(ExtremeE - Press Release) Former Championship Driver and FIA World RX star Klara Andersson will start alongside Nasser Al-Attiyah for ABT CUPRA XE at the final race of Extreme E Season 2.
The 22-year-old Swede replaces Jutta Kleinschmidt, who continues to recover from an injury suffered at the previous race in Chile. Kleinschmidt was ruled out of competing in Extreme E’s South American debut following a crash in Free Practice 2. Thomas Biermaier, ABT CEO, commented: “We are in constant touch with Jutta and sincerely wish her a continued good recovery. “At the same time, we are pleased that we managed to have Klara [Andersson] in the team for the season finale after her strong debut in Chile. After the podium finish, our goal is clear: we want to end our second season in Extreme E, in which there have been some ups and downs, on a high.”
© SAM BLOXHAM
Getting behind the wheel at the Antofagasta Minerals Copper X Prix marked a long-awaited series debut for Andersson, and the Swedish protégé showed no sign of nerves as she helped the team step onto the podium to take third. This marked ABT CUPRA XE's first podium of Extreme E Season 2 and meant a top three finish for Andersson in her very first race in the Championship. Klara Andersson, ABT CUPRA XE, said: “It was great how the entire team pulled together and gave me such a warm welcome. The fact that we were on the podium 48 hours later was a great finish for everyone in the team and for me, of course. The organisers continue to develop all areas: the events are becoming more and more professional, and the technology of the cars has also improved significantly within one season.
© ANDREW FERRARO
"I’ve never been to Uruguay before, so even the whole journey is an adventure. We now can sort ourselves out in advance, clarify open questions and prepare in a structured way. Onsite, I’ve got the course walk to get to know the track and two Free Practice sessions to get used to everything before Qualifying – a normal race weekend, in other words. "I’m delighted that ABT and CUPRA have put their trust in me and that we will be competing in the final together. It’s a great challenge and I’m already a bit excited. We’re pushing together for a good end to the team’s season. We saw in Chile that we have the pace for this. We’ll build on that.” Andersson also picked up the Zenith ‘Moment in Time’ Award for her performances for ABT CUPRA XE in the Semi-Finals and Final, the highlight being an exceptional overtake on No.99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing’s Sara Price in Semi-Final 2.
© CHARLY LOPEZ
As well as competing in Extreme E this year, Andersson is already enjoying a strong 2022 season. She is currently competing in World RX as the first permanent female competitor in WRX history with Construction Equipment Dealer Team. Andersson recorded her best WRX result to date by finishing third in Portugal – becoming the first-ever female driver to step on the podium in the championship's history. Catch the Swede in action at the Season 2 finale in Uruguay, as the Championship heads to Punta del Este for an exciting showdown in just under a month’s time (26-27 November).