FIA Junior WRC driver Catie Munnings joins Extreme E Drivers’ Programme
12 May, London: FIA Junior World Rally Championship driver Catie Munnings has signed up to to the Extreme E Drivers’ Programme, joining a growing list of top talent vying for a seat in the revolutionary electric off-road racing series’ inaugural season, set to get underway early next year.
The 22-year-old competes in the FIA Junior World Rally Championship, inspired by 1982 FIA WRC runner-up and pioneering female motor racing legend Michele Mouton – who last week said that Extreme E provides “a great opportunity for women and men to team up, compete together and against each other with the same material.”
Munnings joins former IndyCar Series, ABB FIA Formula E and Supercars racer Simona de Silvestro, Continental Tyres’ Extreme E development driver and touring car hot-shot Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky, W Series champion Jamie Chadwick and sportscar driver Katherine Legge as leading females on the Drivers’ Programme all looking to race in Extreme E, which last week announced that its grid would be comprised of a 50-50 male-female split.
Growing up driving off-road vehicles since she could reach the pedals, Catie developed a feel for the nuances of handling cars; grass-autotesting at 14-years-old, before beginning her rallying journey at 17.
In 2016, after entering six club rally events to meet the FIA European Rally Championship’s entry requirements, Munnings jumped straight into the Ypres Rally, and was the only female competitor to finish. On her second ERC outing, she scored points and secured the FIA ERC Ladies Trophy – the first Brit to secure a European rally title in 49 years.
Catie’s ERC career continued into 2017 and 2018, with fourth place overall in the two-wheel drive championship in the latter seeing her seal backing from Red Bull UK for the 2019 campaign.
In Extreme E, the Brit sees a strong potential next step for her career and a completely different experience with the opportunity to use her passion for motorsport to spread a vital message on climate change and the future of our planet.
“Extreme E’s races are all in incredible locations and I can’t wait for the challenge of mastering all those different types of surfaces and conditions. I see it as a natural progression and a very exciting prospect,” she said. The high level of competition that I think we’re going to see in the series is one big draw as a driver but I’m really inspired by the sustainability and equality aspects of Extreme E and its overall goals – with all the work that will take place to help change the world for the better. Achieving something this important through competition would mean a lot for motorsport.
“I would jump at the opportunity to race in any of the locations, so to include them all in one championship is fantastic. The one that stands out to me at a first glance would be the Amazon – I just cannot imagine seeing the car racing in those environments, but why not?
“Every aspect of life is affected by climate change. This is true now and will only become even more pressing in the years to come. This includes motorsport. It’s vital for us to remember that we only have one planet and we have to take good care of it – not only for us but for future generations, too.
“Extreme E’s goal of making a link between the sport we love and doing something incredibly important and constructive for the world is a massive thing. Every form of motorsport is looking to make positive environmental changes, and Extreme E’s foundations are set in sustainability and raising awareness as well as driving that change. It’s an exciting time for the industry.”
Catie’s experience is based squarely on loose-surfaces – from the Cypriot desert to the Swedish Arctic Circle and the Volcanic gravel of the Azores, As such, the rally driver should have a leg up when it comes to jumping behind the wheel of the ODYSSEY 21 as opposed to some of the more asphalt and circuit-focussed racers on the Drivers’ Programme. That said, the E-SUV is quite unlike anything else out there in motorsport, and she feels it’ll be a case of starting from square one for many.
“I don’t know what to expect fully,” started Munnings. ”I can imagine the car is able to drive in a way you couldn’t quite envisage given its size and presence, on surfaces you wouldn’t think it could be capable of performing on. Certainly, from what I’ve seen from Ken Block’s Dakar outing and testing, and the feedback that others have reported in with, I cannot wait to sample it for myself – I’d love to experience it.
“Once I test and get a good feeling for it, then I’ll know which skills I can adapt from rally and which I need to learn from scratch. I read that Theo Gouzin from Spark (Spark Racing Technology – the ODYSSEY 21’s designer and manufacturer) said the cars have the power and torque of World Rally Championship and rally raid cars. That would be very impressive and quite surreal to feel in something in the size and package of an SUV.”
“I think it will be similar, in that you’ll still be driving with your instincts. Rallying is probably the closest in the motorsport family, and the changeable conditions and surfaces will be directly relatable.”
“Competing on different surfaces, in different climates and adapting quickly is something I’m used to. However, the physical side of learning this new car, an electric car, also the size, the manoeuverability and judging the pace of a new championship, will be a completely new challenge, for every driver.”
