Hedda Hosås looks back on a year with JBXE

Extreme E: You have been racing in the series for more than a year now. It seems to have flown by – how would you look back on the last 12 months?
Hedda Hosas: It’s crazy to think that it has been more than a year already. I love the whole concept of Extreme E, with its environmental elements and being able to learn about problems throughout the world where we are travelling, and to do the small things that can help inspire others. 

The gender equal format is also so important. It’s a very big opportunity for me to race in the series. It’s been a challenging journey so far, but I have made sure I have done my best at each event.

XE: Could you sum up Extreme E in three words?
HH: Extreme, Intense and quick.

XE: For those not aware of your motorsport background, could you describe your journey to racing in the championship?

HH: My first contact with Veloce Racing was Ian Davies, who was Team Principal at the time. He was looking for up and coming female talent and he went to Denmark to watch me compete in a rallycross race. I was then offered a test in an Extreme E ODYSSEY 21, which I did in France, and that was how the journey started with Veloce Racing. It was definitely a case of being at the right place at the right time.

I was then the series’ Championship Driver at the start of Season 2, and I stepped in at Veloce Racing after Christine GZ broke her foot in Qualifying at the first race in Saudi Arabia. Of course, it is not the way you want it to happen, but sometimes it goes that way. And it was tough!

I was straight into the Crazy Race, so it was very intense. I had a technical problem right at the start, so I didn’t really get the chance to prove anything out on track, but I got my name out there which was great.

XE: Who has been the biggest influence on your motorsport career so far?

HH: Ian Davies has been really important. From the beginning when he saw me in Denmark and then taking care of me even though he wasn’t the Team Principal of Veloce Racing anymore, he helped me out as a friend and he helped my family – which has been incredible.

He’s just a really nice person. On a recent Instagram post, Lance [Woolridge – former driver in Extreme E] described him as a walnut with a marshmallow inside – I liked that one!

XE: You then switched to race for JBXE – although still contracted to Veloce Racing as a reserve driver – for the next round in Sardinia, where you made quite an impact to finish in the top three in your first event for the team. How was that?

HH: A week before the double-header in Sardinia I got the call to drive for JBXE, as Molly [Taylor] was only competing in the first race. Although it was still quite late in the day, it was really good for me as I got to do a race weekend in full, starting with a Free Practice session rather than diving straight into the Crazy Race. It was also great to work with Kevin [Hansen – team-mate at JBXE] who is Swedish and so we understood each other!

It was such a great opportunity for me and we got on the podium, which you wouldn’t think you would get to do first time out. It was such an amazing feeling.

XE: What is it like having Jenson Button as your boss?
HH: I’ve actually not met Jenson yet, but he’s obviously a very talented guy, so to race for him is a huge thing for me. I would not have believed it if I had told myself that a few years ago. He’s a big name and I think it’s good for the series as well to have such a great name. I haven’t got to meet him yet, but I hope so soon.

XE: You have had four team-mates so far in Extreme E – Kevin Hansen, Fraser McConnell, Heikki Kovalainen and Andreas Bakkerud. What have you learnt from them?
HH: I would say I have learnt a lot from all of my team-mates so far. It’s very good to be with different drivers as they work in different ways. They are all different people, so you learn how they like to prepare. Some are more stressed or intense, and some are less so. Some are extremely relaxed – like Fraser [McConnell]! That almost scares me as I’m like ‘why are you not more stressed before a race?’, and Fraser would just respond with ‘don’t worry!’.

They are all really good drivers. Their driving techniques are all different, but they all know how to drive. The main thing is to learn from them, such as how they all prepare for a race and what they do to remember certain things. It’s good to be aware of so many different approaches.

XE: How would you describe your own mindset before a race?
HH: Before a race I would say I am a bit more intense, but not so much in the build-up to a race weekend. I am someone who likes to prepare as much as possible. I’ve also been doing some visualisation techniques before events to help prepare for what’s out on track.

XE: Could you describe your season with JBXE so far?
HH: Competing in our first Grand Final of the season this year last time out was a very good moment. In Saudi Arabia, it was obviously Heikki’s first race, so it was all new to him, and it was the same with Andreas [Bakkerud] in Scotland. We ended the Hydro X Prix on a high note, though, by winning the Redemption Race and in fact it could have been even better as we had suffered some technical issues with the car.

It really worked well in Sardinia for us and hopefully as a team we will continue to improve.

XE: The gender equal format in Extreme E is unique. Do you feel any differently competing against the male drivers out on track, or is it just another competitor to you?
HH: I must say when up against the male drivers I don’t feel the same kind of pressure. I am thinking that given their experiences they should beat me, but I think that will change the more experienced I am in the series. I just want to win out on track, no matter who I am racing, although there is now less of a difference in times between the male and female drivers. 

In Sardinia, I was able to have a good battle with Timo [Scheider] out on the course. I could not repass him because I had suffered a puncture, but it felt great to fight wheel-to-wheel and showed me that I can do it in this series. At one stage I was also keeping pace with Mattias [Ekstrom] – who is one of the quickest in the whole championship – and not losing much time. That was a really good feeling.

