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British star Catie Munnings will compete in the FIA RX2e series that supports the FIA World Rallycross Championship in 2023, having signed for Swedish team #YellowSquad.

Munnings is no stranger to electric motor sport. An event-winner in Extreme E, she made her RX2e debut last season at Holjes in Sweden, and will return to the Swedish venue this year, following her maiden appearance with #YellowSquad in the opening round of the campaign at Hell in Norway later this month (June 17-18).

A regular front-runner in Extreme E alongside teammate Timmy Hansen, 25-year-old Munnings’ signing for the #YellowSquad team that sits within the wider Hansen Motorsport structure is significant.

As part of arguably the most successful team in rallycross history, Susann Hansen became the first and so-far only female to win a European Rallycross title when she secured the 1400 Cup crown in 1994.

Continuing that legacy, Munnings will become the first female to drive within the wider Hansen Motorsport family in a decade, when she lines up in the single-specification, 270kW, four-wheel-drive all-electric RX2e machine in Hell next week.

Munnings, who reacclimatised herself with an RX2e machine during an ice racing event in Andorra over the winter, and a private test at the Circuit de Calafat in Spain recently, will join full-time #YellowSquad driver Isak Sjökvist in the team for the events she contests.

The FIA RX2e series will support the FIA World Rallycross Championship for five rounds in 2023, in Norway, Sweden, UK, Belgium and Germany, running from June to August.

Catie Munnings, #YellowSquad RX2e Driver:

“I have a very unique position working with Timmy Hansen, who’s been my team mate in Extreme E for three years now, and it seems like the natural progression to continue working with the wider Hansen team outside of that. It has been a big aim for mine for some time to race in a major rallycross series. #YellowSquad has a wealth of knowledge, and I think this programme is the most effective way for me to develop my skills, while also having a good chance of challenging for some decent results. I’m looking forward to building on the relationship I have with the family and team. My mission is always to do as well as possible and to keep developing my side-by-side race craft. I really enjoyed the test in Calafat recently, it always impresses me how fast the car feels when you accelerate for the first time on tarmac, and I’m looking forward to having a lot of fun with it this year.”

Eric Faren, #YellowSquad Team Manager:

“We’re delighted to have Catie join #YellowSquad for at least the first two rounds of RX2e. Having two drivers in the team is always mutually beneficial, so we can all work together to get the most out of the weekend. Although Norway will be new to Catie we’ve had good success at that circuit in recent years and will work to get her up to speed as quickly as possible, while she has already raced in Holjes which will really help. It’s also great that Catie has such a strong relationship with the wider team, we can’t wait to take on this competitive field in Norway and see where it can take us.”

Swedish driver Isak Sjökvist has signed with #YellowSquad to race in the FIA World Rallycross Championship’s FIA RX2e series this year, as team and driver target the coveted title.

Having begun his career in karting, Sjökvist switched to rallycross in the Supercar Lites division of RallyX Nordic in 2021, and made his RX2e debut at Holjes, Sweden the same year, claiming a podium finish in his first-ever start in the all-electric single-specification category.

Since, the 21-year-old has become one of the series front-runners, and in his maiden full campaign last year, finished on the podium in four of the five rounds, claimed a first win at Barcelona in Spain and secured the runner-up position in the series standings.

Now, using experience already gained in the mixed-surface discipline and coupling that with the expertise of title-winning outfit #YellowSquad, Sjökvist will focus on fighting for the FIA RX2e title this season.

The commitment to RX2e also falls in line with the #YellowSquad’s parent company Hansen Motorsport’s vision for a more sustainable future, the Hansen outfit now entering its second term running all-electric RX1e machines in World RX.

As its own entity, #YellowSquad has been a front-runner in various different rallycross series since its inception in 2019. It notably claimed the RX2 International Series crown in 2020 and wins in the NRX NEXT category both in Europe and the USA, highlighting the importance of maximising performance in the highly-competitive single-specification categories. The team has also achieved success in the European Rallycross Championship and RallyX Nordic in Supercar.

For 2023, the FIA RX2e series will support the World Rallycross Championship for five rounds, in Norway, Sweden, UK, Belgium and Germany, the opening round taking place in Hell (Norway) on June 17-18.

