MOTORSPORT: Molly Taylor aces Extreme E debut

Rally ace Molly Taylor is Australia’s newest motorsport superstar after taking victory in the first round of the high-profile Extreme E championship in Saudi Arabia on the weekend.

Competing for former Formula 1 world champion Nico Rosberg and sharing her two-driver off-road electric buggy with world rallycross champion Johan Kristoffersson, Taylor was fast from the start and unbeatable in the final.

After time trailing quickest, although then taking a penalty hit for speeding in the driver-change zone, the Rosberg Racing crew were strong through the qualifying rounds and unbeatable in the dusty conditions once Kristoffersson took the lead with a bold overtaking move on the opening lap.

“What an amazing start to the season. It feels a bit surreal, with so much anticipation and preparation leading into the weekend and we all came here not really knowing what to expect. It was definitely extreme,” says Taylor.

The Extreme E series is an extension of the Formula E single-seater road race series, built around a four-wheel drive Dakar-style off-road car with a battery-electric power pack.

It has attracted a range of high-profile team owners including Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, with a quality driver line-up including multiple world rally champion Sebastian Loeb, WRC and Dakar Rally winner Carlos Sainz Sr and former F1 champion Jenson Button.

The championship was devised by Spanish billionaire Alejandro Agag, who is also the powerhouse behind Formula E, with a range of objectives.

Apart from the racing, attracting a younger online audience and the focus on sustainable power, it is intended to highlight the threat from global warming at some of the world’s most at-risk sites including the Arctic.

Each car must also be driven by one woman and one man.

For Taylor, Extreme E has already meant more than seven weeks in COVID-19 quarantine at both ends of trips from Australia to Europe and she expects to eventually have spent more than three months of 2021 by herself in a hotel room.

But nothing could stop her in Saudi Arabia, ironically a country where it was illegal until a few years ago for women to drive cars.

“It’s pretty cool to be part of this journey at the start of something that I think has an amazing future,” says Taylor.

“This series is really throwing the traditional rule book out of the window and starting afresh, and I think everyone will agree it was spectacular to watch.”

Taylor can also see the opportunity for women to measure themselves against the world’s best men in motorsport.

“The male drivers we have here are the best in any motorsport category in the world, so it’s an awesome opportunity for us female drivers and a real investment in the development of female racing talent. This is just a dream come true all-round.”

For Rosberg, who was one of the first team owners to commit to the series, the victory celebrations were as extreme as the racing.

“Molly and Johan produced some phenomenal driving. Neither of them put a foot wrong in really tough conditions, and they both showed unbelievable speed out there – their performance was really inspiring and I felt really proud watching them,” he said.

“To come back to claim victory after a 60-second penalty caused by a technical problem is just awesome, and they are definitely deserving winners. For the championship as a whole, it’s really been a good start.”

Extreme E continues at Dakar in Senegal, the traditional finish for the Paris-Dakar off-road marathon, in May.