It was a difficult opening round of the 2023 Extreme E campaign for Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E. But ahead of her home event at the upcoming Hydro X Prix, Catie Munnings outlines how the team plan to get back on track in Scotland.
Extreme E: A home X Prix for you, Catie! How much are you looking forward to the next round in Scotland?
Catie Munnings: I’m very excited to be racing in the UK again! It’s also kind of a home race for our team with the operational team being based there. The terrain is something I will be a bit more familiar with, and the location looks really spectacular – it reminds me of Greenland in a way.
Extreme E: You visited the location as part of the announcement in March – what did you make of the backdrop to the event?
CM: I was really surprised by how big the mine is. There is a lot of scope for building an impressive race track so I’m really interested to see what the course designers can do. I’m also excited to see the follow-up project of converting the mine into a lake and how this is then used as a hydro plant.
Extreme E: How have you reflected on the opening round of the campaign in Saudi Arabia?
CM: As always, we have a debrief with the team and try to think of ways we can improve individually and together. Timmy and I have been training on our own, and trying to analyse where we can perform better. In some ways, a challenging result teaches us a lot more for the next race, so we are really trying to maximise those lessons.
Extreme E: What have you been doing in preparation for the Hydro X Prix?
CM: I’ve been testing some rallycross as the season is just about to begin. Timmy and I have also got some training in Sweden planned so we can be fully prepared for the race.
Extreme E: What will your team’s approach be to the upcoming round in Scotland?
CM: We always go into the race hoping for the best result and with a doubleheader it’s highly important that we maximise our potential and try to go for maximum points in each race. We are definitely going into this trying to get back onto the top step of the podium, and are all looking to have a really clean race where we can pull everything together to make this happen. We always say it, but a win is what we’re aiming for.
Extreme E: What will be the key to success?
CM: As always with Extreme E, anything can happen. It’s about being flexible and open minded with the approach to the weekend. We will know more when we’ve seen the track and the conditions in free practice. A level head and fast pace is always what is needed to push when it counts, as well as having caution when it matters.
Extreme E: How confident are you of getting back on track in Season 3?
CM: I’m 100 per cent sure that we can be back where our pace is. We know we have a fast car and a great team behind us. It’s all about making sure that everything aligns. We are definitely due a change in fate now, and we are ready to be up at the front of the field again.
The racing action will be best viewed live on STV and ITV, in the UK, over both Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 May. Outside of the UK, please visit here for broadcaster details.
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