Rosberg X Racing demoted to 5th after Island X Prix 1 review

The ramifications of Johan Kristoffersson‘s crash with Carlos Sainz in the first Island X Prix in July have dropped him and Rosberg X Racing off the podium entirely. On Friday, a month after the race, Extreme E‘s sanctioning body Automobile Club de Monaco (ACM) announced that after appeal from Sainz’s ACCIONA | Sainz XE Team, the results for the race have been revised to penalise RXR by relegating them to fifth and last in the Final.

RXR dominated the Island X Prix doubleheader by winning both races, but the first race’s Final began with contact between Kristoffersson and Sainz as they merged from the multi-lane sector that greeted drivers as they began their lap. Sainz rolled over multiple times, and was taken to hospital before being cleared in time for the second race. Officials subsequently demoted RXR from first to third by imposing a thirty-second time penalty which boosted Chip Ganassi Racing to the top step of the podium.

However, ACCIONA | Sainz still found the ruling too light and Sainz described it as “one of the most serious actions that I have ever seen without an exemplary penalty”, prompting the outfit to petition for a right to review under Article 14 of the International Sporting Code.

The appeal was approved and a hearing was launched on 3 August. Nine days later, the series ruled Kristoffersson fully accountable for the wreck, citing precedent, under Article 2.d, Chapter IV, Appendix L of the ISC regarding driver overtaking: “Causing a collision, repetition of serious mistakes or the appearance of a lack of control over the car (such as leaving the track) will be reported to the Stewards and may entail the imposition of penalties up to and including the exclusion of any driver concerned.”

Under the new decision, RXR further fell to fifth in the final classification for the round. This bumped ACCIONA | Sainz up to fourth despite failing to finish, while the original fourth-place team JBXE improves to third. This also reallocates points with RXR now earning ten points for the race instead of fifteen, ACCIONA | Sainz getting twelve over ten, and JBXE with fifteen. RXR remains atop the standings courtesy of their two wins and still garnering points for reaching the Final, while ACCIONA | Sainz leapfrogs X44 for third and JBXE moves past McLaren XE for seventh.

“To say that our team is disappointed to now be classified 5th in the final after this unfortunate (and in our mind unavoidable) racing incident is an understatement,” reads a statement from RXR. “While we respected the stewards opinion back then, we hope for better circuit layouts from Extreme E in future to ensure the safety of all involved. When two cars are racing flat out and have to merge into a single lane, there are bound to be collisions. Such racing incidents should be avoided entirely.

“At the end of the day we remain committed to working together with the Extreme E family to drive awareness, educate and help tackle climate change. And we hope to drive that message home with yet another championship win still to come.”

Meanwhile, with JBXE’s promotion to third, Hedda Hosås scores her first career Extreme E podium while team-mate Kevin Hansen notches his fifth.

In a video posted by Extreme E, Hansen breaks the news to Hosås before commenting, “Dream team! First race together, first podium!”

Revised Race #1 Final results

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