
2023 Copper X Prix I & II
"We will take time to regroup and come back stronger in 2024"

Hear from NEOM McLaren Extreme E drivers Tanner Foust and Hedda Hosås, Sporting Director Gary Paffett and Managing Director Ian James, after the 2023 Copper X Prix I & II in Chile.
Round 9
NEOM McLaren XE Team #58
Qualifying 1 – Heat 1 (race heat) | P3, 9:43.274* |
Qualifying 2 – Heat 1 (race heat) | P2, 25:40.967** |
Grand Final | P4 |
*The team received a 10-second penalty for causing a collision
**The team received a 30-second penalty for causing a collision

“Today was a difficult but also a good day – making the Grand Final was a good start to the weekend. In Qualifying 1, we finished P2, but a penalty knocked us down to P3. Qualifying 2 was eventful, but we managed to finish P2, which meant we were in the Grand Final.
“In the Grand Final, we finished in P4, which is a bit disappointing as we were so close to the podium. However, it was a good start and we’ll fight for the podium again tomorrow.”

“Today was a bit of a difficult day. We struggled with some handling problems, as well as growing pains implementing some new hardware after the last events. The team did a great job getting things working, especially when it counted. After an eventful morning of qualifying, we made the final.
“During the Grand Final, we suffered from some visibility problems and some small windscreen wiper damage from a rock. It made the push for the podium difficult, and we finished in P4. Overall, I’m happy with our performance, and hopefully we’ll be able to get a better result tomorrow and challenge for the podium.”

“Today was a bit of a frustrating day. We started off well, we finished third in Qualifying 1 and second in a very eventful Qualifying 2. We crossed the line second, however the Acciona Sainz car ahead received a penalty, which pushed us to first. We later got a penalty for an incident earlier in the race, which put us back to second but we still had enough points to get into the Grand Final. That was the first key milestone.
“Going into the Grand Final, we didn’t get a very good start off the line, which put us behind three other cars. We were running in fourth, and although our pace was pretty good, visibility was poor so it was challenging to make progress. We need to work harder to gain performance for tomorrow. However, it was good to get into the Grand Final, and it’s something we need to aim for again tomorrow.”
GALLERY Season finale in Chile
Round 10
NEOM McLaren XE Team #58
Qualifying 1 – Heat 1 (race heat) | P1, 8:24.992 |
Qualifying 2 – Heat 1 (race heat) | P3, 8:37.435 |
Grand Final | DNF |

“It’s been a mixed day. We began today on a strong note, winning Qualifying 1. Tanner had a great start and I managed to fight to keep the RXR car behind. In Qualifying 2, we finished with a solid P3, which meant we got into the Grand Final.
“Unfortunately, our race in the Grand Final ended early after the car sustained damage. I have really enjoyed working with the NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team this weekend and I wish we could’ve rewarded everybody’s hard work with a podium.”

“What a day. We started off pretty well, winning our heat in Qualifying 1. In Qualifying 2, we finished P2, which was enough to secure our place in the Grand Final for the second time this weekend, which was positive.
“In the Grand Final, we started in the same start position as yesterday, which we knew wasn’t the best, but we were hoping to be able to fight hard. Unfortunately, our race ended early as we were coming into the switch zone and the front of the car sustained damage. It was not where we wanted to end the season, but we can draw positives from our qualifying performance.”

“Sunday in Chile started really well. We got a great start in Qualifying 1 and we managed to win that race, which was fantastic, and got some good qualifying points in the bag. Tanner did a great job at the start to get the lead, and Hedda did an incredible job holding off RXR to win that heat. In Qualifying 2, we had another strong performance. We came third, which was enough to get to the Grand Final.
“Unfortunately, the Grand Final didn’t go as well as we hoped. We didn’t get a great start, and ended up in fourth position. On the way into the switch zone, Tanner caught a big bump and locked up, colliding with another car. This damaged both cars and ultimately ended our race, which was unfortunate as it’s been a pretty good weekend overall.
“Getting into the Grand Final both days was very positive and winning one of the qualifying heats showed that we had good performance. It was a shame not to finish the race, especially as it was the final one of the season, but we have made some good improvements across the year. It’s been great to have Hedda with us this weekend alongside Tanner and Emma, who have been fantastic. Throughout the year, we’ve made some progress, but we have a lot of work to do in the off-season to get ourselves in a position to improve and fight for race wins in 2024.”

“Today marks the end of a fairly chaotic season for the NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team. This weekend in Chile has been quite a positive one – we reached the Grand Final on both days, which was our target. I’m pleased for the whole team, including Tanner and Hedda, that we achieved that on both days. Having said that, we felt that we should’ve been in a position to secure a podium, so we fell a little short of our expectations in that regard.
“Looking back at the season as a whole, it’s fair to say it has been a bruising experience for all. Knowing this team and the learnings we have taken, I am confident that next year will be a different story. We will take time to regroup and come back stronger in 2024.”
Final Championship standings:
P1 Rosberg X Racing (164 points)
P2 Acciona | Sainz XE Team (158 points)
P3 Veloce Racing (129 points)
P8 NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team (57 points)
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