The new Extreme E series will req💧uire all of its participating teams to field both a male and female driver in their two-person line-ups.

The all-electric off-road racing ❀series has c🔯laimed a first in world motorsport with the move which promotes gender equality and a level playing field amongst competitors.

Each driver will complete one of the two la𝓰ps around the 20km courses. Five events are planned for the inaugural Extreme E 🔜season, with the series set to begin in January next year.

Extreme E founder and CEO Alejandro Agag💛 said: “This is a first in motor racing.

“We are ensuring with our sporting format that drivers of all backgrounds will be able to compete with the ♎same tools at their disposal at 💎every event on the calendar.

“We are striving for equality, and this sporting form🦩at i🌟s the truest reflection of that goal.

“Everybody will race together and th♉e most effective combination of drivers, team, engineer and car will rise to the top.”

Three female drivers are already signed up t🔴o compete in the championship, including 2019 W Series champion and Williams Formula 1 development driver Jamie Chadwick.

IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar driver Katherine Legge, who was the fℱirst woman to compete in Formula E, and S✃wedish touring car driver Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky are also assigned to the series.

Former rally driver turned president of the FIA women in motorsport commission, Michele M💧outon, described the initiative as a “great opportunity for women and men to team up, compete together and against each other with the same material”.

“Alejandro [Agag] and his team continue to really support gender equality in our sport with concrete actions th🌳at help highlight the ability of female racers and give them a chance,” Mouton added.

“It will be interesting to see the team line-ups as they are anno𝓡unced and I look forward to following Season One when it starts early nex🌠t year.”