(Motorsports news) The NEOM McLaren Extreme E team hit the ground running in the opening X Prix of Season 4 in Saudi Arabia, with new driver pairing Mattias Ekström and Cristina Gutiérrez picking up a podium in Round 1.
That thrilling first race of 2024 could so easily have been NEOM McLaren Extreme E’s maiden Extreme E win, but Ekström and Gutiérrez missed out by just over a tenth of a second to Rosberg X Racing (RXR). A solid Round 2, taking victory in the Redemption Race, ensured NEOM McLaren Extreme E left the Desert X Prix as one of the championship’s frontrunners, which bodes well for the upcoming campaign ahead.
A strong Qualifying ensured NEOM McLaren Extreme E made it through comfortably to the opening Grand Final of the season. Two second-place finishes in their qualifying heats demonstrated their pace on the Saudi Arabian sands, with Ekstrom and Gutiérrez amongst the pacesetters throughout.
NEOM McLaren Extreme E entered the Round 1 Grand Final as one of the favourites and the team certainly lived up to that billing, battling for the win throughout the four-lap race in an incredible wheel-to-wheel contest with RXR.
In the opening laps, Ekström and RXR’s Johan Kristoffersson traded positions. An astonishing start from Ekström, taking an unconventional wide line into the first corner to ensure a better exit, meant the two-time DTM champion snatched an early advantage. However, it was Kristoffersson who gained the upper hand and the race lead as the ODYSSEY 21s entered the Switch Zone for the driver change.
Once the on-track racing resumed, both teams were locked in combat once more as they battled for victory. NEOM McLaren Extreme E’s best result up to that point had been second-place and they were seeking their first-ever series win.
Despite the best efforts of Gutiérrez at the wheel, who managed to overtake RXR’s Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky for the lead in the closing stages, the Spaniard was immediately repassed by the Swede and crossed the finish line just 0.167s away from victory in what had been an epic encounter. Nevertheless, a podium on their debuts for the team ensured Ekström and Gutiérrez equalled NEOM McLaren Extreme E’s best-ever result in their first outing together.
Cristina Gutiérrez, NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team, said: “I felt really happy after Round 1. It was my first race with the NEOM McLaren Extreme E team and working with Mattias, and we managed to finish in P2. We were able to put together a good performance in Qualifying and get to the Grand Final. In the Final, Mattias did a great job at the start, which helped me when I took over.
“I was battling at the front during my laps, but finished in P2 in the end. It was a shame not to be able to bring home the win, but I think we will be competitive this season. The team were happy, and Mattias and I are really grateful for all the hard work and hours they are putting in.”
Mattias Ekström, NEOM McLaren Extreme E team, added: “We had a very exciting first day and first race with the NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team. Despite a few small issues in Qualifying 1, we still finished P2 – and we managed to fix these problems in time for Qualifying 2. In Q2, we were more competitive, and the Grand Final was one of the most exciting Finals I have seen in Extreme E. We had a great start and Turn 1, and I was able to give Cristina the car in P2. She did a really good job, battling at the front with Mikaela [Åhlin-Kottulinsky], but we finished just behind them in P2.
“It felt nice to be able to bring a trophy back to the team to reward all their hard work.”
Although Round 2 did not yield another Grand Final appearance, NEOM McLaren Extreme E still managed to bank a strong haul of points from the Desert X Prix.
A penalty for LEGACY MOTOR CLUB IN ASSOCIATION WITH JIMMIE JOHNSON (LEGACY M.C.) moved NEOM McLaren Extreme E up to third in their Qualifying 1 heat, but meant there would plenty of ground to make up in Qualifying 2.
Despite leading the opening stages of their Q2 heat, they could not keep Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E at bay and thus settled for second. The points accrued from both heats were not enough for a Grand Final spot, but Ekström and Gutiérrez were determined to achieve the maximum from the Round 2 Redemption Race.
This was achieved right at the last, with Ekström snatching victory away from LEGACY M.C.’s Gray Leadbetter and claiming valuable points with a winning margin of 0.692s.
NEOM McLaren Extreme E sit fifth in the overall standings with 30 points following their strong start in Saudi Arabia and are just 11 points adrift off leaders RXR.
Reflecting on her NEOM McLaren Extreme E debut, Gutiérrez said: “It was a mixed Round 2 for us as we didn’t make it to the Grand Final and had some issues being down on power, so we weren’t able to push as much as we wanted to. That meant we ended up in the Redemption Race. However, we ended up winning the race and scoring 12 points. Mattias drove really well, managing to make up two positions during his laps to help us take the win.
“Overall, considering Mattias and I are both new to NEOM McLaren, the whole team did really well over the whole event. We have some things to improve on before the next races, but I have full faith in the whole team – and we will continue to work hard during the break.”
Ekström added: “On one side, I am super happy that we were competitive – we were running at the front on Saturday and came close to the win. In Round 2, we were still competitive but struggled with some power issues, so weren’t able to fight at the top as we would’ve liked.
“We ended up in the Redemption Race, which was a proper fight and we were able to get some key points in the bag. A huge thank you to the whole team, everyone put in a massive effort the whole week. We will come back stronger at the next event, and I am very happy and excited for the rest of the season with NEOM McLaren.”
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