Ali Russell [#72]: Extreme H and the Next Era of Sustainable Racing [Innovation with Leanne Bats]

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Oct 3, 2025

Ali Russell, Managing Director of Extreme H and veteran in sustainable motorsport, shares his journey from football to the thrilling world of racing. He dives into the innovative shift from electric to hydrogen-powered racing, emphasizing its potential to redefine sustainability. With insights on creating a mixed-gender racing format and the challenges behind founding Extreme E, Ali highlights the importance of using motorsport to raise climate awareness. His vision for Extreme H's World Cup format promises an exciting future for eco-friendly racing.

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ANECDOTE

From Football To Motorsport

Ali Russell moved from football club roles into motorsport after being introduced to key figures like Flavio Briatore and Alejandro Agag.
He describes running QPR as an intense seven-month rollercoaster that taught him invaluable business lessons.

INSIGHT

Racing Accelerates EV R&D

Formula E started when electric road cars were unaspirational and technically limited.
Racing forced rapid innovation in batteries and regeneration, turning EV racing viable within a few seasons.

ADVICE

Start Imperfect To Drive Progress

Start projects even if they are imperfect to create pressure that drives innovation.
Use competition and engineering focus to rapidly improve technology rather than waiting for perfection.

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On today’s episode of the Sports Innovation Podcast, Andy is joined by Ali Russell, Managing Director of Extreme H, the world’s first hydrogen off-road racing championship.

Ali has spent the past decade shaping the future of motorsport. As part of the founding team behind Formula E and later as Chief Marketing Officer of Extreme E, he’s been instrumental in proving that sport can be both thrilling and a testbed for sustainability. Now, as Managing Director, he’s leading Extreme E’s bold evolution into Extreme H, a pioneering move from electric to hydrogen-powered racing with global ambitions.

In this conversation, Ali shares his journey from football into motorsport, the innovations driving Extreme E and Extreme H, and the thinking behind the shift to hydrogen. He also reveals details of the series’ new World Cup format and why he believes Extreme H can redefine sustainable motorsport for the next generation.

Timestamps

03:00 – Ali’s Background and Motorsport Journey
06:00 - Founding Formula E and Leveraging Motorsport to Accelerate Innovation
16:00 - The Birth of Extreme E
23:00 - Innovations and Gender Equality in Motorsport
29:00 - Transition to Extreme H and Hydrogen Technology

Additional Links

Extreme H MD interview: ‘This is the most exciting motorsport proposition in 30 years’ - BlackBook Motorsport

About The Hosts

Leanne Bats is a future of sports architect, blending creativity, technology, fandom, and purpose to shape the industry’s evolution. Having led Innovation at New Zealand Rugby, pioneering emerging technologies to deepen connections with the iconic teams in black and she is now drives transformative initiatives as Head of Digital & Innovation at Sport Waikato. She also authors the newsletter OuterSport, a commentary on the future of sport.

Andy Marston is the founder of Sports Pundit, a community and media platform for sports and technology executives. Through a weekly newsletter, podcast network, lively group chat, and regular social events, he shares industry analysis and connects leaders across the sector. Alongside Sports Pundit, Andy leads Corporate Venture at athlete-backed venture firm, The Players Fund, where he works with high-profile sports IP such as Como 1907 to design venture strategies and drive innovation initiatives.

About Sports Pundit

Sports Pundit is a community-driven platform for executives working in sport, built around content, events, and conversation. Through its weekly newsletter, social channels, WhatsApp groups, and podcast network, it connects industry leaders across the globe.

At the heart of the platform is the Sports Pundit Podcast Network, a multi-show lineup created for sports executives, by sports executives. The network features six domain-specific podcasts spanning innovation, marketing, finance, performance, and media, alongside a conversational companion show, The Pitch. Together, they deliver insider perspectives that live up to Sports Pundit’s mission to be “The Voice of the Sports Industry.”

Produced by OH SIX

The Sports Pundit Podcast is proudly produced by OH SIX, a content marketing agency specialising in producing digital and social-first content that connects. Trusted by Premier League clubs, F1 teams, and top brands, OH SIX deliver premium content end-to-end, from ideation, working with talent during production and platform specific content to reach audiences on screen.