ALULA — Extreme E had promised to bring the show in AlUla, Saudi Arabia this weekend (April 3/4), and the opening day of the Desert X Prix did just that with jaw-dropping competition, stunning backdrops, high drama throughout including a heartstopping roll and a sensational scrap to top the qualifying timesheets — one ultimately won by X44 duo Sébastien Loeb and Cristina Gutiérrez. The pioneering electric SUV off-road racing series has ventured into the heart of the Saudi Arabian desert for its inaugural X Prix, and the challenging, high-speed 8.8km track layout — laid out in the midst of a breathtaking otherworldly landscape — was designed to push drivers and cars absolutely to their limits. For almost everybody, it represented a journey into the unknown — and it produced some memorable action. Alejandro Agag, founder and CEO of Extreme E, said: “I think the first day of Extreme E has been absolutely fantastic. I have been blown away by the action and the images — there was just so much to look at. It was even better than we expected, and the feedback on social media has been amazing — and this was only qualifying! I really think we are onto something huge here.” Lewis Hamilton’s X44 team ended the day at the summit of the standings following a stirring duel against Nico Rosberg’s eponymous Rosberg X Racing outfit, as the two Formula 1 world champions renewed battle in the desert dunes and mere fractions-of-a-second separated the leading drivers. Two-time FIA World Rally Champion Carlos Sainz might be the oldest driver in the field, but there was no lack of commitment from the 58-year-old on his first representative run for the Acciona | Sainz XE Team following a power steering pump failure during Saturday’s shakedown. The Spaniard impressively pegged Loeb throughout Q2, as his teammate Laia Sanz — a 13-time Women’s Trial World Champion — demonstrated her rapid learning abilities on four wheels to secure second place for the squad. A promising run for Button and Åhlin-Kottulinsky in Q2 was then undone by penalties totaling just shy of three minutes for a switch zone infraction and speeding, although the 2009 F1 World Champion’s team was dealt a get-out-of-jail-free card by even greater problems for three of their adversaries. Following a difficult Friday, Segi TV Chip Ganassi Racing’s woes continued into today in Saudi Arabia, with a power steering issue requiring Kyle LeDuc and Sara Price to physically wrestle their Odyssey 21 to the end of Q1 — a situation that the former described as ‘a fist fight’ inside the cockpit. Further gremlins then prevented Price from even reaching the start-line in Q2, meaning she and LeDuc will be restricted to the ‘Shoot Out’ tomorrow. Other teams in the wars were ABT Cupra XE — whose female driver Claudia Hürtgen thankfully emerged unharmed from a sizable barrel-roll almost within sight of the Q1 finish line — and Veloce Racing, with Stéphane Sarrazin’s roll enough to rule the British outfit out of the remainder of the weekend. Sunday’s racing will get under way at 09h00 local time, with the Shoot Out, Crazy Race, Semifinal and Final (13h00 local time) set to determine who will walk away with the honor of being crowned Extreme E’s very first X Prix winner. — SG