Isak Sjökvist, #YellowSquad RX2e Driver: “I’m so excited for this extremely rare and extraordinary opportunity that I have got in my hands for this year. I’ve been in motor sport for almost 10 years, and I’ve always had eyes on climbing to the highest level. When I started rallycross two years ago it felt like a natural habitat to me. That’s the same with joining #YellowSquad and the Hansen Motorsport family, it feels so natural and yet so special at the same time to get this kind of opportunity.

“Getting to work with some of the greatest rallycross drivers ever is almost indescribable – this is a childhood dream becoming a reality. I’ve always tried to push myself to the limit and aim higher and higher. To join #YellowSquad is a really big step in the right direction for me, as they have all the tools I need to develop in my career. There will be a lot of very good drivers in the series this year, but everyone starts from zero and we will work as hard as we can to get the best results possible. There is always room for development.

“As one of the greatest Swedish sportsman, Ingemar Stenmark, once said ‘the more you try the more luck you get’. I think that really suits what I’m doing, I need to train harder, work harder and I’m sure that with #YellowSquad we can make the opportunities even bigger.”

Eric Faren, #YellowSquad Team Manager: “I have been watching Isak since he started his rallycross career and I’ve always been impressed by both his attitude and his performances, especially against far more experienced drivers. We’re very excited to bring him into #YellowSquad for 2023 and to work with him on fighting for the title, because that has to be our goal.

“I think Isak and #YellowSquad is a very good match, so hopefully we can give him the extra support he needs to take the next step and come away with some big results this year. And for us in #YellowSquad it’s also exciting to be doing something new in RX2e, where we will push ourselves to continue achieving what we know we are capable of.”

Reigning British Rallycross Champion and FIA RX2e race-winner Patrick O’Donovan will be supported by #YellowSquad in his 2023 rallycross programmes.

O’Donovan became the youngest-ever British RX title-winner last year, aged just 18-years-old, while he also secured wins in the RX2e series for all-electric cars in Riga and Belgium.

For 2023 he has come into the wider Hansen Motorsport family as part #YellowSquad, as he progresses to race a Peugeot 208 WRX in the FIA European Rallycross Championship and Motorsport UK British Rallycross Championship 5 Nations Trophy.

O’Donovan’s family-run effort, Team RX Racing, will operate the Peugeot 208 WRX through 2023, but the rising star will receive experience and support from #YellowSquad in his exploits.

While Hansen Motorsport is focused on alternative energies with its primary programmes and the all-electric new era of the World Rallycross Championship, assisting young talents to become the stars of the future is a core part of the company’s wider policy through #YellowSquad. Based on his previous performances, O’Donovan fills that role perfectly.

Euro RX will be run over six rounds in 2023, starting with a standalone event in Hungary later this month, before joining World RX for five further rounds in Portugal, Norway, Sweden, Belgium and Germany. The British Rallycross Championship runs events in England, Wales, Ireland and France, with the opening round of the season taking place a Lydden Hill this weekend (April 8 & 10) where O’Donovan will race the Peugeot 208 WRX for the first time.

Patrick O’Donovan, #YellowSquad driver, said: “My family has a lot of history in motor sport and rallycross so to be supported #YellowSquad this year, and all the success and experience that comes from the Hansen family is very special for me. The car is an absolute beast and it feels really good to be in a position where we can head into Euro RX and 5 Nations BRX with competitive equipment. We really worked hard on assessing what to do this year, and I think this is a great step forward in my career.

“Ultimately my goal is to be in the World Championship and hopefully fight for the title, so these years are all about gaining as much experience as possible. I believe racing the Peugeot 208 WRX in RX1 will do just that. I know some of the circuits now from my time in RX2e and in 5 Nations BRX, and I can’t wait to get racing this weekend at Lydden Hill. Going to the Hansen Motorsport workshop last week was special, while we’re running the car in our own team this year we have a special relationship and it’s amazing to be aligned them.”

Kevin Hansen, #YellowSquad Founder, said: “We’re really pleased to have Patrick in our #YellowSquad line-up for 2023. He was one of the front-runners in RX2e last year and he’s the British Rallycross Champion in Supercar, so for sure he is one of the future stars of rallycross. At 18-years-old he’s super-talented so we’re beyond excited that he has come into the #YellowSquad family.

“Team RX Racing will run his operations in one of our previous internal combustion engine Peugeot 208 WRXs, so we look forward to seeing how he gets on and we will support him throughout his campaign as a driver. Hopefully he can challenge for the European title – he has the talent and good experience for his age. We know the 208 is a good car so we hope he can find his feet in it and challenge for victories.”