Pace gap between male and female drivers closed by 70 percent over four years of Extreme E
Extreme E continued to narrow the pace gap between male and female drivers last season, with performance between the two genders closing a further 36.5 percent.
Extreme E's unique format mandated both male and female drivers at every team, with both sharing seat time equally thanks to a mid-race driver change, making it the only series in the world to provide equal opportunities to male and female drivers at a premier level.
Over the four seasons of the electric off-road series, the gap between the lap times of the male drivers and the female drivers closed by a almost 70 percent – a figure made all the more impressive given that last season was curtailed after four rounds (from a planned 10) in order to facilitate the introduction of Extreme H this year.
'Our sporting format is more than just a race, it's a statement,' said Extreme E founder and CEO Alejandro Agag. 'By levelling the playing field, Extreme E has demonstrated that the gender gap in performance isn't a matter of ability, but opportunity and investment.'
Molly Taylor, Extreme E's most successful female driver in terms of race wins and the Season 1 champion alongside Johan Kristoffersson at Rosberg X Racing, praised the series and its latest findings, saying that, 'Extreme E has without a doubt changed the course of my career and I'm confident all the female drivers in the series would say the same thing.'
'We all know how challenging motorsport is, but what Extreme E has proven is that with the right opportunity, exposure, development and investment we can see women reach the top,' she said. 'It can be a difficult cycle to break; you need the seat time to prove your potential, but you need results to attract the support needed to access that very seat time. Extreme E put themselves out there and tried something new to force change and it makes me so proud to be one of the drivers to prove the success of this concept.
'We have built some strong momentum and, whilst this doesn't alleviate the continuing challenges of motorsport, we are making change. It's pretty special and something I hope motorsport can learn from more broadly.'
Catie Munnings highlighted the improvement of Extreme E's female drivers by going third fastest overall at the 2024 season opener. Dom Romney/Motorsport Images
When Extreme E began in 2021, the average gap between the male and female drivers stood at 4.5 seconds, while at the time of the 2024 season's stoppage, the gap was at just 1.1 seconds, representing a 68.64 percent reduction. That came after a 29.76 percent reduction from Season 1 to 2, and an additional improvement of 29.67 percent from Season 2 to 3.
Those figures are calculated across entire seasons, but in first event of the season (rounds 1 and 2 at the Desert X-Prix in Saudi Arabia), Andretti driver Catie Munnings was the third fastest driver overall, and at the penultimate round of the 2024 season, the median time difference between male and females was only 0.61s.
'Extreme E is a Championship that has proven on track against a stopwatch what giving opportunity to drivers can do,' said Munnings. 'When Extreme E started, a lot of the females had less experience than their male counterparts in their team. This data proves what opportunity and access to the best engineers and performance resources within top teams can really do for young drivers.'
When it debuts later this year, the hydrogen-powered FIA Extreme H World Cup will continue with its equal gender split of drivers in its teams, providing more opportunity for the gap to be closed further.
'Extreme E's mixed-gender format is a game-changer, and this data proves just how powerful equal opportunity can be,' said Jenson Button, who competed in the first Extreme E event and backed the JBXE team that competed in the series throughout its four years. 'Over four seasons, we've seen female drivers close the gap and perform on par with the best in the world, which is an incredible achievement.
'Watching the series' drivers, both male and female, thrive under this format has been inspiring, and a reminder that talent knows no gender, it just needs the right platform to shine.'
