Hedda Hosås

Hedda Hosås
NationalityNorway Norway
Born (2001-03-02) 2 March 2001 (age 23)
Voss, Norway
Extreme E career
Debut season2022
Former teamsVeloce Racing, JBXE, McLaren XE
Starts15
Wins0
Podiums1
Poles0
Best finish9th in 2023

Hedda Hosås (born 2 March 2001) is a Norwegian rallycross driver who currently serves as the development driver for the future Extreme H series. She most recently competed for McLaren in the 2023 Extreme E season.[1][2]

Biography

Early career

Having initially started in motocross at the age of 15, Hosås got into car racing a year later when her dad introduced her to it. She ended up preferring the latter, but difficulties with budget and facilities led to her working as a mechanic to fund her career and travelling large distances only to train.[3] With help from local sponsors and the mentorship of FIA World Rallycross Championship driver Ulrik Linnemann,[4] she went to Denmark to race and test,[5] where she caught the eye of Veloce Racing team manager Ian Davies, who signed her as the team's reserve driver for the 2021 Extreme E Championship.[6][7]

Extreme E

Hosås was later named as the championship's reserve driver for the 2022 season-opening Desert X-Prix after usual reserve Tamara Molinaro was drafted in to race for Xite Energy Racing.[8][9] Hosås herself ended up making her debut in the same event as a replacement for Veloce's Christine GZ, who injured herself in Q1.[10] Partnering South African Lance Woolridge, they finished fourth in the crazy race and placed 10th overall.[11] In July she was called up by Jenson Button's JBXE team for the following round in Sardinia, making up the youngest lineup in the grid with Kevin Hansen.[12] The pair made it through to the final and later picked up a podium on their first race together, with third place at the Island X-Prix after a penalty for on-track winners Rosberg X Racing.[13][14] Hosås would see out the season with JBXE, first alongside Hansen and later with Fraser McConnell, and eventually finished 12th in the drivers' championship.

Hosås remained with JBXE for the 2023 season, being paired with Formula One race winner Heikki Kovalainen and later countryman Andreas Bakkerud.[15] Having secured two best finishes of fifth in the first part of the season, she moved to McLaren XE after the autumn break to replace Emma Gilmour, who was recovering from a crash in Sardinia.[16] At her debut race in Antofagasta, Hosås and teammate Tanner Foust made the final on both days and achieved McLaren's first ever qualifying heat win in the series.[17]

Extreme H

Hosås was chosen as the development driver for Extreme H, the hydrogen-powered off-road series set to replace Extreme E in 2025.[18][19] She performed a test run with the new car, Spark Racing Technology's Pioneer 25, during the 2024 Hydro X-Prix in Scotland.[20]

Racing record

Complete Extreme E results

(key)

Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Pos. Points
2022 Veloce Racing Spark ODYSSEY 21 DES
10 		12th 25
JBXE ISL1
3 		ISL2
8 		COP
8 		ENE
9
2023 JBXE Spark ODYSSEY 21 DES
1
8 		DES
2
10 		HYD
1
9 		HYD
2
6 		ISL1
1
10 		ISL1
2
5 		ISL2
1
7 		ISL2
2
5 		9th 60
Neom McLaren Extreme E Team COP
1
4 		COP
2
5

References

  1. ^ "Hedda Hosås (21) på farta i Noreg, Danmark, Frankrike og Italia. – Det må skje noko heile tida". Avisa Hordaland (in Norwegian). 30 April 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  2. ^ Strebelow, Vivien (31 March 2022). "Hedda Hosås: "I could race around the same track multiple times & not get tired of it - like never!"". Racers - Behind the Helmet. Archived from the original on 31 March 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  3. ^ ""Ukjente" Hedda (21) kjører mot superstjerner: – Ganske sykt". TV 2 Sport (in Norwegian). 27 March 2022. Archived from the original on 21 April 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  4. ^ "Hedda (20) fra Voss får unik testmulighet i serien som har tiltrukket flere av verdens største bilsportstjerner". Parc Fermé (in Norwegian). 8 October 2021. Archived from the original on 4 July 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  5. ^ "Med støtte frå familien markerte Hedda Hosås seg i Danmark. – Eg er superglad". Avisa Hordaland (in Norwegian). 2 June 2022. Archived from the original on 4 July 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  6. ^ "Hedda (20) fra Voss satser på el-racing: – Jeg har fått drømmesjansen". Verdens Gang (in Norwegian). 8 January 2022. Archived from the original on 15 April 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  7. ^ "Veloce Racing continues quest to identify best female talent in motorsport with signing of Hedda Hosås for Extreme E rookie test". Veloce Racing. 30 September 2021. Archived from the original on 4 July 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  8. ^ "No satsar Hedda Hosås (20) på heiltid. Snart reiser ho til Dubai for å køyra i sand". Avisa Hordaland (in Norwegian). 3 February 2022. Archived from the original on 3 February 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  9. ^ Nguyen, Justin (17 February 2022). "Romain Dumas, Hedda Hosas named guest Championship Drivers for Desert X Prix". The Checkered Flag. Archived from the original on 23 February 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  10. ^ "X44 remain unbeaten in Qualifying as they take the top spot in NEOM". Extreme E. 19 February 2022. Archived from the original on 4 July 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  11. ^ "Hedda Hosås (20) debuterte i Extreme E. – Eg er glad eg fekk sjansen". Avisa Hordaland (in Norwegian). 21 February 2022. Archived from the original on 21 February 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  12. ^ Nguyen, Justin (1 July 2022). "Hedda Hosas answers JBXE call for Sardinia". The Checkered Flag. Archived from the original on 1 July 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  13. ^ Whitfield, Steve (7 July 2022). "Island X-Prix: Ganassi takes maiden Extreme E win after Rosberg penalty". Autosport. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  14. ^ "ACM announces appeal decision on NEOM Island X Prix I". Extreme E - The Electric Odyssey. 19 August 2022. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  15. ^ Næss Hagen, Simen (3 March 2023). "Formel 1-stjerne putter norske Hedda (22) i tospann med tidligere Formel 1-vinner". Parc Fermé (in Norwegian). Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  16. ^ Wilde, Dominik (21 November 2023). "Hosaas to race for McLaren at Extreme E finale". RACER.com. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
  17. ^ "2023 Copper X Prix I & II". McLaren. 4 December 2023. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
  18. ^ Carosella, Vitas (27 June 2024). "Extreme E Becomes Extreme H, Launching Hydrogen-Powered Motorsports". Forbes. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
  19. ^ Fernández, Patxi (1 July 2024). "Pioneer 25, el todoterreno de hidrógeno que competirá en los ecosistemas más duros del mundo". ABC (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 July 2024.
  20. ^ Laity, Edward (15 July 2024). "Hydrogen-powered Pioneer 25 debuts in Scotland". H2 View. Retrieved 15 July 2024.