MOTORSPORT: Molly Taylor joins Extreme E

Organisers of the successful Formula E series, in which a variety of car-makers field all-electric open-wheel race cars on metropolitan circuits, are now set to take electric SUVs racing with the Extreme E series.

Escaping the tarmac limitations of the Formula E series, Extreme E will go off-road – way off road – and Australia’s very own rally champion Molly will be in the thick of the action.

Set to kick off in 2021, the Extreme E global off-road series could be the platform to give motorsport and our ecosystem equal billing on the world stage.

The extreme racing meets extreme environments story is set to poke both your adrenalin levels and your conscience, with a dose of gender equality to boot, with Taylor front and centre in the drivers’ pool.

“Nothing like this has ever been done before” said Taylor. “It represents a huge challenge and adventure, which really excites me.

“The broader message of tackling climate change in a proactive way is also incredibly important – our future, and generations to come, depend on us tackling this issue successfully.”

Behind the wheel of an all-electric SUV, 12 teams split into two groups will visit five extreme destinations across four continents to compete on a rugged off-road circuit in locations that highlight the impact that global warming is having on key environmental touch points of the ocean, desert, glacier, arctic and amazon.

Manufactured by Spark Racing Technology and powered by a Williams Advanced Engineering battery pack, the electric SUV dubbed Odyssey 21 is capable of producing a stonking 400kW and 920Nm – enough for a 200km/h top speed and a 0-100km/h sprint time of 4.5 seconds.

The ready-to-rumble Odyssey 21 measures just 4.4 metres long but sits on a 3.1-metre wheelbase and has suspension travel of up to 385mm.

Taylor admits she’s “hanging out to get a taste of it” and adds that the unique nature of this series will mean it’s “everything you think you know, turned on its head”.

Taylor has conquered the gravel but the Subaru Ambassador and rally champ admits Extreme E is a completely new challenge.

“We’re going to be learning everything for the first time and that’s not always going to be successful on every attempt. There’s not really a mud map to go from. It’s going to be trial and error in a lot of ways in the beginning.”

In good company, Taylor joins the drivers’ program with FIA Formula E and former Supercars racer Simona de Silvestro, W Series champion Jamie Chadwick, sports car driver Katherine Legge and rally driver Catie Munnings.

Taylor says all drivers will bring diverse skills from different disciplines, so it will be interesting to see how that translates to Extreme E.

The series will follow a round-robin format on a 6-10km circuit on which drivers will negotiate up to six virtual gates. Teams will be eliminated until the final four teams meet to race for ultimate victory.

Teams must comprise a male and a female driver, with a driver changeover allowing both to take a turn behind the wheel.

“There will no doubt be a very steep learning curve ahead,” said Taylor.

“I think my experience as a rally driver has given me the car control and ability to adapt to changing environments, but the specificity of Extreme E – new surfaces and the race formats – will be elements to learn and work on.

“Driving a SUV will be something new for me, too, as well as a number of the conditions in which we will drive. I’ve competed a lot on gravel, but sand and ice will be a new challenge. The format will also be completely different, especially sharing the co-driver role!”

And on sharing the driving? “I’ve co-driven a couple of times – more for fun – but this is going to be completely different. It’s always critical in rally, the driver and co driver relationship, and this is going to be a different take on this.

“The dynamics between the drivers that each team select… as well as having the best possible drivers, you need that interaction as well to bring out the best and what that mix looks like.

“People are going to learn off people they wouldn’t normally have an interaction with, which will be pretty cool!” says Taylor.

On the topic of a 50/50 male/female team, Taylor says she thinks the format will provide new opportunities to reshape the image of the sport in the eyes of young fans, who will inevitably be the future.

The Extreme E provisional calendar sees the season kick off on in Senegal on January 23, 2021, followed by races in Saudi Arabia, Nepal, Greenland and Brazil.