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X44 closes Island X Prix II with Sunday victory
After a disastrous Saturday in which they bowed out of the Redemption Race to finish a measly ninth in the classification, X44 Vida Carbon Racing rebounded Sunday to win the Island X Prix II‘s second Grand Final.
Fraser McConnell and Cristina Gutiérrez edged out Rosberg X Racing, who swept the first Island X Prix in July, in the Grand Final to score their second win of 2023. ABT CUPRA XE, whose driver Sébastien Loeb won the 2022 championship for X44, joined them on the podium.
“Cristina and I had our heads down and drove four strong clean laps in the final,” said McConnell. “As always, the team worked tirelessly to make sure the car was in top shape.”
JBXE retired from the Grand Final with a front end failure, ending an otherwise dramatic run to the feature after losing a sprint to the finish with Chip Ganassi Racing.
Veloce Racing claimed the Redemption Race after a messy qualifying plagued by electrical issues.
“We looked really good during the first qualifying session, but then had a failure on the electrical side which we didn’t have any control over,” explained Veloce’s Kevin Hansen. “In the second session, we only had slight contact but it broke the power steering, and from there we gathered back together nicely and made the right choices.
“In the Redemption Race, I had a nice two laps, and was so happy to hand the car over to Molly (Taylor) in the lead. She did a great job to bring it home, so it was a great finish to the day and we’re still in the championship race. We just need to give it everything we’ve got in Chile in two months’ time.”
Saturday winner ACCIONA | Sainz XE Team struggled on Sunday but holds a three-point edge over RXR in the championship.
McLaren XE did not race Sunday after a wreck the previous day.
Grand Final results
| Finish | Number | Team | Total Time | Driver #1 | Driver #2 |
| 1 | 44 | X44 Vida Carbon Racing | 10:08.030 | Fraser McConnell | Cristina Gutiérrez |
| 2 | 6 | Rosberg X Racing | 10:13.843 | Johan Kristoffersson | Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky |
| 3 | 125 | ABT CUPRA XE | 10:16.651 | Sébastien Loeb | Klara Andersson |
| 4 | 99 | GMC Hummer EV Chip Ganassi Racing | 10:21.886 | RJ Anderson | Amanda Sorensen |
| 5 | 22 | JBXE | DNF | Hedda Hosås | Andreas Bakkerud |
Redemption Race results
| Finish | Number | Team | Total Time | Driver #1 | Driver #2 |
| 1 | 5 | Veloce Racing | 9:39.903 | Kevin Hansen | Molly Taylor |
| 2 | 23 | Andretti ALTAWKILAT Extreme E | 9:46.002 | Timmy Hansen | Catie Munnings |
| 3 | 8 | Carl Cox Motorsport | 9:50.32 | Timo Scheider | Lia Block |
| 4 | 55 | ACCIONA | Sainz XE Team | 10:36.377 | Mattias Ekström | Laia Sanz |
| 5 | 58 | NEOM McLaren XE | DNS | Tanner Foust | Tamara Molinaro |
Qualifying results
Round #1
Heat #1
| Finish | Number | Team | Total Time | Driver #1 | Driver #2 |
| 1 | 125 | ABT CUPRA XE | 9:51.079 | Sébastien Loeb | Klara Andersson |
| 2 | 22 | JBXE | 9:57.419 | Hedda Hosås | Andreas Bakkerud |
| 3 | 44 | X44 Vida Carbon Racing | 10:56.928* | Fraser McConnell | Cristina Gutiérrez |
| 4 | 5 | Veloce Racing | DNF | Kevin Hansen | Molly Taylor |
| 5 | 8 | Carl Cox Motorsport | DNF | Timo Scheider | Lia Block |
Heat #2
| Finish | Number | Team | Total Time | Driver #1 | Driver #2 |
| 1 | 55 | ACCIONA | Sainz XE Team | 9:53.948 | Mattias Ekström | Laia Sanz |
| 2 | 6 | Rosberg X Racing | 9:53.559 | Johan Kristoffersson | Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky |
| 3 | 99 | GMC Hummer EV Chip Ganassi Racing | 9:54.475 | RJ Anderson | Amanda Sorensen |
| 4 | 23 | Andretti ALTAWKILAT Extreme E | 8:36.271 | Timmy Hansen | Catie Munnings |
| 5 | 58 | NEOM McLaren XE | DNS | Tanner Foust | Tamara Molinaro |
Round #2
Heat #1
| Finish | Number | Team | Total Time | Driver #1 | Driver #2 |
| 1 | 44 | X44 Vida Carbon Racing | 9:29.983 | Cristina Gutiérrez | Fraser McConnell |
| 2 | 125 | ABT CUPRA XE | 9:40.661 | Klara Andersson | Sébastien Loeb |
| 3 | 6 | Rosberg X Racing | 9:41.242* | Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky | Johan Kristoffersson |
| 4 | 23 | Andretti ALTAWKILAT Extreme E | 9:43.717 | Catie Munnings | Timmy Hansen |
| 5 | 8 | Carl Cox Motorsport | 9:51.420 | Lia Block | Timo Scheider |
Heat #2
| Finish | Number | Team | Total Time | Driver #1 | Driver #2 |
| 1 | 99 | GMC Hummer EV Chip Ganassi Racing | 10:05.384 | Amanda Sorensen | RJ Anderson |
| 2 | 22 | JBXE | 10:06.898 | Andreas Bakkerud | Hedda Hosås |
| 3 | 5 | Veloce Racing | 15:55.066 | Molly Taylor | Kevin Hansen |
| 4 | 55 | ACCIONA | Sainz XE Team | DNF | Laia Sanz | Mattias Ekström |
| 5 | 58 | NEOM McLaren XE | DNS | Tanner Foust | Tamara Molinaro |
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