Veloce Racing adds Racing for All candidate to Extreme E team
Veloce Racing have become the latest Extreme E outfit to add a Racing for All candidate to their team for the forthcoming season.
British engineering student Amanda Kangai will join the British squad for Extreme E Season 3, with the team becoming the first team to sign a female engineer in line with the Racing For All initiative.
As a sport for purpose series which seeks to accelerate cultural and behavioural change, Racing for All supports the founding ethos of Extreme E, which is inspire positive action. The programme aims to reduce barriers and attract those who might not otherwise be able to have opportunities within motorsport, particularly those who are female, minority ethnic, or from a lower socio-economic background.
Amanda met Veloce Racing at the NEOM Island X Prix double-header in Sardinia last season. At the time Amanda was working as one of four female Student Ambassadors in Extreme E, but the second-year engineer student made an immediate impression on the Veloce team.
Amanda Kangai, Veloce Racing, said: “This is an amazing opportunity to jump right into the motorsport world and see how engineering works as part of a team. I am super excited!
“Being a student ambassador last year was a great experience, especially to be immersed into the Extreme E paddock. I also kept a close eye on Veloce Racing – I have always been a fan of the team and so it is great to be working with them for Season 3.
“I am really grateful to get the opportunity to be with the team this year and everyone has been great with me since joining. It is going to be an invaluable experience and I am so glad that Extreme E have helped provide this opportunity through Racing for All.”
Alongside her studies at the University of Cambridge, Amanda has taken up roles in multiple societies, including President of the Gonville & Caius Engineering Society and Access Officer for the Cambridge University Engineering Society.
Veloce Racing will take Amanda under its wing as a Junior Engineer in the world’s most radical off-road electric racing series, starting from the second X Prix of Season 3 in Scotland in May. Amanda's new role will enable her to learn exactly what it takes to be part of a professional race team, providing a first step on the career ladder in motorsport.
Extreme E teams are limited to just five mechanics or engineers each to help reduce overall attendance numbers across the championship, but Racing For All provides an additional position for a sixth member to join each team to gain hands-on experience.
Moreover, Extreme E is an advocate of The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), better known as the Global Goals. All 17 of the Goals are for everyone, everywhere – like Extreme E they reach the far corners of the planet, from icecaps to islands and deserts to deep oceans.
SDG 5 concerns gender equality and is one of 17 goals established by United Nations in 2015, which centre on social, economic, and environmental sustainability. Alongside this, Veloce Racing competes under the number five to celebrate the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) for equality.
Dan Bailey, CEO of Veloce Racing, added: “Veloce is proudly committed to developing and promoting the very best talent in motorsport and we are delighted to welcome Amanda into the team for Season 3.
“Extreme E’s Racing for All initiative is extremely important and bringing Amanda into the team marks a crucial step for Veloce Racing. Not only is she the second member of the Racing For All initiative, but as the first female to be signed within the framework she reflects the team's ambitions around equality.
“We look forward to working with Amanda and growing her skillset across such a revolutionary championship.”