Story originally appeared on Racer
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
Cadillac names Tommy Hilfiger as first 2026 F1 team partner amid all-American identity
Cadillac has announced its first official partnership ahead of the 2026 Formula 1 season, signalling a commitment to its all-American identity with a deal with Tommy Hilfiger. The Michigan-based manufacturer has named Tommy Hilfiger its apparel partner and lifestyle sponsor in a multi-year agreement with the iconic New York fashion house - a brand with a long-standing history in F1. Advertisement 'Two icons. One vision. A bold new era of American motorsport,' Hilfiger said in a statement on Tuesday. 'We're proud to continue our Formula 1 story alongside TWG Motorsports and Cadillac. 'We share a vision to honour the heritage of F1 while pushing it forward — celebrating where we come from, and reimagining where we can go. 'As the sport's presence around the globe continues to soar, there's never been a better time to dream big, and show the world what an American team can bring to the grid.' Team principal Graeme Lowdon echoed the sentiment that Cadillac is 'an American team representing one of the most iconic American brands of all time'. Advertisement He went on: 'Tommy Hilfiger too is an American icon, and the brand's legacy in Formula 1 is unmatched. As we bring a bold new vision to the paddock, this partnership truly reflects the spirit of what we're building. 'Together, we're not only racing, but driving innovation that will shape the future of both entertainment and engineering.' The partnership will comprise official team kit worn by the drivers, pit crew, paddock staff and management, along with a fanwear collection set to drop globally next March at the beginning of the season. The company logo will also be present on the car, race suits and helmets. Hilfiger, whose lifelong passion for motorsport began near his home at the Watkins Glen circuit in New York, has sponsored F1 teams since the early 1990s. Most recently, he outfitted Mercedes, until Adidas took over at the start of 2025. Tommy Hilfiger on the grid Tommy Hilfiger on the grid Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images Advertisement During the brand's seven-year partnership with the Silver Arrows, it signed Lewis Hamilton as a global ambassador, which resulted in him producing multiple collections and sitting in the front row at fashion week. Beyond the track, Tommy Hilfiger has played a visible role in growing F1's cultural footprint. The brand sponsors a car in F1 Academy and will release a special collection tied to this summer's 'F1' movie. Now, the brand aims to bring that same ethos to Cadillac's entry into F1. 'From the very beginning, entertainment and sport have been part of our brand's heritage,' Tommy Hilfiger global brand president, Lea Rytz Goldman, said. 'By doubling down in motorsport, we are excited to present a fresh expression of what's possible when fashion evolves at the speed of pop culture. This iconic partnership continues our legacy of breaking boundaries, bringing style to the grid, and driving the future of Formula 1.' Advertisement Cadillac's marketing rollout has leaned heavily into its cultural positioning as an all-American challenger in a historically Europe-centric sport. The partnership with Hilfiger seems to be setting the tone for the team's unique brand identity. 'This collaboration represents the fusion of two bold, innovative brands - where performance meets iconic style,' Dan Towriss, CEO of Cadillac F1, said. 'As we build a team that reflects American ambition on the global F1 stage, this partnership sets the tone for what's ahead.' To read more articles visit our website.
Fox News
02-06-2025
- Fox News
Detroit Grand Prix takeaways: Kyle Kirkwood's second 2025 win leads U.S.-born podium
DETROIT — Alex Palou 5, Kyle Kirkwood 2. That's the score when it comes to INDYCAR wins this year, with Kirkwood picking up his second victory of the season at the Detroit Grand Prix, where Palou got wrecked but didn't seem to have the pace to match Kirkwood. "I knew we were going to have a good points day — I wanted to keep it clean because of [Palou's crash]," Kirkwood said. "But also, I was like, 'I've got to win this race.'" The Andretti driver has earned both of his wins on street courses (his first of the year came at Long Beach) and even with the victory and Palou's 25th-place finish, Kirkwood still sits 102 points behind Palou in the standings, nearly a two-race gap with 10 races remaining in the season. "That's still a mile away, but it puts you back in a position where you feel like you might be able to get that back," Kirkwood said. "But I'm sure we're going to go to road courses and Palou is going to do his thing. So we'll see what happens." Takeaways from Detroit, which capped a five-week stretch where INDYCAR drivers were on-track every weekend: All-American Podium The podium (top-three) finishers were all born in the United States, a first for the INDYCAR series since Mid-Ohio