Molly Taylor’s first Extreme E event with Jenson Button’s team has got off to a shaky start in qualifying at Neom, Saudi Arabia.

Having won the inaugural title last year with Rosberg X Racing, Taylor has joined Swedish rallycross driver Kevin Hansen at JBXE.

Damage restricted the Taylor/Hansen duo to ninth in Q1.

“Pretty eventful qualifying day!” Taylor wrote on social media.

“Rear diff & driveshaft failure in Q1 and P3 in our very dusty heat in Q2.

“Overall it means we start in the Crazy Race tomorrow and we will not give up.”

Out the front, Lewis Hamilton’s X44 squad maintained its remarkable record of never having been beaten in Extreme E qualifying, with Sebastien Loeb and Cristina Gutierrez again coming up with the goods.

“We always enjoy qualifying but this was a new kind of way to race from last season so it was difficult to know how it would be, but we finished well and we’re feeling good about tomorrow,” said Gutierrez.

“The other teams were strong today so it will be interesting to see what happens when the track is dry and there is more dust. I think it will be a challenge but I’m excited to race!”