INTERVIEW

TELL US WHAT GOES THROUGH YOUR MIND AS YOU STEP INTO THE CAR?

LAIA SANZ: “When I step into the car, the only thing that comes to my mind is to try to be as fast as possible and to avoid any problems or destroy the car, or something like that. I just want to do a good job for the team and be as fast as possible, that’s my mentality.”

WHAT’S THE SCARIEST MOMENT YOU’VE HAD RACING IN XE?

CARLOS SANZ, ACCIONA: “The crash I had in Sardinia this July, definitely. The worst of it is that the other car came out of the blue, so I couldn’t really brace for the impact. One moment I was going for the win, and then, next thing I knew, I was rolling off the track upside down. It was really painful, but, fortunately, I was just bruised and then we managed to race again that week in a big team effort to rebuild the car.”

CARLOS SANZ, ACCIONA 55

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LAIA SANZ

WHAT IS IT ABOUT XE THAT INFLUENCED YOUR DECISION TO PARTICIPATE?

LAIA SANZ: “When I had the chance to come to Extreme E, it was something amazing. Carlos called me and asked me if I wanted to join and of course I did, because it was an amazing opportunity for me. This series is really interesting and to race with a legend like Carlos is something great, also, because I was just starting my career on four wheels, it was an amazing opportunity to learn and to grow as a driver. One thing that’s really nice about Extreme E is that it’s full of champions of different racing backgrounds and it’s great to be with the best drivers, to compete with them and learn from them. The message of the Championship is also really interesting and its fight against climate change is unique, so all these things make me really happy to be in Extreme E.”

WHAT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITMENTS HAVE YOU MADE IN YOUR DAILY LIFE?

CARLOS SANZ, ACCIONA: “I try to optimise the energy consumption of my family home, which includes everything from ensuring that the home appliances we use are energy efficient to powering the house by installing solar roofs and using electric cars in our day-to-day life to further reduce our carbon footprint. I have been doing this for a number of years now, but ever since joining Extreme E, I have learnt many more things about climate change, its causes and consequences, and the things we can do to try and stop it. Therefore, right now, I am more aware of the importance of those

small actions and the need to implement them in our lives. If we all do it, it will surely make a difference.”

TELL ME ABOUT YOUR TEAMMATE. WHAT'S IT LIKE RACING WITH THEM?

LAIA SANZ: “I think we work well together, and I just feel lucky to have this opportunity. I feel a lot of respect for him, even more than before. He has won everything and he is still hungry. He is still like a young driver, always looking for victories and for improvement. He is always working. We are always one of the teams that leave the track later in the evening and arrive earlier in the morning. I like his work ethic and I feel really comfortable.

“Of course, especially in the beginning, there was a bit of pressure, because I know how he wants to win and I didn’t want to make mistakes, I wanted to help the team as much as possible, but now I am getting used to that, and I feel much more comfortable and faster. I am helping the team more and it is a nice thing for me.”

CARLOS SANZ, ACCIONA: “Laia is a great talent. She has had a brilliant career on two-wheels, winning multiple world championships, and she is really brave for taking the challenge to transition to fourwheels, which is a completely different challenge that has taken her out of her comfort zone. She is willing to learn and she is improving really fast.

“I think she has blossomed in Extreme E this year, because she is already among the fastest on the grid and she is still getting better. I already knew her from the Dakar, but it has been really nice to share this experience in Extreme E with her.”

“SHE HAS BLOSSOMED IN EXTREME E THIS YEAR”