Written by Ishani Aziz, Edited by Simran Kanthi
Extreme E will conclude its season with the last of its five events, this time taking to the coast of Uruguay to begin the Energy X-Prix.
With Jutta Kleinschmidt from ABT Cupra XE still sustaining injuries from Chile, Klara Andersson is set to take to the Odyssey 21 to step in once again. Andersson first stepped in for Kleinschmidt after her injury and managed to clinch a podium alongside her teammate Nasser Al-Attiyah.
Hailing from Laberöd, the 22-year-old Swedish driver began just this year in the FIA WRC RX1e Class (with Construction Equipment Dealer Team) alongside Niclas Grönholm. Impressively, when she finished third in the second race in Portugal, she became the first female on the podium in the entire series' history.
While Andersson was actually set up with XITE Energy Racing to drive alongside Oliver Bennett, she, unfortunately, tested positive for COVID-19 just ahead of the Extreme E opener in Saudi Arabia. As such, Tamara Molinaro became XITE's permanent driver, with Andersson taking up the role of reserve at ABT Cupra XE, which she began at the second free practice in Chile, and for which she also picked up the Zenith "Moment in Time" award for her racing performance. The awards commended, in particular, her overtake on the No. 99 of Chip Ganassi Racing's Sara Price during Semi-Final 2.
ABT Sportsline interviewed Andersson on her thoughts on the Extreme E series and how she will approach the coming Energy X-Prix:
“I think Extreme E is super cool. The championship combines motorsport with a clear message, lets men and women compete together, and comes to the most spectacular places around the world.”
The young driver feels she is more prepared for Uruguay than she was in Chile, having had more time to plan and prepare.
The ABT CEO Thomas Biermaier states that the team are in constant contact with Kleinschmidt, and assures that her recovery is ongoing. Biermaier also gave a warm welcome to Andersson and is certain that her last podium finish should point towards a strong performance from ABT Cupra XE. With the team ninth in the championship standings, let's hope that Andersson can bring some fight with her to Punta del Este on the 26-27th of November.