British squad secures its second podium of 2024 in Round Two of the Desert X Prix

E.ON Veloce Racing took third place in Round 2 of Season 4, as Extreme E concluded its first double-header, the Desert X Prix in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The London-based squad claimed its second podium of the weekend, following a third-place finish in Round One.

Kevin Hansen and Molly Taylor carried their pace from yesterday's opening round into Round 2's racing action, setting the tone for E.ON Veloce Racing's season ahead as the team leaves the Desert X Prix sitting third in the championship standings.

In the first race of the day, Taylor held her own among a strong field, overtaking NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team's Cristina Gutiérrez to take third behind LEGACY M.C.'s Travis Pastrana and Rosberg X Racing's Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky. Hansen built upon the Australian's strong stint, with a rapid charge that soon saw him overtaking LEGACY M.C.'s Gray Leadbetter to finish second in the Heat just 1.6 seconds off the lead.

In Qualifying 2 Heat 1, it was down to Hansen to get E.ON Veloce Racing the start they needed to secure a spot in the Grand Final, and the Swede was hot on the heels of NEOM McLaren XE's Mattias Ekström as he slotted into second place. The team entered the Switch Zone in second, but left in first as Taylor set off to build on the sudden advantage.

The #5 ODYSSEY 21 was pipped to the line in the final stages by NEOM McLaren XE's Gutiérrez, having already lost a place to Timmy Hansen in the Andretti Altawkilat car, despite some strong defending from Taylor throughout her two lap stint.

After a nail-biting second qualifying session, third place in the Heat meant E.ON Veloce Racing stood level on points with NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team, but a quicker time in the Continental Traction Challenge saw Hansen and Taylor through to another Grand Final, making it two from two in Season 4.

In the Grand Final, Taylor suffered slight contact in the opening corner from RXR's Åhlin-Kottulinsky and dropped to the back of the pack, but the Australian showed her grit and soon retook third place. Following the driver change, teammate Hansen fended off fellow Swede Kristoffersson to ensure E.ON Veloce Racing's place on the third-step of the podium.

E.ON Veloce Racing secured yet another back-to-back podium finish at a Desert X Prix, having taken a maiden win and runners-up honours in NEOM, Saudi Arabia, last year. Kicking off the 2024 campaign with a double podium puts the team on the front foot for Season 4, with the British squad sitting just eight points away from the top of the championship standings.

Molly Taylor, E.ON Veloce Racing, said: "It has been a great weekend for us. We had some fantastic battles and it was really challenging in the dust, but we had some amazing speed and the team have been on fire. It was really important at this point to take some solid points in the championship, and we’ve definitely started Season 4 on the right foot."

Kevin Hansen, E.ON Veloce Racing, said: "The team put together an amazing car for us. There wasn’t a single problem all weekend, so it was up to us out there to make the most of it. A special shout out to the guys in the command centre as they did a fantastic job coaching us through the races. At the end of the day, we’re super happy with a double podium to start off the season and we’re up there in the title fight for sure."

Daniel Bailey, CEO of E.ON Veloce Racing, added: "This has been an amazing weekend for E.ON Veloce Racing. To come back to a Desert X Prix and achieve another double-podium result reflects the pace and consistency this team brings to its Extreme E efforts.

"Naturally we're hungry for the win, but we're proud of the speed that we showed this weekend and feel that we've sent a strong message to the other teams that we're in the title fight once again. We're already looking forward to applying the lessons that we learned this weekend and coming back even stronger in the next rounds."