Nico Rosberg’s workforce gained the primary race of the brand new electrical Excessive E off-road collection in Saudi Arabia on Sunday whereas Lewis Hamilton’s X44 outfit hit issues and completed third in a cloud of mud.

Retired 2016 Components One champion Rosberg was in Al Ula to have fun the Desert X Prix victory with Sweden’s triple rallycross champion Johan Kristoffersson and Australian rally driver Molly Taylor.

Andretti United, run by Michael Andretti and McLaren F1 boss Zak Brown, had been second within the three-car ultimate with Sweden’s Timmy Hansen and Britain’s Catie Munnings 23.73 seconds off the tempo.

Hamilton’s workforce of France’s 9 instances world rally champion Sebastien Loeb and Spaniard Cristina Gutierrez had been quickest in Saturday’s qualifying however suffered steering issues.

The seven instances F1 world champion, who didn’t attend, despatched a great luck message on Instagram earlier than the race expressing his pleasure in what that they had executed to date.

Jenson Button, the 2009 Components One champion, completed sixth after his JBXE workforce didn’t make the ultimate whereas triple Dakar winner Carlos Sainz was fourth.

Time trials had began on Saturday, round a sandy and rock-strewn observe that additionally featured a plunging drop amid the dunes.

Kristoffersson made one of the best begin within the ultimate, leaving the others trailing within the mud, earlier than Taylor put in a stable run after the handover to seal the win.

The pair had been quickest additionally within the semi-final when the an identical ODYSSEY 21 automobiles went wheel to wheel for the primary time.

Sunday noticed the primary multi-car collision, with Chip Ganassi’s Kyle Leduc and ABT Cupra driver Claudia Huertgen coming collectively.

Excessive E goals to focus on local weather change and promote sustainability by racing in distant components of the world affected by world warming or struggling environmental injury.

There are 5 rounds starting from places within the Arctic to the Amazon and each workforce should subject a female and male driver.

The following spherical of the championship will happen in Senegal on Might 29-30 and collection proprietor Alejandro Agag is already contemplating modifications to the format of the races to make them extra thrilling and to drive groups to pit the feminine drivers straight in opposition to the male ones.

“I am considering of tweaks and I’ve two in my thoughts — one I simply got here up with whereas I used to be watching the shootout,” Agag stated after Sunday’s race. “I am considering that possibly I do a draw, a lottery, for who races, so we combine feminine and male drivers for all of the races.

“In any other case we’re seeing that the groups are lining up all the lads at one level and the ladies second. However I’ll give it some thought, it is simply an concept.”

The one level at which a female and male driver had been in direct competitors got here in the course of the battle for seventh and eighth place, when Leduc was unsighted by mud and crashed into the again Huertgen’s automotive as he tried to overhaul.

“I believe one of the crucial thrilling moments of the weekend was when Kyle was catching Claudia and, sadly for them, that they had an affect, however that is additionally racing.

“One other attainable change is to introduce some sector for doing a time trial [qualifying-style run] additionally on the Sunday within the three automotive race.

“We are going to go to Senegal and actually verify the mud degree there. We got here right here just a few months in the past however the temperature has actually risen quite a bit right here [creating more dust], however his has modified much less in Senegal.

“We’re going to verify in SUVs and see what the extent of mud is after which take some selections. I need to hearken to as many individuals in our ecosystem as I can.

“Positively there will likely be some tweaks, however I believe the three automotive race immediately [instead of a time trial] was the best name.”