Extreme H results: Team KMS edges Jameel Motorsport in nail-biting opener
Team KMS has taken the first win of the inaugural FIA Extreme H World Cup in Qiddiya City, Saudi Arabia – edging out Jameel Motorsport by just half a second after a fiercely tight Time Trial contest.
Swedish pairing Johan Kristoffersson and Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky topped both morning and afternoon sessions, finishing 0.591 seconds ahead overall after a day that saw the top two teams trading tenths.
The morning run was even closer – a mere 0.139 seconds separated KMS from Jameel’s Kevin Hansen and Molly Taylor.
Running last after setting the benchmark early on, KMS had to dig deep to defend its lead. Kristoffersson, taking over from Åhlin-Kottulinsky, clawed back time through the opening sector, brushed a bank at Gate 10 and rotated early at Gate 15 – but still crossed the line 0.452 seconds quicker to secure the win.
“It was a very tight battle today with Team Jameel,” said Kristoffersson. “After the first round there was only a tenth between us. I maybe over-pushed in a few places, but Mikaela did a great job and we were fast enough overall. We take the ten points, enjoy the moment, and focus on tomorrow’s head-to-head.”
“We’re super happy to take the win,” added Åhlin-Kottulinsky. “When you combine both runs, we only won by half a second – that really shows how close the competition is.”
Tight margins across the field
Team Hansen’s Andreas Bakkerud and Catie Munnings completed the top three despite a small off from Munnings at Gate 15. Team EVEN’s Ole Christian Veiby and Hedda Hosås finished fourth, less than a second adrift, while JBX’s Tommi Hallman – who clocked the fastest single lap of the day – and Christine GZ ended fifth.
Carl Cox Motorsport’s Timo Scheider and Klara Andersson came sixth after a puncture and a five-second penalty, followed by ZEROID Motorsport’s Fraser McConnell and Gray Leadbetter, who were hampered by a sensor fault and a 14-second Switch Zone penalty.
STARD’s Patrick O’Donovan and Amanda Sorensen rounded out the order after recovering from an inverter failure earlier in the day.
“We’ve had an incredible first day of racing here at the FIA Extreme H World Cup, with all drivers pushing the car to its limits,” said James Taylor, Chief Championship Officer at Extreme H. “The gap between first and last car was so close – it’s been incredibly exciting to watch.”
What’s next
The action continues tomorrow with the head-to-head heats, as the world’s first hydrogen-powered racing championship moves into knockout mode.
The Pioneer 25 off-roader – powered by a 400 kW fuel-cell system and 700-bar hydrogen tanks – will again take centre stage, proving hydrogen can deliver full-tilt motorsport with nothing but water vapour out of the exhaust.
