From taking part in an Extreme E Rookie Test to claiming her place on the top step of the podium in only her second X Prix, Klara Andersson has had a special journey in the series.
In an interview to mark the Season 3 Sustainability Report with EY’s findings, notably the closing performance gap between the male and female drivers, Andersson shared her insights into the mindset of a driver striving for success in Extreme E, battling with her on-track rivals and the role of women in motorsport.
Extreme E: Can you tell us about your call up to Extreme E and your first race in Chile?
Klara Andersson: I was supposed to do the Season 2 opener for XITE ENERGY Racing as a one-off, but then I tested positive for COVID just prior to travelling. As a result, I couldn’t take part and then I became one of the series’ Championship Drivers.
I was in Chile performing my Championship Driver duties ahead of the event there, and then I got the call after Free Practice that I needed to deputise at ABT CUPRA XE. The only time that I’d been in the car was for a couple of laps at the Rookie Test in 2021 with the ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team and now I was going straight into qualifying without any practice laps. But I knew that this was my shot and that this chance might not ever come again.
It’s a very, very tough series. The level is so high and so you need to really take your chance. Fortunately, I was joining one of the best teams on the grid and pairing up with the Dakar Rally legend, Nasser Al-Attiyah, and headed straight into qualifying. It was amazing and in the Final we finished third and on the podium.
That moment was just so surreal because I had felt pressure before, but in Chile it was different. I used it as my fuel to perform, because I knew that this was my chance, and how I could really use it as my advantage. I was hungrier than ever to get in the car and to show that I deserve a place on this grid.
XE: Is that the proudest moment you’ve had in Extreme E or is there something able to top that?
KA: My first Extreme E victory in Uruguay was the biggest moment of my career. At that event I was also fighting for a potential contract for the following season, so there was quite a lot of pressure. To take that win with the team in my first full weekend was one of the proudest moments I’ve ever had in my life.
XE: Do you think this championship has made opportunities in motorsport more accessible?
KA: I think it’s a great platform, especially if you come through as a Championship Driver. I started off as one, as did Fraser [McConnell], Tamara [Molinaro] and Jutta [Kleinschmidt]. The championship requires multiple fast women drivers to take part in the series and I think it’s a great opportunity.
If I wasn’t in it, I would for sure aim for it. I would absolutely want to get involved in Extreme E because it’s the best global platform to showcase your speed as a driver. It’s such a cool championship and I’m honestly so honoured to be a part of it and not only for the racing, but everything that comes with it off track as well. I think it’s really inspiring. The younger women drivers competing in feeder series, in go-karts, or in cross-karts now have a championship to aspire towards and where we need fast females to perform.
I think it’s really inspiring because I’ve always grown up with the feeling that gender doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter if you’re a female or a male, if you’re young or old, or what country you come from. You can step into that car and drive just as quick as you possibly can. And I think it’s really inspiring to be a part of that journey.
XE: What has being involved in Extreme E done for you in terms of being able to act as a role model for young girls coming through the industry?
KA: I think it’s amazing to see what Extreme E has done for female drivers around the world. Many of the female drivers out there I had not heard of previously, and now I’m racing against them and trying to beat them. Some of them are now quicker than the men, and I think it’s amazing that, once again, we have this platform to speak about and show these things, and just to see the possibilities coming up for some of the women drivers due to Extreme E.
For example, I’ve been in the World Rallycross Championship now for two years and it’s so cool to see so many women drive in the support series in RX2e from competing in Extreme E and performing really well. I think it’s amazing that they have highlighted so many talents around the world and also that we are up against some of the best drivers in the world. We’ve had Carlos Sainz Snr. drive in the championship and we’ve had Sébastian Loeb. We have had so many of these to compare ourselves to and that for me has been so special.
I still think about last year when I raced in Sardinia and was able to sit down and look at the data with Séb, a nine-time world rally champion. That was pretty cool to actually compare myself to him. I think it does so much for your confidence. It’s so cool this year that we have this 50/50 split that us girls need to start 50 per cent of the races, and the men also start 50 per cent. That changes things up so we get to go head-to-head as well.
XE: What do you learn from getting this sort of data that, without this opportunity, you wouldn’t have been able to learn?
KA: It’s unbelievable. I’m 24 and I’m still early in my career. I’ve only been on the international scene for around four years. To have that data and to exchange those experiences and just learn from them is so valuable for me. Ten years ago, I did not have many women drivers to look up to sadly. There weren’t so many females on the international scene. And to be able to look back and think if I was 10 years younger now and saw the women performing as they do in Extreme E, I would feel so inspired to want to do the same. And that I think is so important that we have these role models. It’s not only men – the women can give them a run for their money as well.
XE: What do you think is the catalyst or the key aspect that is reducing the performance gap?
KA: I think just down to the time in the car. We are into the fourth season and many of the drivers have been there since day one, so have had significant time in the car next to their teammates. And I think that has a lot to do with it. The more you drive, the more confident you feel and the more you learn. As a team, now that the level is so high, we need both drivers to perform. It’s more important than ever that both drivers are on top of it and perform at their very best. It’s so important that you learn from each other as well.
In Saudi Arabia when I drove with my new teammate, Timo Scheider, we were working really hard with the data, and we could see in some places that I was quicker than him. In some places, he was quicker than me. Since it’s a single-spec car, the driver does make a lot of the difference.
When I read the report last year about the split between the females and the males in the Continental Traction Challenge I thought it was amazing. We want to beat the other teams, but you also want to show that you are quicker than the other driver that is in the exact same car as well. I think it’s really inspiring and I think Season 4 will close this up even further.
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