in July 2020 when Colton Herta, Alexander Rossi and Ryan Hunter-Reay went 1-2-3 in an Andretti sweep. Kirkwood and Herta (third) gave Andretti two of the spots, with A.J. Foty Racing's Santino Ferrucci finishing second. The Indianapolis 500 last week had 14 countries represented in the 33-car field. The full-time 27 drivers hail from 12 different countries: 11 drivers from the United States; three from New Zealand; two from Denmark and Sweden and England; and one from Mexico, Cayman Islands, Spain, Australia, Netherlands, Canada and Israel. "We have one of the most diverse series in the world, I think, and it's good to have the U.S. back on top," Kirkwood said. "I'm not going to lie; that's pretty cool, actually. I'm stoked with that." Herta said just the fact the series has such an international flavor is cool. As far as the all-U.S. podium? "It doesn't matter," Herta said. "It's cool, especially with a series that has become so international on the driver side, ... getting walks of life in the series. "It really just amps the competitiveness up and brings the best drivers." Kirkwood and Ferrucci have raced against each other since they were six years old. "There's a lot of really good, talented Americans in the sport, but a big part of the sport is having all these different drivers from different countries that make it so great, make it so talented, make the depth of the grid so powerful," Ferrucci said. "But it is really cool to be on the podium with two fellow race-car drivers that I grew up racing against from go-karts all the way to INDYCAR." Palou Wrecked By Malukas Palou was knocked out of the race when he was sent into the wall by David Malukas, who hit Palou when going into a turn on a restart. "I just ran out of talent," Malukas said. "I feel so bad. I tried to slow it down and just locked up both front breaks. We were struggling so hard compared to other people, just to get tire temps, to get break temps [high enough]. ... I just really messed that up so bad." Malukas was given a stop-and-go penalty for the contact, but that was little consolation to Palou. "It just sucks when you get taken out when it's early on and nothing that I could have done, in my opinion, so just a shame," Palou said. "I haven't seen the video yet. "But he's still out there, right? And I'm down here with a broken car. So not ideal." Malukas wasn't the only driver to be penalized for avoidable contact. Scott McLaughlin was penalized early for getting into the back and turning Nolan Siegel. "I went for the move," McLaughlin said. "I feel like he moved on the brakes and then basically stopped. I was sort of really committed to the move, but ultimately I can see why [they penalized me]. "Normally, when the car makes contact from behind, you're in trouble. But I feel like the kid was trying to move a little bit. It's probably ambition on my part." That contact resulted in a little bit of a beef on X after Siegel's boss, Arrow McLaren Racing team principal Tony Kanaan posted a replay of the accident with the comment "Oh." This followed: Kirkwood Triumphs After Rough Weeks Kirkwood's win followed an emotional six days in which he thought he finished seventh in the Indianapolis 500 but then saw the finish stripped away and turned into a 32nd-place finish for failing postrace tech. After a notable incident in practice where Will Power pushed and turned Kirkwood, he ended up third in qualifying. "I've gotten every emotion that I've ever had in motorsports," Kirkwood said. "We had a phenomenal 500, and I got every emotion in the 500 alone. ... Obviously, drama through the week and then coming into this weekend where we knew we'd be fast. "We were extremely fast, I kind of threw it away a little bit in qualifying, but then got some of that positivity back, or all of it I should say, back here today and put an exclamation point on everything that has happened." That in some ways is just the nature of the sport. "That's motor racing for you," Kirkwood said. "You get all the emotions. You get the highs; you get the lows. That's what we live for. "We live for the highs, but we also enjoy the lows when you look back at it, because it makes the highs even that much sweeter." Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and IndyCar for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
Fox Sports
01-06-2025
- Fox Sports
Detroit Grand Prix takeaways: Kyle Kirkwood's second 2025 win leads U.S.-born podium
