Nico Rosberg’s staff received the primary race of the brand new electrical Excessive E off-road sequence in Saudi Arabia on Sunday whereas Lewis Hamilton’s X44 outfit hit issues and completed third in a cloud of mud.
Retired 2016 Formulation One champion Rosberg was in Al Ula to have a good time the Desert X Prix victory with Sweden’s triple rallycross champion Johan Kristoffersson and Australian rally driver Molly Taylor.
Andretti United, run by Michael Andretti and McLaren F1 boss Zak Brown, had been second within the three-automobile remaining with Sweden’s Timmy Hansen and Britain’s Catie Munnings 23.73 seconds off the tempo.
Hamilton’s staff of France’s 9 instances world rally champion Sebastien Loeb and Spaniard Cristina Gutierrez had been quickest in Saturday’s qualifying however suffered steering issues.
The seven instances F1 world champion, who didn’t attend, despatched a superb luck message on Instagram earlier than the race expressing his pleasure in what that they had accomplished thus far.
Jenson Button, the 2009 Formulation One champion, completed sixth after his JBXE staff did not make the ultimate whereas triple Dakar winner Automotivelos Sainz was fourth.
Time trials had began on Saturday, round a sandy and rock-strewn observe that additionally featured a plunging drop amid the dunes.
Kristoffersson made the very best begin within the remaining, leaving the others trailing within the mud, earlier than Taylor put in a stable run after the handover to seal the win.
The pair had been quickest additionally within the semi-final when the equivalent Odyssey 21 automobiles went wheel to wheel for the primary time.
Sunday noticed the primary multi-automobile collision, with Chip Ganassi’s Kyle Leduc and ABT Cupra driver Claudia Huertgen coming collectively.
Excessive E goals to spotlight local weather change and promote sustainability by racing in distant components of the world affected by world warming or struggling environmental harm.
There are 5 rounds starting from areas within the Arctic to the Amazon and each staff should discipline a female and male driver.
The following race is in Senegal in Could.
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