Molly Taylor made motorsport history on the weekend after claiming victory in the first ever FIA Extreme E race – the Desert X Prix in Saudi Arabia.
Driving alongside Swedish driver Johan Kristoffersson for Nico Rosberg’s X Racing team, the pair managed to comfortably take out the season opener for the highly anticipated new category, winning all races they featured in.
An all-electric motorsport format focused on sustainability, the competing teams battled it out on challenging desert terrain of sand and rock over a time trial, semi-final heats and a grand final.
For much of the weekend, Taylor and Kristoffersson proved too strong for the other crews, easily making it through to the semi-finals where a solid start from Kristoffersson helped the duo pick up a 13 second win.
In the final, another solid jump off the line from Kristoffersson and smart driving in the opening stint helped Taylor cruise home when she took over, crossing the finish line 23 seconds ahead of her closest competitor.
Speaking after the win, Taylor was thrilled to begin the new chapter of her career with a win.
“What an amazing start to the season,” Taylor said.
“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.
“It was the first time we had experienced terrain like that, and on every lap, the course was changing – there were so many different variables to deal with. We just wanted to make the most of the little time we had in the car –
every single kilometre.
“It’s pretty cool to be part of this journey at the start of something that I think has an amazing future. 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.
“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.”
Finishing the round in second place was Lewis Hamilton’s X44 crew of Sébastien Loeb and Cristina Gutiérrez, while Andretti United’s Timmy Hansen and Catie Munnings rounded out the podium.
The next round of the new series is the Ocean X Prix at Lac Rose in Senegal on 29-30 May.