Emma Gilmour and co-driver Tanner Foust proved the McLaren Racing team have the pace to put together strong results in Extreme E.
Though the pair had the speed to take a strong result in the first round of the 2022 season, luck wasn’t on their side.
Gilmour and Foust had missed making the final of the round in Neom, Saudi Arabia leaving one final chance to qualify, the pair would need to win the Crazy Race (repecharge) to make the final, which they went on to do.
Despite a strong performance getting the Kiwi into the final, the good run ended there. The McLaren entry, with Foust behind the wheel was looking to move into third when Foust crashed taking them out of what remained of the final.
“We made it to the final which was an amazing accomplishment for us in the first event but then wrecked it in the final” Foust said.
“I had my line and anticipated it in the dust and was pretty flat out. Unfortunately the car in front of me checked up with some sort of a problem and I ‘grenaded’ her in the dust.”
“Not a good finish,” Gilmour said.
“Tanner got caught in some dust really bad at the start of the race. What can you say, the highs and lows in motorsport.”
Though the result wasn’t what the team was hoping for Gilmour remains optimistic.
“What happened to Tanner in the final is one of the many challenges and risks which we knew we had to navigate and which an accident reminds you of complete visual oblivion from sand and dust.
“However, this was also our first event as a team and we have gained a lot from being at track together which will bring us back stronger.
Despite the tough end to the first round of the championship, the McLaren Racing team sits fifth in the points standings.
The final was won by the Rosberg X Racing entry driven by Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky and Johan Kristoffersson.
The second round of the championship will be the Island Prix in Sardinia, Italy May 7-8.
Main image: Emma Gilmour social media