XE: Over the past year, what has been your favourite race in Extreme E?
HH: The Hydro X Prix was great as the track was really interesting, but I liked Sardinia last time out. It was very good, fast racing, with no crashes, so I would say that was my best in Extreme E so far.

XE: What have been your biggest learnings so far in the series?
HH: The main things I have learnt from Extreme E are the mindsets and techniques of the male drivers given the experiences they have had. There is so much talent across the championship, and there is so much to learn from which can only help my career.

XE: Lastly, what are your aspirations competing in Extreme E and across motorsport?
HH: I would really like to be one of the fastest drivers on the grid and certainly fastest of the girls. I hope I can continue competing in the series and my goal is to stay for as long as possible.

Racing in Extreme E has really helped with my career. I love racing. One day in the future I would love to compete in the Dakar Rally and maybe even become a world champion down the line. I would love to inspire other girls as well in whatever I do in my career.

Extreme E:

Simra Gulzar, Communications Supervisor
E: media@extreme-e.com / T:+44 7552 858229

Josh Bell, MPA Creative:     
E: jb@mpacreative.com  / T: +44 7557 102540

Diego Bustos, BE Mass Media (Latin America -including Brazil-, US Hispanics, Spain, Portugal)
E: diego.bustos@bemassmedia.com / +569-8829-9138 or +1-660-847-4645

NOTES TO EDITORS

About Extreme E:

Now in its third season, Extreme E is a radical off-road racing series, founded by the same team behind Formula E, which showcases electric SUVs and futuristic technologies in some of the world’s most remote and challenging environments.

This five-event global voyage utilises its sporting platform for the purpose of promoting electrification, environment and equality. The series’ goal is to highlight the impact of climate change in some of the world’s most endangered environments, promote the adoption of electric vehicles to pave the way for a lower carbon future, and provide a world-first gender-equal motorsport platform.

The first sport to ever be built out of a social purpose, Extreme E aims to minimise environmental impact while maximising awareness, racing in places that have already been damaged or affected by climate change or human interference and taking fans deep into the heart of the most pressing issues facing our planet’s future.

Not only that, but Extreme E is also helping the car industry to develop future-facing technology using racing as a platform for road innovation, which accelerates change ten-fold.

Season 3 Calendar: 

Saudi Arabia
11-12 March 2023
Scotland
13-14 May 2023
Sardinia, Italy
08-09 July 2023
Amazon/USA
16-17 September 2023
Chile
02-03 December 2023

About Continental Tires: Founding Partner and Official Tire Partner 
Continental develops pioneering technologies and services for sustainable and connected mobility of people and their goods. Founded in 1871, the technology company offers safe, efficient, intelligent, and affordable solutions for vehicles, machines, traffic and transportation. 
 
The tyres business area has 24 production and development locations worldwide. Continental is one of the leading tyre manufacturers with more than 56,000 employees and offers a broad product range for passenger cars, commercial and special-purpose vehicles as well as two-wheelers. Through continuous investment in research and development, Continental makes a major contribution to safe, cost effective and ecologically efficient mobility. The portfolio of the tyres business area includes services for the tyre trade and fleet applications, as well as digital management systems for tyres. 
 
Continental developed a new high-performance tyre for Extreme E Season 2, redesigned to include the use of more sustainable materials. Each of the 30 tyres that Continental has supplied to all ten Extreme E teams now contains recycled polyester made from approximately 60 PET bottles.  In total, around a third of each second-generation CrossContact Extreme E tyre consists of recycled and renewable raw materials. 
 
About LuisaViaRoma: Official Fashion Partner 
Defined by the Financial Times as “a haven for directional fashion,” LUISAVIAROMA.COM is the top online luxury fashion destination with 5,000,000 visitors per month and worldwide shipping. With each new season, the website presents the collections of more than 600 established designers and young emerging talents. 
 
About Enel X Way: Official Smart Charging Partner 
Enel X Way is the Enel Group's new global business line entirely dedicated to electric mobility. Currently, Enel X Way manages approximately 320,000 charging points, both directly and through interoperability agreements in place worldwide. As a global platform for e-mobility, the company is focused on developing flexible charging technologies and solutions to improve the customer experience by supporting the electrification of transport for consumers, businesses, cities and public administrations. 
 
Find out more on https://enelxway.it/en/home  and follow Enel X Way on its social media channels: 
 
LinkedIn: Enel X Way  
Twitter: @enelxway 
Instagram: @enelxway   
Facebook: @enelxway 
 
About Zenith: Official Timekeeper and Founding Partner 
Zenith exists to inspire individuals to pursue their dreams and make them come true – against all odds. Since its establishment in 1865, Zenith became the first watch manufacture in the modern sense of the term, and its watches have accompanied extraordinary figures that dreamt big and strived to achieve the impossible – from Louis Blériot’s history-making flight across the English Channel to Felix Baumgartner’s record-setting stratospheric free-fall jump. Zenith is also highlighting visionary and trailblazing women – past and present – by celebrating their accomplishments and creating in 2020 its first-ever collection dedicated entirely to them, Defy Midnight. 
 
