FIA Extreme H World Cup achieves breakthrough for equality in motorsport with closest ever male - female performances
Just 0.36 seconds separating average male and female lap times
London, 3 December 2025: The launch of the FIA Extreme H World Cup, the world’s first hydrogen-powered motorsport competition, has marked a defining moment for equality in motorsport.
Across its debut weekend in Qiddiya City, Saudi Arabia, official FIA timing showed an average speed gap of just 0.36 seconds between male and female drivers, across a two minute lap, a major milestone for motorsport equality.
The time gap is an average gap across a spectrum of Extreme H races including Time Trial, Multi-Car, and the eight-car World Cup Final. The data provides a striking demonstration of when given a level playing field - equal seat time, access to the same machinery, engineering support, mentorship and advanced technology - females can achieve comparable results to their male counterparts, at the highest level of motorsports.
Across its debut season, Extreme H continues to champion female talent at the highest level of motorsport, showcasing an exceptional lineup of drivers competing on fully equal terms. The 2025 FIA Extreme H World Cup features a world-class roster including Molly Taylor (Jameel Motorsport), Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky (Team KMS), Catie Munnings (Team Hansen), Klara Andersson (Carl Cox Motorsport), Hedda Hosås (Team EVEN), Christine GZ (JBX), Amanda Sorensen (STARD) and Gray Leadbetter (ZEROID Motorsport), all racing head-to-head with their male teammates in identical hydrogen-powered machinery.
Alejandro Agag, Founder and CEO of Extreme H, said: “The FIA Extreme H World Cup isn’t just transforming motorsport, it’s redefining what equality in sport looks like. In its very first event, Extreme H has already become one of the most powerful platforms for women in professional sport, and this is only the beginning.
“Through Extreme E and now Extreme H, we’ve built an environment where the world’s best female drivers compete equally with the world’s best full stop, names like FIA World Champions Sébastien Loeb, Carlos Sainz, Nasser Al-Attiyah, Jenson Button, Johan Kristoffersson, and Timmy Hansen. The results speak for themselves: when opportunity is equal, performance follows. That’s the change we set out to prove.”
Burcu Cetinkaya, Chair of the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission, said: “The FIA Extreme H World Cup sets a new benchmark for equality in motorsport. Its equal-gender format is data-driven and proves that when opportunity is truly equal, performance is defined by talent - not gender.
“Equal opportunity also means equal time and access to expertise. Many females enter the sport but don’t receive the same development time, which impacts results. Encouragingly, in the FIA Extreme H World Cup, the data shows the performance gap - measured in seconds - has been decreasing significantly.
“This is a powerful example of how inclusive, well-structured competition can drive real progress and inspire the next generation of female racers.”
From Extreme E to Extreme H: A 91% Leap Forward
The FIA Extreme H World Cup builds on the legacy of its predecessor, Extreme E, the electric off-road championship that introduced the sport’s first mandatory mixed-gender driver line-ups. Since Season 1 in 2021 of Extreme E, to the latest Extreme H event in 2025, measuring off the same data point, the performance gap between male and female drivers has reduced from 4.5 seconds to just 0.4 seconds in the Super Sector, a momentous 91% improvement.
Jenson Button, Team Boss of JBX, commented: “These results prove that equality and performance can go hand in hand. Extreme H has created a structure where everyone competes on merit, and the stopwatch proves it.”
Gray Leadbetter, ZEROID Motorsport, said: “Racing cars is the one sport where it doesn't matter if you're a male or female, and having the opportunity with Extreme H to do it against some of the best is a fantastic opportunity for us as females to prove that we have the same power and capabilities of the men.”
Hedda Hosås, Team EVEN, added: “The difference now is tiny. It’s no longer about gender, it’s about precision, teamwork, and how much risk you take. That’s the sign of real progress.”
Christine GZ, JBX, said: “When we started in Extreme E, the gap was big, and so was the learning curve. Now, with Extreme H, we’re racing as equals. The technology, the environment, the opportunity, it’s all aligned.”
A New Era for Sport and Sustainability
The FIA Extreme H World Cup merges hydrogen innovation with social progress, proving that zero-emission racing can also deliver zero-barrier opportunity. With its unique mixed-gender format and hydrogen technology platform, the series is redefining what performance, sustainability, and equality look like in motorsport.
Extreme H’s message is clear: in the race toward a cleaner, fairer future, talent has no gender.