Veloce Racing’s ODYSSEY 21 rebuild: The countdown to Senegal is on
- One month countdown to the Ocean X Prix begins tomorrow
- Compromised chassis identified as culprit for early AlUla exit
- Estimated 75-100 hours of labour required to ensure the teams E-SUV is race-ready for second Extreme E outing
- Sustainability at the heart of re-build plan
Following the team’s premature exit from the Desert X Prix in AlUla, Saudi Arabia earlier this month, Veloce Racing will repair its damaged ODYSSEY 21 in Senegal – the next stop on the Extreme E calendar (29-30 May) almost exactly one month from today.
The inaugural Extreme E event saw myriad crashes and incidents throughout the weekend, and although Stéphane Sarrazin’s roll didn’t initially appear to be as dramatic as others, the structural damage quickly became apparent when the car returned to the garage.
Further analysis by the team revealed that an extensive disassembly and reassembly of the whole vehicle is required and with just over a month to go until the Ocean X Prix, the race is on. The damaged roll cage and suspension will need repairs along with new bodywork and livery wrapping, totalling an estimated 75-100 hours of labour to get the car in race-ready condition.
A small team of mechanics from ART GP along with Veloce Racing Team Manager, Ian Davies, will be dispatched to Senegal ahead of schedule, ensuring the necessary repairs can be carried out whilst minimising the environmental impact of the rebuild.
Ian Davies, Team Manager, Veloce Racing commented:
“This is going to be a really big job for a relatively small team of mechanics. The roll didn’t look like it did a huge amount of damage on the broadcast but when we dug a little deeper, we found that it was far more than just cosmetic. The chassis is the main problem, but then we have all of the associated dismantling that goes with it.
“There’s only going to be a few of us and we’re taking on a massive amount of work over a very short space of time. A huge challenge awaits us, but we’re determined to get it done in time to go racing.”
Rupert Svendsen-Cook, Team Principal added:
“Having made an assessment of the work that needed to be done, we reviewed the options and decided against offloading the car in Valencia during the St. Helena’s scheduled stop. By sending a small team ahead of time to Senegal, we’re able to avoid any unnecessary travel and subsequent environmental impact.
“The Desert X Prix was a tough start to our season but together with our incredible drivers, partners and team, we’re ready to hit the ground running in Senegal and properly kick off our Extreme E challenge.”
Extreme E returns for round two in Dakar, Senegal (29-30 May) before moving on to Kangerlussuaq, Greenland (28-29 August), Pará, Brazil (23-24 October) and Tierra Del Fuego, Argentina (11-12 December).
About Veloce
Veloce is a London-based organisation that focuses on disruptive areas of the sports and entertainment industries – specifically, esports and sustainable, EV motorsport. The brand comprises established professional gaming organisation, Veloce Esports and Extreme E outfit, Veloce Racing with both teams falling under the overarching Veloce umbrella. As a whole, the business occupies the fastest-growing sectors in motorsport.
Veloce Racing was born from Extreme E’s vision of sustainability-focussed, content-rich and gender-equal sport. The team’s remarkable leadership line-up is spearheaded by legendary Formula 1 designer Adrian Newey and Formula E Champion and ex-Formula 1 driver Jean-Éric Vergne. They are joined by a host of other industry entrepreneurs and innovators who are eagerly awaiting the start of the inaugural 2021 season. Extreme E is an innovative new motorsport championship that sees electric SUVs going head-to-head in areas of the world that have been damaged by climate change or environmental issues.
Veloce Esports is the world’s leading esports and racing growth platform focused on innovation within the gaming, sport, media and entertainment sectors; comprising high-profile drivers, influencers and teams from across the globe. Among them are the official Mercedes F1, McLaren Racing, Alfa Romeo, Sauber and YAS HEAT esports programmes as well as YouTube sensations Tiametmarduk, Aarava, Xpertgamingtech and Lando Norris’ Quadrant channel to name but a few. The organisation’s digital broadcast network, across its various channels, generates in excess of 215 million views per month.
To learn more, please visit: veloce.gg
Sources: Izzy Hall/Veloce Racing PR