Molly Taylor, the 2016 Australian Rally champion, will join three-time World Rallycross champion Johan Kristoffersson in Nico Rosberg’s Extreme E team line-up.
The announcement of Taylor’s deal makes Rosberg Xtreme Racing the third team to reveal its full driver line-up.
In addition to her rallying success both in her native Australia and abroad, Taylor is passionate about working towards climate change, an FIA ambassador for world motorsport’s Girls on Track initiative and more than ready to take on whatever ex-SAS special forces can throw at her – as she proved in Seven Network’s SAS Who Dares Wins Australia program recently.
Rosberg said: “To welcome a driver of Molly’s talent is extremely exciting for RXR.
“Her experience and success in off-road racing speaks for itself, however Molly’s determination to be proactive in addressing climate change and support our mission to promote and implement equality are also key factors in Molly joining the team.
“In Molly and Johan, I believe we have one of the most competitive driver line-ups on the grid both inside and outside of the car and I can’t wait to see what they can do together with the rest of the team.”
Taylor’s 2016 Australian title made her not only the first female winner of that championship, but also – at 28 – the youngest champion too.
Outside Australia, in 2009 she lifted the British Rally Championship Ladies crown and she became the first female on the Junior WRC podium at Rally Finland in 2014.
“It feels amazing to be joining Rosberg Xtreme Racing and Extreme E on this new adventure,” Taylor added.
“I’m so excited to be able to compete on the international stage again and to be part of a completely new team and series makes it even more special.
“Alongside fighting climate change, I’m excited to work together as a team and series to promote equality.
“One part of motorsport I’ve always admired is that once the helmet goes on, your gender becomes irrelevant and the stopwatch has no bias.
“There’s still a lot of work to do to improve the diversity in our industry, but the work RXR and Extreme E are doing will provide new opportunities to reshape the image of our sport in the eyes of young fans and I’m thrilled to be a part of that.”