The Drivers’ Programme is designed to promote professional drivers and assist teams and prospective entries. Series organisers will recommend prospective competitors from its Drivers’ Programme, however, if teams prefer, they will have the autonomy to select their own drivers from outside the pool.
Extreme E drivers will compete wheel-to-wheel on the same stages, in the same 550 horsepower E-SUVs, using the same bespoke all-terrain Continental tyres in heats, semis and finals, taking place across the series’ five formidable environments in some of the most remote regions on the planet.
As well as being used as platform for equality and the promotion of electfication, Extreme E will highlight the impact that climate change is having on its remote race locations, using a committee of leading scientists to help bring global attention to issues such as deforestation in Brazil, rising sea levels along the West African coastline, melting icecaps in Greenland, and more.
Further team, driver, sporting and partnership announcements will follow as the championship continues to take shape ahead of Season 1, starting early 2021.
About Extreme E:
Extreme E is a radical new racing series, which will see electric SUVs competing in extreme environments around the world which have already been damaged or affected by climate and environmental issues. The five-race global voyage highlights the impact of climate change and human interference in some of the world’s most remote locations and promotes the adoption of electric vehicles to help preserve the environment and protect the planet.
Provisional Extreme E Season 1 (2021) calendar:
23-24 January: Lac Rose, Dakar, Senegal
5-6 March: Al-‘Ula, Saudi Arabia
14-15 May: Kali Gandaki Valley, Mustang District, Nepal
28-29 August: Kangerlussuaq, Greenland
30-31 October: Santarém, Pará, Brazil
Another Extreme E is operated in association with Formula E – the organiser of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship. Extreme E is committed to sustainability and minimising environmental impact – as well as playing its part in re-building and restoring areas already impacted by climate change. Innovations such as remote broadcast facilities and comprehensive cross-platform coverage for spectators watching at home, rather than stage-side, ensure a minimal footprint.
Another unique feature of Extreme E is its floating garage, the RMS St. Helena. The former Royal Mail cargo-passenger vessel is undergoing a modernisation and refit in order to lower its emissions. It will be used to transport the championship’s freight and infrastructure, including vehicles, to the nearest port, minimising Extreme E’s emissions profile as well as facilitating scientific research through an on-board laboratory.
The series also utilises a panel of leading academics from The Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, comprising its Scientific Committee tasked with driving the series’ climate advice and practice.
Head of Scientific Committee/Arctic Scientist: Professor Peter Wadhams (The University of Cambridge) Ocean Scientist: Dr Lucy Woodall (The University of Oxford/Nekton Foundation) Amazon Scientist: Francisco Oliveira PhD (The University of Cambridge) Desertification and Droughts Scientist: Professor Richard Washington (The University of Oxford/The University of Cape Town)
The committee will advise Extreme E organisers on the series’ education and research programmes, event logistics and impact as well as the recommendation of positive legacy initiatives which support local communities in each race location.
The championship made the Official Shortlist for the Sport Industry Awards 2020 in the Cutting Edge Sport Category, acknowledging the championship’s incredible progress in its first year.
About Continental:
Continental develops pioneering technologies and services for sustainable and networked mobility of people and their goods. Founded in 1871, the technology company offers safe, efficient, intelligent and affordable solutions for vehicles, machines, traffic and transport. In 2018, Continental generated preliminary sales of approximately €44.4 billion and currently employs some 244,000 people in 60 countries and markets.
The Tyre division has 24 production and development locations worldwide. As one of the leading tyre manufacturers with around 54,000 employees, the division posted sales of €11.3 billion in 2017. Continental ranks among the technology leaders in tyre production and offers a broad product range for passenger cars, commercial vehicles and two-wheelers. Through continuous investment in R&D, Continental makes a major contribution to safe, cost-effective and ecologically efficient mobility. The Tyre division’s portfolio includes services for the tyre trade and for fleet applications, as well as digital management systems for commercial vehicle tyres.
About CBMM:
CBMM is the world leading supplier of niobium products and technology. Headquartered in Brazil, with offices and subsidiaries in China, Netherlands, Singapore, Switzerland and the United States, CBMM offers technical innovation to customers around the globe through a team of over 2,000 highly trained, dedicated professionals providing cutting-edge niobium products and technology to over 300 customers in 50 countries.
About LuisaViaRoma:
Established in 1929, LuisaViaRoma has been an online luxury destination since 1999. In 2019, LuisaViaRoma celebrated the company’s 90th anniversary, as well as the 20th anniversary of its online business.
Sources: Extreme E PR