With innovation as its guiding star, Zenith features exceptional in-house developed and manufactured movements in all its watches. Since the creation of the El Primero in 1969, the world’s first automatic chronograph calibre, Zenith has gone on to master fractions of the second with the Chronomaster Sport and its 1/10th of a second precision and the DEFY 21 with a precision of 1/100th of a second. 
 
About ENOWA: Official Green Hydrogen Partner 
ENOWA is a world-class energy, water and hydrogen company founded in NEOM, Saudi Arabia. ENOWA produces and delivers clean and sustainable resources for industrial and commercial applications using a customer-centric smart and connected system, designed to be circular and takes advantage of NEOM's optimal solar and wind energy profile. ENOWA benefits from NEOM's greenfield site, which has no legacy infrastructure, to advance Energy, Water, and Hydrogen innovation. 
 
ENOWA will act as a catalyst and incubator for developing new, sustainable energy and water businesses while creating a robust economic sector regionally. Through its commitment to renewable energy and efficient water management, ENOWA seeks to become a global reference for industry leaders and setting a benchmark for sustainable economic circular systems around the world. 
 
For more information, please visit: enowa.neom.com 
 
About Vodafone Business: Official Technology and Communication Partner 
With expertise in connectivity, global scale and the leading IoT platform, Vodafone Business is a leading technology communications company helping organisations succeed in a digital world and keeping society connected. Vodafone’s purpose is to connect for a better future, enabling an inclusive and sustainable digital society, and many of its solutions have sustainability and inclusivity embedded. 
 
Unique in its scale as the largest pan-European and African technology communications company, Vodafone transforms the way we live and work through its innovation, technology, connectivity, platforms, products and services. Vodafone operates mobile and fixed networks in 21 countries, and partners with mobile networks in 52 more.  As of 31 December 2021, they had over 300m mobile customers, more than 28m fixed broadband customers and over 22m TV customers. 
 
This collaboration will see Vodafone Business leading innovations and capabilities such as 5G, MPN, IOT and MEC, integrated into Extreme E’s global operations and will include full involvement in the purpose- driven elements of the series, with special prominence on Extreme E’s Legacy Programmes and the Science Laboratory on board the St Helena. Through its IOT solutions, Vodafone Business is helping sustainability efforts, including agriculture, forestation and decarbonisation of energy grids. 
 
Find out more on http://www.Vodafone.com/business  and follow Vodafone on its social media channels: 
 
Twitter: @VodafoneGroup  
LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/company/vodafone 
 
About EY: Official Sustainability Partner 
EY is a global leader in assurance, consulting, strategy, transactions and tax services, and already plays a significant role in working with Extreme E. Originally announcing its collaboration with the championship back in 2020, EY came on board to help Extreme E achieve its commitment to minimising its overall footprint whilst creating a positive legacy. 
 
Whilst Extreme E strives ‘to race without a trace’, the framework provided by EY has helped the series to minimize its environmental impact across each of its remote race locations. Both prior and post-racing impact assessments have supported Extreme E to strategically plan their actions within these areas. 
 
EY and Extreme E will work closely together to promote the five pillars of Extreme E (or “Five Es”) through the adoption of ‘XE Talks’. These informative presentations, facilitated by Extreme E’s Scientific Committee, will shed light on the Five Es, showcasing the joint commitment of EY and Extreme E. 
 
About CBMM: Founding Supplier  
CBMM | Niobium is a founding supplier of Extreme E and the Championship’s official Niobium Technology Supplier and Chassis Technology Supplier. 
 
Critical to the automotive sector, niobium produces stronger, lighter and more sustainable cars with better energy efficiency. Its technologies are already widely applied in different areas, including light-weighting, safety, emissions reduction and electronics that will help lead to a sustainable sector transformation. Key applications of niobium in the Mobility sector include chassis, brakes and exhaust systems, drivetrains, batteries and EV charging stations and any number of ancillary components. Its qualities mean materials can be made lighter, stronger, more robust and more reliable – all while being more sustainable than other materials.  
 
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 400 clients in around 40 countries. 
 
About Kaizen Clean Energy: Official Clean Energy Technology Provider 
Kaizen Clean Energy (KCE), a manufacturer of hydrogen generators, is developing integrated solutions for electric vehicle (EV) charging, hydrogen fuelling, and distributed power for the grid and critical assets. 
 
KCE offers its mobile microgrid to customers through an Energy as a Service contract, which eliminates large capital expenses and provides customers with the flexibility to scale with energy needs over time.  
 
Kaizen Clean Energy will support ENOWA - NEOM’s energy, water, and hydrogen subsidiary and Green Hydrogen Power Partner to Extreme E - in delivering a pioneering hydrogen microgrid solution to the championship. 
 
Find out more on: www.kaizencleanenergy.com.