Championship leaders add to their Scotland success with victory in Round 4

E.ON Next Veloce Racing took its second victory of Extreme E Season 4 as the championship held its fourth round of the year as part of the Hydro X Prix. Today's triumph marked the British squad's third home victory from the four rounds to have been hosted in Scotland so far, as the team extends its podium streak to four and its lead in the championship standings to nine points.

Off the back of a dominant performance in Round 3 on Saturday, Kevin Hansen and Molly Taylor overcame a difficult Round 4 Qualifying to take the win in a nail-biting Final, securing their fifth victory as a driver pairing for E.ON Next Veloce Racing.

In the first Qualifying session of the day, Hansen found himself taking the start from the wettest of the grid spots and, struggling for grip, could only slot into fourth place in the opening sector of the lap.

Recovering his composure, Hansen began his charge and soon overtook Legacy M.C.'s Patrick O'Donovan, before taking advantage of a mistake by SUN Minimeal Team's Timo Scheider to seize second place for E.ON Next Veloce Racing. Taylor would retain track position on her run to put the team in a strong position heading into the next round of Qualifying.

It was then the Australian's turn to take the launch for E.ON Next Veloce Racing and Taylor, despite also sliding as she unleashed her ODYSSEY 21 from the start line, secured third place behind Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E's Timmy Hansen and ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team's (ASXE) Fraser McConnell.

A confident two laps from Taylor kept the leading pair close enough for Hansen to challenge for the Heat win following the driver change. The Swede, determined to put his team into its second Grand Final of the weekend, carried too much speed as he passed ASXE's Laia Sanz and earned a 10-second penalty for spinning into the Waypoint flag. Hansen went on to complete the overtake for second place, but E.ON Next Veloce Racing could only finish the Heat in third due to penalties.

It came down to the Continental Traction Challenge, and a quick time from Hansen and Taylor in a chaotic Qualifying 2 Heat guaranteed E.ON Next Veloce Racing's spot in the Grand Final and a shot at another podium in Scotland.

In the final showdown of the weekend, it was down to Hansen to ensure a strong start for the team, and the Swede edged into the lead through the first corner. Setting up Taylor as best as he could, Hansen handed over more than an eight second lead to his teammate as he entered the Switch Zone.

With ASXE's McConnell in hot pursuit, the pressure continued to build as the Jamaican closed the gap, and it was in the final corners that he threatened to overtake. Taylor drew on her experience, keeping a cool head and shutting the door as the pair descended towards the finish line where the Australian achieved another win for E.ON Next Veloce Racing.

E.ON Next Veloce Racing secures its fourth podium from as many events, and the victory extends the team's lead at the top of the Extreme E leaderboard to nine points ahead of ASXE and 20 points clear of Rosberg X Racing.

Molly Taylor, E.ON Next Veloce Racing, said: "Today was a real scrap. I think in Extreme E, particularly now with how close the competition is, the fight to get to the Grand Final is insane and it can go any which way. Once you get to that Final the slate is wiped clean, and with the support of our fans in GridPlay we were able to put ourselves in a good position on the start line.

"It's one thing to be fast on track, which we know we have been all weekend, but we had to execute it under pressure so it feels great to have managed that. It’s great to be heading to Sardinia at the top of the championship but we can’t rest on our laurels now. We have learnt a lot this weekend and we need to keep pushing for the remainder of the season."

Kevin Hansen, E.ON Next Veloce Racing, said: "Another win on home soil, what more could you wish for. It's so tricky with double-headers because you can't let yourself go at any point. Getting excited takes away from your focus and we had to be able to perform today too. For sure it was not a straight road to get here, but that just makes this win all the more satisfying when we were able to execute such a great race in the Final."

Daniel Bailey, CEO of Veloce, added: "I am so proud of everyone in this team and we are delighted to have achieved this success with so many of our friends and family here with us. From Free Practice all the way through to the end of the weekend, Kevin, Molly, and the team have done an amazing job.

"We’re starting to show the consistency required to take a championship title, and it's great to see the hard work put it in by all members of the team converted into race wins. The points we’ve collected in this double-header have launched us to the top of the leaderboard, and we'll be taking that momentum with us into the next rounds in Sardinia."

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