara Andersson turned into the final corner of the team’s opening qualifying heat heading the field, there was a strong sense that the Swede and her team-mate/Team Principal Timo Scheider would be one of the main challengers in Dumfries and Galloway.
But triumph shortly turned to disaster, as Andersson rolled her ODYSSEY 21 when crossing the finish line resulting in a huge accident. Andersson was thankfully unharmed from the impact, but the SUN Minimeal team car was badly damaged from the incident.
Remarkably, the SUN Minimeal Team ODYSSEY 21 was rebuilt in just under three hours allowing Andersson, who remained unphased despite the roll, and Scheider the opportunity to carry on in Round 3.
Although they had crossed the line in first in Q1 H1, albeit in rather spectacular fashion, time penalties incurred meant that SUN Minimeal Team had it all to do in Q2.
Unfortunately, second place in in their Q2 heat was not enough to secure a spot in the Grand Final and thus settled for a place in the Redemption Race.
After battling Jenson Button’s JBXE outfit in the opening stages, the SUN Minimeal Team finished the Redemption Race in second behind LEGACY MOTOR CLUB IN ASSOCIATION WITH JIMMIE JOHNSON and therefore sixth overall in Round 3.
Timo Scheider, SUN Minimeal Team, said: “As far as the result is concerned we were obviously disappointed, because we had the speed to be among the frontrunners. Klara coped very well with the impact and we were so relieved she was okay, and then immediately felt comfortable in the car again to go racing.
“What incredibly impressed me was the team spirit that each individual showed. The fact that the guys managed an almost complete rebuild in less than three hours almost left me speechless. And what also made me very happy was the spontaneous help from the other teams. That shows the spirit that prevails in Extreme E.”
After their initial promise in Scotland, the SUN Minimeal Team were unfortunately unable to make it to their first Grand Final of the season.
After initially holding second in Q1 H1 for Round 4, Scheider and Andersson had to settle for third behind a resurgent JBXE and Round 3 winners E.ON Next Veloce Racing. A technical issue hindered the team’s progress in the second heat, meaning after showing strong pace at the start of the weekend the SUN Minimeal Team did not make a Grand Final appearance.
A penalty incurred in the Redemption Race for a dropped Waypoint Flag left them out of contention, ensuring the SUN Minimeal Team now set their sights on the Island X Prix double-header in Sardinia (14-15 and 21-22 September).
Klara Andersson, SUN Minimeal Team, said: “It was a tricky weekend and we are now fully focused on the upcoming events in Sardinia. The team did an incredible job rebuilding the car after the accident at the start of Round 3 and we had showed good pace, but it just was not to be.
“Round 4 was also a difficult one for us. After the penalty, there wasn’t much we could do. It was a really tough weekend for us. We know that we have both the pace and the team to be among the front runners. We won’t let our heads drop now, but will work even harder to come back stronger in the next rounds in Italy.”
Scheider added: “The good news is that we had good speed at the beginning of the weekend, so we know the pace is there. The feelings are mixed, but in the end the positives outweigh the negatives: we proved that we are fast and have an extremely high quality of personnel in the team. We’re also delighted to have won the GridPlay vote twice, because the recognition from the fans out there feels incredibly good.
“Now it’s time to leave bad things behind and prepare for the next two race weekends at full steam.”
