Extreme E is '100%' the best place for female racers, says newest winner

Extreme E

The latest new winner in Extreme E Klara Andersson says series is giving female racers a chance to mix it with the best where other series aren't

Klara Andersson Nasser Al-Attiyah Uruguay Extreme E

Andersson celebrates her Extreme E Uruguay win with Dakar legend Nasser Al-Attiyah

Extreme E

Author

James Elson

One week you’re a relative rallycross unknown. The next you’re battling it out with WRC legends Sébastien Loeb and Carlos Sainz, topping the podium with your team-mate and multiple Dakar winner Nasser Al-Attiyah.

This is what new Extreme E star Klara Andersson went through last week. The Swedish ace stepped in to drive the ABT Cupra in the penultimate round at Chile, as a last minute super-sub for the injured Jutta Kleinschmidt, before winning her first event proper in Uruguay. Extreme E’s newest winner says the series is head and shoulders above championships in giving women a “great platform” to progress in racing.

Whilst the recent W Series had to abandon its final two races – with three-time champion Jamie Chadwick only just announcing her drive in the second-tier Indy NXT series today – and the Richard Mille WEC squad closing down its operation, chances in prominent motor sport categories are still scarce for women.

2 Klara Andersson Nasser Al-Attiyah Uruguay Extreme E

Andersson found herself at the centre of the action in Uruguay

Extreme E

However, with Andersson joined by Dakar stars Cristina Gutiérrez and Laia Sanz amongst other female racers, the Swede feels Extreme E is giving women the stage like no other race series.

“100%,” she said when asked after her win if Extreme E is leading the way. “I’m young, I haven’t done such a big career, but the whole time, starting in karting and, and getting into rallycross, I’ve been the only female most of the times.

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“So to come to a championship where it’s actually 50/50 and you can see the girls beating the guys sometimes, I think it’s super cool.

“It just shows what I love about this sport and it doesn’t matter if you’re a female or male, young or old. It’s all about determination, passion and the love for the sport.”

Andersson only stepped up to the top level of the WRX championship this year, driving for the series’ first gender-equal team and taking a debut podium in Portugal.

However it’s Extreme E where she feels female competitors are really given the chance to shine.

“I think it’s a great platform to showcase the talent of many of the females in this paddock and hopefully open up new windows for them to proceed in other championships, for example as I have done in WRX – I’m super thankful for that,” she said.

2 Laia Sanz at Extreme E Uruguary Energy X Prix

Sanz says help from her team-mate has been invaluable

F1 is launching an all-female junior series in 2023 with the aim of developing talented racers, but the unique gender-equal policy of Extreme E means that a number of female competitors have been able to learn from some of the best drivers in the history of sport. Both Sanz and Gutiérrez expanded on what it was like to work with Carlos Sainz and Sébastien Loeb respectively.

“He’s [Sainz] helping me a lot, I’m really liking to start this this four wheel career with him,” said Dakar motor cycle ace Sanz.

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“I can learn much faster, also understand the car because at the beginning of last year I understood nothing. So now we start to know more about suspension, about set-up, and also he’s giving me so many advices, not only Extreme E but in on kind of four wheel competition, so I’m really happy and lucky.”

Gutiérrez said the knowledge transferred by Loeb was similarly invaluable.

“My relationship with Seb is, as you can see, very good,” she said. “He helped me a lot from the beginning, he gave me good advice also with [how to analyse] the cameras on boards and everything, he’s all the time making some things learn, teach some advices for me, and also outside of the races.

“He’s like a friend, like a sport father. For me it’s like a dream come true, because I have been respecting him in my life, so it’s a very good experience.”

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