“We have to keep believing”: Schneiter eyes first event win as season nears end

The 2026 Grand Final may be out of reach for Explora Journeys Swiss, but there's still time for the team to 'get some pressure off our shoulders' and win their first event, says driver Sebastien Schneiter.

A late performance surge in the second half of the season has seen the team inch closer to this ambition, reaching three of the last five Finals - Halifax, Portsmouth and Geneva. Unfortunately for the team, all three were won by Los Gallos, who have already booked their ticket to the Grand Final.

But reaching three Finals in the latter half of the season shows 'the team are working in the right direction', Schneiter says, admitting 'we don't really care about the general classification' at this stage.

There are just two events to go and, with the Swiss sitting ninth, it's a mathematical impossibility for them to make it. But there's still a chance for them to net their first event win at either Dubai (21-22 November) or Abu Dhabi (28-29 November) before the top three teams proceed into the Championship-deciding Grand Final.

"If we can keep on our rhythm, make another Final and get our first Grand Prix win, it would be amazing to get that under our belt - it would take a lot of pressure off us," he says.

Getting the win would mean the team can 'really focus on next season', he adds - 'we have to keep believing'.

A key area of improvement for the team is finding consistency in starting. They're able to execute 'amazing starts' but too often they're 'inconsistent' - 'we can have some shockers too'.

All teams face a six week wait until Dubai kicks off - a welcome step change after such an 'intense summer' of events, Schneiter says, but an opportunity too to 'work even harder to lock in those gains and come out even stronger'.

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