DETROIT — Alex Palou 5, Kyle Kirkwood 2. That's the score when it comes to INDYCAR wins this year, with Kirkwood picking up his second victory of the season at the Detroit Grand Prix, where Palou got wrecked but didn't seem to have the pace to match Kirkwood. "I knew we were going to have a good points day — I wanted to keep it clean because of [Palou's crash]," Kirkwood said. "But also, I was like, 'I've got to win this race.'" The Andretti driver has earned both of his wins on street courses (his first of the year came at Long Beach) and even with the victory and Palou's 25th-place finish, Kirkwood still sits 102 points behind Palou in the standings, nearly a two-race gap with 10 races remaining in the season. "That's still a mile away, but it puts you back in a position where you feel like you might be able to get that back," Kirkwood said. "But I'm sure we're going to go to road courses and Palou is going to do his thing. So we'll see what happens." Takeaways from Detroit, which capped a five-week stretch where INDYCAR drivers were on-track every weekend: All-American Podium The podium (top-three) finishers were all born in the United States, a first for the INDYCAR series since Mid-Ohio in July 2020 when Colton Herta, Alexander Rossi and Ryan Hunter-Reay went 1-2-3 in an Andretti sweep. Kirkwood and Herta (third) gave Andretti two of the spots, with A.J. Foty Racing's Santino Ferrucci finishing second. The Indianapolis 500 last week had 14 countries represented in the 33-car field. The full-time 27 drivers hail from 12 different countries: 11 drivers from the United States; three from New Zealand; two from Denmark and Sweden and England; and one from Mexico, Cayman Islands, Spain, Australia, Netherlands, Canada and Israel. "We have one of the most diverse series in the world, I think, and it's good to have the U.S. back on top," Kirkwood said. "I'm not going to lie; that's pretty cool, actually. I'm stoked with that." Herta said just the fact the series has such an international flavor is cool. As far as the all-U.S. podium? "It doesn't matter," Herta said. "It's cool, especially with a series that has become so international on the driver side, ... getting walks of life in the series. "It really just amps the competitiveness up and brings the best drivers." Kirkwood and Ferrucci have raced against each other since they were six years old. "There's a lot of really good, talented Americans in the sport, but a big part of the sport is having all these different drivers from different countries that make it so great, make it so talented, make the depth of the grid so powerful," Ferrucci said. "But it is really cool to be on the podium with two fellow race-car drivers that I grew up racing against from go-karts all the way to INDYCAR." Palou Wrecked By Malukas Palou was knocked out of the race when he was sent into the wall by David Malukas, who hit Palou when going into a turn on a restart. "I just ran out of talent," Malukas said. "I feel so bad. I tried to slow it down and just locked up both front breaks. We were struggling so hard compared to other people, just to get tire temps, to get break temps [high enough]. ... I just really messed that up so bad." Malukas was given a stop-and-go penalty for the contact, but that was little consolation to Palou. "It just sucks when you get taken out when it's early on and nothing that I could have done, in my opinion, so just a shame," Palou said. "I haven't seen the video yet. "But he's still out there, right? And I'm down here with a broken car. So not ideal." Malukas wasn't the only driver to be penalized for avoidable contact. Scott McLaughlin was penalized early for getting into the back and turning Nolan Siegel. "I went for the move," McLaughlin said. "I feel like he moved on the brakes and then basically stopped. I was sort of really committed to the move, but ultimately I can see why [they penalized me]. "Normally, when the car makes contact from behind, you're in trouble. But I feel like the kid was trying to move a little bit. It's probably ambition on my part." That contact resulted in a little bit of a beef on X after Siegel's boss, Arrow McLaren Racing team principal Tony Kanaan posted a replay of the accident with the comment "Oh." This followed: Kirkwood Triumphs After Rough Weeks Kirkwood's win followed an emotional six days in which he thought he finished seventh in the Indianapolis 500 but then saw the finish stripped away and turned into a 32nd-place finish for failing postrace tech. After a notable incident in practice where Will Power pushed and turned Kirkwood, he ended up third in qualifying. "I've gotten every emotion that I've ever had in motorsports," Kirkwood said. "We had a phenomenal 500, and I got every emotion in the 500 alone. ... Obviously, drama through the week and then coming into this weekend where we knew we'd be fast. "We were extremely fast, I kind of threw it away a little bit in qualifying, but then got some of that positivity back, or all of it I should say, back here today and put an exclamation point on everything that has happened." That in some ways is just the nature of the sport. "That's motor racing for you," Kirkwood said. "You get all the emotions. You get the highs; you get the lows. That's what we live for. "We live for the highs, but we also enjoy the lows when you look back at it, because it makes the highs even that much sweeter." Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and IndyCar for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass. recommended Get more from NTT INDYCAR SERIES Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
