Monaco’s Port Herculis witnessed unprecedented drama on Friday as a high-speed collision between two RaceBirds forced officials to abandon qualifying for the first time in E1 World Championship history.
The crash involved championship leaders Team Rafa and Team Brazil by Claure Group, leaving pilot Tom Chiappe’s craft severely damaged and taking on water. Tennis legend Rafael Nadal watched in horror from the sidelines as his team’s title hopes took a potentially decisive blow.
“It was scary,” Rafael Nadal revealed after witnessing the collision. “Seeing it in real-time, I was worried for Tom. From the sidelines it looked dangerous. The main thing is he’s okay, he’s healthy. Everything else doesn’t matter when you go through something like this.”
Chiappe managed to leap clear of his RaceBird to waiting safety crews as it began taking on water, whilst co-pilot Cris Lazarraga could only watch in agony from the paddock.
Championship implications
The crash represents a crushing setback for Team Rafa, who entered the weekend as championship leaders. With qualifying points allocated based on completed time trials, they now face Saturday’s race from eighth position on the grid—a mountain to climb comparing to the position of one of their closest rivals, the Aoki Racing Team, who will start from fourth.
Team Brady managed to secure pole position ahead of Team Blue Rising in second and Team Drogba in third. Aoki Racing Team secured fourth place, with Westbrook Racing fifth and Team AIUIa by LeBron James sixth. Team Brazil by Claure Group, despite their involvement in the collision, finished seventh, one place ahead of the damaged Team Rafa boat in eighth. Team Miami rounded out the field in ninth position.
Monaco Life’s Kyriaki Topalidou was there! See more in her video below…
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Main photo credit: Sca Events/E1