Mahindra Racing is set to air its four-episode original mini-series on the team's YouTube channel, starting Monday March 29 (18:00 UTC).
The Switch sees four world class athletes - Mahindra drivers Alex Lynn and Alexander Sims, and dancers Karen Hauer and Katie Priest - switch job roles and compete across several tough and entertaining challenges to find out who comes out on top.
Lynn and Sims will have to master the world of dance, whilst the dancers will be transformed into racing drivers. Episode 1 begins with the four athletes being split into pairs and tackling the first challenge at the Mahindra Racing factory - offering an insight into the lives of both the drivers and dancers, with a candid discussion shared between the pairings.
Karen is best known in the UK as a professional dancer on BBC flagship show Strictly Come Dancing as the show’s longest standing female professional, and is a World Mambo Champion. Katie began her career at the age of eight, appearing in the UK tour of ‘That’ll Be The Day’, and went on to compete in Latin and Ballroom competitions across the nation. She has performed in 26 Bollywood films and is regularly seen on dance tours and TV shows.
Dilbagh Gill, Mahindra Racing CEO and Team Principal, said: “We are extremely excited to be releasing ‘The Switch’ mini-series featuring our drivers. Karen Hauer was already a friend of the team, having been our guest at the New York race in 2019, and we’re delighted that she has joined us once again, this time to teach our boys some off-track skills!
"We’re also thrilled to welcome Katie Priest to the Mahindra family! In a first for Formula E, two top tier drivers will attempt an ambitious job-swap, joining forces with two incredible world-class dancing talent. I am certain the series will be a hit among fans of both the racing and dancing worlds. Enjoy!"
“I didn’t even hesitate when I heard about this idea; I jumped on it right away!" said Karen Hauer. "I thought it was cool teaching someone to dance and then me learning their skill, it really appealed - this was something that was completely different and obviously out of my comfort zone. Not a lot of people get to drive a Formula E car and be coached by the best. I’m a little bit of a daredevil and I love to learn new things. You’ll have to watch to see how I got on!”
“The most EPIC experience!" added Katie Priest. "To be able to see how much skill and determination goes into being a Formula E driver has been so inspiring. I’ve never felt nerves nor adrenaline like it, and also never had so much fun! I’ve been fortunate to experience some real pinch me moments so far in my life, and this definitely is the cherry on the cake!”
“I was fully out of my comfort zone switching jobs and I didn’t really know what I was letting myself in for! I wanted to give it my all and we’re competitive people, so you want to show your best," said Lynn. "It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed finding out about the similarities in focus and technique that are required across the two disciplines. It was a very different experience that I really enjoyed and it’ll be interesting to see if the viewers think I have what it takes to carry on in my new skill!”
“It was really good fun and actually very interesting to swap roles and experience a completely different activity," said Sims. "The whole team of people made it into a very cool event which only pushed me to be a better racing driver as I still haven’t found an alternative career!”