With Hedda Hosås now at NEOM McLaren XE for the Copper X Prix, JBXE has signed Tamara Molinaro to work alongside her former Extreme E Championship Driver colleague Andreas Bakkerud.
Molinaro has served as a Championship Driver for XE since 2021, eventually running the full 2022 calendar for XITE Energy Racing after taking over for Klara Andersson who tested positive for COVID-19 prior to the opener. XITE finished eighth in points with a runner-up finish at the first Island X Prix.
She returned to her reserve duties for much of 2023 before taking over for the injured McLaren driver Emma Gilmour at Island X Prix II, finishing tenth in Race #1. With Gilmour still recovering from her rib fracture, Hosås will sub in her place at McLaren, leaving Molinaro to fill the JBXE ride.
“Being a part of this series as a Championship Driver is always special, but a race seat is something I have wanted for a while and to return alongside Andreas is a really exciting prospect,” said Molinaro. “It is great to be a part of Jenson’s (Button) team as well, and I can’t wait to get back out there in the Atacama Desert and go racing again.
“This is the fifth different Extreme E team I have worked with since the championship launched. It is not always easy to adapt quickly to get back into a good rhythm, however I am hopeful that alongside Andreas I will be able to do just that when we go racing once again.”
JBXE is ninth in points.