Integrating the next generation into the Extreme E paddock
Extreme E’s Student Ambassador roles are part of a motorsport entry programme designed to provide female motorsport enthusiasts with the chance to gain hands on, live championship experiences which directly support the fields they are studying, with the end goal being to increase future female employment opportunities within motorsport and engineering.
This programme was initiated in collaboration with McLaren Racing where their Talent Management team provided guidance on job descriptions and assisted in advertising the roles to their database of students and universities.
The Student Ambassadors will also be with Extreme E for the remainder of the season. They will be part of the Extreme E team during race weeks, as well as working with the Science Committee, Legacy Programmes and focusing on the sustainability elements of each race.
We caught up with two of Extreme E’s Student Ambassadors, Amanda Kangai, a second-year engineer student at the University of Cambridge, and Ioana Ispas, a second-year aerospace student at Queen Mary University, after the NEOM Island X Prix that was co-organised by Automobile Club d’Italia and Regione Sardegnato, to find out more about how their first experience went.
Extreme E: How was your first experience of being on site at an Extreme E X Prix?
Amanda: It was an amazing experience! It was great to see all the teams at work and being able to be in the paddock to speak to them. Everyone was really welcoming and friendly. The weather can be tough, but it's Extreme E!
Ioana: Being onsite was amazing. It was incredibly busy at times, but I enjoyed being part of the work that goes into making these events happen. The heat definitely made working outside a challenge, but we were all able to adapt to the conditions pretty well.
XE: Straight into action then! What was your role during the Sardinia double-header?
Amanda: I was the Student Ambassador responsible for giving the paddock tours. I gave two official tours per day, as well as helping open the Explorer Lounge and the Explorer Terrace.
Ioana: As the St. Helena Ambassador, I was occupied with providing ship tours both solo and with the captain onboard in the evenings. During the day, I’m worked mainly onsite helping out with guests and even sometimes communicating with the different race teams, which was amazing.
XE: How has this experience been for you and what do you think you’ve learnt from spending time with the Extreme E team?
Amanda: As I oversaw the tours, there are many facts that I have learnt about the paddock. In addition to the statistics, watching and talking to the engineers, mechanics, drivers and team principals was great. They are really patient and open to give advice to activate my future in motorsport.
Ioana: I have learned a huge amount of new things from this experience, such as the benefits of using green energy sources like hydrogen fuel cells, but also the amount of challenges there are to overcome when being part of such an impactful event. I especially loved learning about the structure of the ODYSSEY 21s, from the chassis to the suspension. It’s been an eye-opening experience and I’m excited to be part of the next two X Prix as well!
XE: Looking back, what stood out for you during the NEOM Island X Prix? What do you feel was your biggest achievement and what have you been impressed by from the Extreme E team?
Amanda: What stood out to me was the amount of interesting people that I met! There were so many people with very interesting stories - I could talk to them for a long time about their life and work experiences. It was really insightful. Everyone had different backgrounds and the range of people that I met was great.
My biggest achievement was connecting with so many people. It can be hard to put yourself out there, but I got comfortable in talking about myself, and asking people about themselves. I'm also proud that I tried so much unfamiliar food! I never had lobster, octopus and shrimps before. And I can't forget jumping off of the St Helena!
I've been impressed by how friendly and welcoming everyone was. Everyone made me feel comfortable. Even though I was with hospitality, the media and production teams were very inviting, and so that was nice and reassuring.
Ioana: Something that stood out to me was the sheer extremity of the conditions at the NEOM Island X Prix and how the drivers and engineers were able to work through it with no significant problems. I think my own biggest achievement was being able to adapt to these conditions myself and communicate with guests effectively throughout the week. I was impressed by the resilience of the Extreme E team and the way that they were available to help at any time, even if the venue was busy. The team was also friendly and good to talk to, and they would give out feedback whenever necessary, which is something that I was able to learn and improve a lot from.
XE: What are you looking forward to for the next X Prix and how do you think you would be able to prepare more?
Amanda: I'm looking forward to giving more paddock tours! I'm interested in the slight variations in the tours between races. I'm also looking forward to working with the other Student Ambassadors, the Extreme E team, and seeing familiar and different engineers, team principals and mechanics.
I would be able to prepare more as I know the standard elements of the paddock tour and the command centre. I know the things that I should say, and what people want to hear. With the Sardinia experience, I would be able to jump right in!
Ioana: For the next X Prix, I’m really looking forward to seeing the location and how the cars will fare in an even more extreme environment. I think that the experiences I have had during the first X Prix will really help me prepare for Chile, as I now know the routine much better than I did before the start in Sardinia.