Greenland, 29th August 2021: Rosberg X Racing had another tough day in the Arctic X Prix, with a technical issue resulting in the ODYSSEY 21 coming to a stop again at a crucial moment of the Final.
Molly Taylor and Johan Kristoffersson had an eventful race that resulted in P5 of the Arctic X Prix. RXR were set to put in another dominant performance and were vying for first place only to be stopped by another power shutdown in the closing minutes of the five-team final.
Following Saturday’s qualifying sessions, Kristoffersson took the first drive in Semi-Final 2 under some slippery conditions caused by significant rainfall across the course. Kristoffersson dominated his round however he hit a course flag which meant a 10-second penalty for RXR. After a smooth driver switch Taylor maintained the lead for the majority of her round until Andretti United slipped past in the closing minutes of the race. RXR confirmed P2 to qualify for the final despite the penalty.
RXR headed into the five-team final in Gate 1 for starting position with Taylor behind the wheel of the ODYSSEY 21 for the opening lap. The opening minutes of the race saw Taylor in wheel-to-wheel action against Catie Munnings of Andretti United. The RXR duo completed another slick driver switch only for an ambitious move to overtake Timmy Hansen, unfortunately resulting in another power shutdown. Kristoffersson managed to get the car moving again but the damage was done and RXR were confirmed in 5th position.
Following the Arctic X Prix Final Johan Kristoffersson, Rosberg X Racing driver said: “It was a weekend with both highs and lows. The track was great to drive on so it's very frustrating to lose a race in that way when we were in such a good position. As a team we still have strong momentum, and we can look ahead to the next race in Sardinia now.”
Rosberg X Racing driver Molly Taylor said: "I’m very proud of our performance this weekend under some challenging circumstances. We were very unlucky with the technical issues experienced across both days but nevertheless, Johan and I both managed to put in some solid performances. Overall, the positives outweigh the negatives and we are still leading the championship heading into the last two races of the season.”
Reflecting on the team’s performance Nico Rosberg, Founder & CEO of Rosberg X Racing commented: "It was a difficult weekend for the team, starting with the technical issues we experienced yesterday and getting the car ready for Qualifying Round 2. We then put in such a competitive performance in both races today only for another power shutdown to hold us back from a great result in the Final. With each race,
we aim to be competitive on the track and also raise awareness for climate change. It was incredible to be a part of the first motorsport event ever in Greenland this weekend highlighting this special location.”
Kimmo Liimatainen, Rosberg X Racing Team Principal, commented: "This was not the result we were looking for, but aside from the technical issues we had some really great performances from both Molly and Johan across all the races this weekend. The team could not have worked harder to get the car ready yesterday for Qualifying Round 2. We can now look ahead to Sardinia with confidence.”
RXR remain in first place in the Championship on 93 points in the Extreme E Standings after three rounds. The next race has been confirmed as the Island X Prix in Sardinia from 23-24 October.