Extreme E Data Reveals The Power and Purpose of Female Racing Drivers

Today, Extreme E shared new statistics which show that their gender performance gap has narrowed by 70% across  four racing seasons.

Unlike their competitors and other traditional racing competitions, Extreme E requires each team to have a male and a female driver - meaning they share equal responsibility for performance. It is formats and Championships such as this one, which are vital to providing new opportunities for women to be in the driving seat.

Their mixed-gender format has proven the capabilities of women within motorsport. The on track data from 2021 - 2024 shows that the gap in performance times, between males and females, has narrowed by almost 70%.

It is an exciting time to be part of Extreme E. Julia Wall-Clarke, Director of Impact, Extreme E is proud of today’s data and what this means for women in motorsport: “Our data speaks volumes about the capability and potential of female drivers when given equal opportunities. By closing the gender performance gap by 70% over just four seasons, Extreme E has proven that equality in motorsport is no longer a vision, it is achievable.

“Our mixed-gender format is setting a new standard for the industry, creating career opportunities that didn’t previously exist, and inspiring a new generation of female racers who can clearly see the possibilities.”

But what exactly are the numbers behind this impressive statistic? To support their new report, Extreme E took data from the Continental Traction Challenge, which is a timed super sector section of each Extreme E race course where teams compete to set the fastest time to win two additional championship points.

Across the season, the results showed that…

In Season 1, Female drivers’ times were, on average, 4.5 seconds slower than their male counterparts and by Season 2, there was a 29.76% improvement. Come 2023 and Season 3, an additional increase of 29.67% was achieved and during that season's race weekend in Scotland, the median time difference between male and females was only 0.61s.

Racing driver and JBXE Team Founder, Jenson Button, is equally as pleased and excited about the Championship’s work and said: “Extreme E’s mixed-gender format is a game-changer, and this data proves just how powerful equal opportunity can be. 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.”

Last year across Season 4, the average gap shrank to just 1.1 seconds, a 68.64% reduction overall, with female drivers closing the gap further, by 36.5%, compared to Season 3. In 2024, Catie Munnings beat many of her male competitors, placing third fastest driver of the 16-strong field in Saudi Arabia despite tough competition - once more proving the value and capability of women on track.

Catie Munnings, driver for Extreme E’s Andretti Altawkilat, has been with the Championship for a long time and is really pleased with the progress they have made: “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.”

As a Championship, Extreme E are pioneering women and are ensuring there are several actions in place to help them develop as drivers, including:

1. Increased Seat Time: Ensures female drivers gain the same competitive experience and visibility as their male teammates.

2. Encouraging Development: Teams invest equally in training and development for both drivers.

3. Promoting Confidence: Female drivers are not only going head-to-head against the best drivers in the world, including legends Carlos Sainz Sr, Sebastien Loeb, and Nasser Al-Attiyah, but they also gain from their mentorship as team mates, which supports development.

4. Allowing data sharing: Female and male drivers work together reviewing the key data points from the car to improve overall performance.

Across the wider motorsport community, the impact of Extreme E is well recognised. Helena Hicks, Founder of Females in Motorsport is incredibly excited about the new data: “Since its creation, Females in Motorsport has closely followed Extreme E as a Championship and is proud of  its support of female competitors - mainly through its promotion of equal opportunities. 

“As an organisation, we are delighted with today’s data; transparency with the Gender Gap report is a huge move, and we welcome it as a positive step to improve female talent. We look forward to following Extreme H over the coming years, and seeing what the series can achieve.”

Looking at 2025 and beyond, Extreme E has an incredibly exciting future ahead. This year, the Championship will transition to Extreme H (a move to Hydrogen powered racing) and with this change, the commitment to sustainability and equality will strengthen.

For Extreme E, their example is one to be admired and it is a huge move forward for women in motorsport and will hopefully prompt more Championships to provide women with deserving and equal opportunities - racing knows no gender and it is time for change. 

For more information on any of the above, please visit:https://www.extreme-e.com/en/news/1337_Gender-Equality-Works