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Veloce Racing misses out on Jurassic X Prix Final after most competitive weekend yet

Published

5 years ago

December 20, 2021

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Lance Woolridge and Jamie Chadwick fought hard to come close to a place in the Final of the Extreme E season finale.

Veloce Racing showed great fighting spirit during the Jurassic X Prix, as the all-new driver line-up of Woolridge and Chadwick gave it all they had in search of that elusive second Extreme E podium.

The London-based squad arrived in Dorset with nothing to lose. Having shown strong speed in the penultimate round in Sardinia, but ultimately failing to reach the Final, it was all or nothing today for the team.

Qualifying

A revised racing format for this weekend meant that all rounds of the Jurassic X Prix were run over three laps instead of the usual two. The first in the driving seat completed two laps before handing over to their team-mate to cross the finish line.

Extreme E also decided which drivers would start each round. Free practice saw all teams starting with their female driver, with their male counterpart taking on the start of the next round.

This meant that a strong start in Qualifying 1 was left in the hands of debutant Woolridge. The South African put in an encouraging first two laps, and the returning Chadwick showed no sign of nerves as she followed up with another competitive lap. Thanks to the efforts of both drivers, Veloce Racing ended the session in a respectable fifth place, just over 10 seconds behind leaders X44.

Qualifying 2 followed a similar story, but this time with Chadwick leading the way from the starting line. Coming to the end of a good two laps Chadwick did well to control the car as the rear end bucked aggressively. Woolridge then brought the #5 car home and secured the fifth-fastest stint on the table once again. With a time of 9:26:744 the team was four seconds faster than their first qualifying attempt.

Semi-Finals

The first Semi-Final saw the Veloce team up against Championship contenders X44 and the JBXE team fighting it out with Andretti United Extreme E for third in the standings.

Woolridge lost time on the first lap of the Semi-Final, dropping back after a jump caused the car to spin.The Veloce driver then showed breath-taking pace to close the gap, and his driving masterclass ensured that all three teams were nose to tail going into the Switch Zone.

Chadwick followed Woolridge’s lead, with both drivers achieving amazing heights over the knife edge in a bid to catch and overtake the other teams. Despite running closely together throughout the final lap, Chadwick was unable to get past JBXE’s Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky for a spot in the Final.

Lance Woolridge, driver, Veloce Racing commented: “Just past waypoint 10, chasing Seb [Loeb] I kept a bit inside to try to get the inside line, but the jump was a lot bigger, and it kicked the car all the way up and actually completely around. So, I had to turn the car all the way round again and get going. I think I lost six seconds there. So, very frustrating but we had good pace in the second half so there are positives there.”

Jamie Chadwick, driver, Veloce Racing added: “We are obviously a bit disheartened, naturally, but we were up against two of the fastest teams there so to have beaten them would have been a bit of a challenge. Lance did an amazing job after a little mistake. He was so fast, and I think to show that speed in this car and to have a clean weekend was good for the team.”

Rupert Svendsen-Cook, Team Principal, Veloce Racing added: “It’s been by far our most competitive weekend from a performance perspective and all of the team can hold their heads high for that. We’ve learnt a huge amount this year, with what was a brand-new team built from the ground up. We will now take all those crucial lessons into the off season to ensure we come back the best prepared we can be for 2022.

“Thank you to all the team who have been herculean at times as well as our drivers, sponsors and investors. We’re really excited to build on the foundations we have laid, and in true Veloce style we’re going for it!”

With many positives for Veloce Racing to take away from the inaugural Extreme E season, the team is excited for what next year will bring. Extreme E returns in February with an X Prix in Saudi Arabia.

Alona Shevtsova

Sends CEO Alona Shevtsova moderates Global Gaming Expansion panel in Riyadh

Published

5 hours ago

June 25, 2026

Wladimir P.

sends-ceo-alona-shevtsova-moderates-global-gaming-expansion-panel-in-riyadh

Alona Shevtsova, CEO of Sends, will moderate a panel at The Blockchain show on 29^th June, bringing together experts from entertainment, location-based gaming, and content localisation to examine what it takes to build sustainable gaming ecosystems across emerging markets.

The panel, titled “Global Gaming Expansion: Lessons from Untapped Markets,” will structure its discussion across four themes: the growth dynamics reshaping emerging gaming markets; the role of localisation in creating experiences that genuinely connect with new audiences; the infrastructure and communities needed to build gaming ecosystems beyond the game itself; and the lessons and opportunities that will define successful expansion in the years ahead.

Alona Shevtsova plans to frame the discussion around the central challenge for companies looking to expand globally: entering a new market requires far more than bringing an existing product to a new audience. Understanding local cultures, building communities, adapting experiences, and creating ecosystems that allow gaming to grow sustainably are all as important as the product itself.

Alona Shevtsova, CEO of Sends, said:

“The future growth of gaming will come not only from new technologies, but from understanding people — their cultures, communities, and the experiences they want to be part of. Successful expansion will belong to those who can combine global ambition with local understanding.”

The first segment will examine why regions including the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia are becoming increasingly significant for developers, operators, and investors — driven by young audiences, accelerating digital adoption, and new entertainment models creating substantial growth potential. Panellists will explore how consumer preferences differ across markets and what trends among younger audiences are shaping the future of gaming and entertainment.

The third segment will broaden the lens beyond the game itself, exploring the role of location-based entertainment, gaming centres, esports, and experiential destinations in attracting new audiences and building long-term communities. Panellists plan to address how entertainment ecosystems — spanning physical venues, events, and community infrastructure — accelerate gaming adoption in markets where the category is still establishing itself.

Earlier this month, Alona Shevtsova was shortlisted for the 2026 Great British Entrepreneur Awards in the Established Business of the Year category. Her team is also preparing for the Fintech Connect conference in London later this year. Sends will be a leading sponsor of this event.

*Sends is a trade name of SMARTFLOW PAYMENTS LIMITED, registered in England and Wales (Company No.11070048). For more information, visit sends.co .

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