Emma Gilmour will miss the Island X Prix after suffering a fractured rib in a massive crash during Free Practice 1 on Friday. Extreme E‘s Championship Driver Tamara Molinaro will replace her as Tanner Foust‘s team-mate in the #58 McLaren XE car.
“The NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team can confirm that Emma has undergone additional tests at Cagliari Hospital following her incident earlier this morning, where further examination showed she has a small rib fracture,” reads a team statement. “As per standard procedure, Emma will be under observation in the hospital for the next 24 hours. She is naturally disappointed, but in good spirits. As a result, Emma won’t be able to compete for the remainder of the Island X Prix II this weekend.
“Extreme E’s Championship Driver, Tamara Molinaro, will compete alongside Tanner for the team in place of Emma – as per championship protocol.
“Get well soon, Emma.”
The accident forced the team to switch to the series’ spare test car for the weekend’s races, for which they will receive a thirty-second time penalty for the first heat race on Saturday. Although the team had hoped to run Free Practice 2 later on Friday, the car was deemed too light by nine kilograms to take part.
Molinaro will run her first Extreme E weekend of the year. She has served as the series’ reserve driver since 2022, eventually racing the full calendar that year for XITE Energy Racing, before returning to her original post for 2023. She finished runner-up in the first Island X Prix in 2022.
McLaren is currently seventh in the championship.