Lia Block on family legacy: 'I want to achieve even more than my Dad'

In doing so she has to take on some of the world’s most formidable off-road talents: nine-time WRC champion Sébastien Loeb, five-time Dakar winner Nasser Al-Attiyah and WRX king Johan Kristofferson, amongst many others.

Just trying to get a grip on the 1.5-tonne, 550bhp electrified beast that Extreme E’s Spark Odyssey car is represents a challenge in itself, never mind duking it out with some of rallying’s all-time legends, but Block doesn’t appear even slightly fazed – not unlike her fearless father.

“I do love Extreme E, the mix between off-road, rally and rally cross,” she says, clearly revelling in the challenge.

“It’s a lot longer than a rallycross track, and I like the fact that you can take a bunch of different lines – you can really pick your poison.”

For the Block family, Lia’s ascension into Extreme E represents a racing story coming full circle.

Ken gave the Spark Odyssey one of its first public demonstrations in Saudi Arabia in 2020, before immediately using it to compete in the final stage of that year’s Dakar Rally, announcing Extreme E on the world stage.

“I was 12 at the time,” says Lia, ignoring Motor Sport’s slightly stunned expression, “and thought it was pretty cool, that it was really different compared to what everybody else was doing at that time,” before elaborating on her own experience behind the wheel.

“The weight to power ratio is super hard. The Odyssey is really fast because it’s an electric car, and you can really drive it out of the corners, but the fact that we’re on very rough terrain means you have to be patient and modulate the throttle, because of how the car can get so loose. Once you lose it, you really lose it.”

On debut at Extreme E’s Island X Prix in Sardinia, run over the unforgiving ruts, ditches and dust clouds of an ex-Italian army explosives range, Lia acquitted herself impressively from the off, placing third in her first race before handing over to veteran team-mate Timo Scheider.

Lia’s outwardly effortless taking to Extreme E is reminiscent of her father’s relaxed yet highly enthusiastic outlook on the world of cars. If the weight of both the reputation and somehow dealing with his tragic loss is a burden, she doesn’t outwardly show it.

The young racer is a picture of composure, and cut a similar character when demonstrating Ken’s ‘Hoonipigasus’ Porsche 911 on a tribute run at this year’s Pikes Peak.

While Lia admitted that drive “meant a lot”, it appears pedal-to-the-metal is the best policy in continuing with everyday life, while also honouring her father in the process.

“Putting on the helmet helps a lot, right?” her mother Lucy said at the mountain time trial. “Shut it all out, pretend it doesn’t exist, look at the road.”

It appears the young racer is doing that and then some.

“Lia’s incredible,” team boss Cox tells Motor Sport. “She’s so mature, really understands her position and responsibility to the team.

“But while we’d all like to see a 16-year-old turn up and dominate, she still has a long way to go. She only had two sessions in the car prior to the race – talk about going in at the deep end!

“All of us are nurturing her to the point where she has a belief that she can basically get there in the end. It’s not about how quick she can do it, it’s all about how she feels in the car, how she works with the team and co-driver.

“We know with all these elements we’re going to be there or there abouts – it’s a competition at the end of the day, and we want to be at the top.”

With so little time to prepare, a few understandable errors across the weekend followed, but the overall impression in the paddock was one of awe in how the slight, polite teenager was suddenly able to rub shoulders with masters of the discipline.

Should it really be a surprise though?

As well as the inherited driving talent, Block explains that she’s been around all things fast for as long as she can remember – being behind the wheel comes naturally.

“I literally grew up in a racing pits,” she explains in attributing the source of her first automotive interest.

“Just being at rallies with my dad and around all these drivers who’ve known me since before I was even born, you know?

“My dad always opened the door and gave me the opportunity – never actually forced me to come race or anything. But I would not be doing anything else.”

Lia began racing karts in earnest when she was 11, and has sampled various categories since then – including Formula 4 tests – though it seems natural the California-born racer gravitated towards off-road disciplines.

Her father built part of his legacy on off-road competition, taking numerous wins in the Rally America championship, Global Rallycross and scoring points in the WRC.

Though the comparisons will likely follow for the rest of her career, young Lia is emphatic in her aims.

“I believe I’m doing this on my own, because I love to race,” she asserts.

“Obviously my dad was a racing driver, and I want to be as good as or even better than him.

“I’m continuing in these different series’ right now, but [eventually] I may not go into rallying, I may not go into rallycross, I may do something completely different.

“I’m just going where I want to go and where I can have the most fun.

“The ultimate goal would be winning a championship in something, whether it’s F1, WRC or rallycross. In the next couple of years, I have to figure out which path I actually want to go down. But I definitely want to race at the top of the top.”

Having made so many waves in so little time, it definitely seems the Block racing legacy is in the best possible hands.