Ten days after the dramatic crash that sent shockwaves through the E1 World Championship, Team Rafa pilot Tom Chiappe opens up in an exclusive interview with Monaco Life’s Kyriaki Topalidou, revealing the split-second decisions that saved his life and how the incident has united the team.
The French pilot was forced to abandon his sinking RaceBird after a high-speed collision with Team Brazil during the qualifying at Port Hercule on 20th July — the first time in E1 history that qualifying had to be abandoned due to a crash.
“Everything happened in a fraction of a second”
Recounting those terrifying final moments, Chiappe described how quickly events unfolded:“I remember hearing a few words from my radio operator in my headset — ‘Watch out, watch out’ — and then, boom. Despite the warning, everything happened in a fraction of a second. The crash was inevitable.”
The impact was so violent that water immediately began flooding the boat. “In less than a minute, the water was coming in,” Chiappe recalled. “So, I untied myself and executed the exit procedure I had been trained for at the E1 Pilot Academy.”
The dramatic footage shows Chiappe leaping clear of his damaged RaceBird as it began taking on water, while team owner Rafael Nadal watched in horror from the sidelines.
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No regrets over racing incident
“Looking back, I do not believe we would have done anything differently,” Chiappe told Monaco Life. “My sporting director and team members provide me with all the information I need to attempt overtakes as safely as possible. None of us could have predicted that the Team Brazil driver would choose to change course at that moment and find himself perpendicular to me at full speed.”
The collision proved costly for Team Rafa’s championship ambitions. Having entered the Monaco weekend as championship leaders, they were forced to start Saturday’s race from eighth position on the grid—a mountain to climb that ultimately saw Team Blue Rising claim their first-ever E1 victory whilst Team Brady reclaimed the championship lead.
The unique challenge of Monaco
Chiappe also provided insight into what makes the Monaco E1 race so special — and so treacherous. “The E1 Monaco race is unlike any other. Every pilot dreams of winning this race once in their career,” he explained. “The pressure and the stakes are felt like nowhere else, with several team owners in attendance to watch the race.”
This year’s conditions were particularly brutal, with Chiappe describing “waves, very choppy waters, wind” that made the already complex RaceBirds even more challenging to handle.
“The E1 RaceBird literally flies above the water, and you have to keep it afloat for as long as you can, to go as fast as possible,” he explained. “If you add tricky weather conditions to that and choppy waters, the difficulty of piloting it increases.”
Mental reset after championship blow
The phycological challenge of bouncing back from such a setback while leading the championship is unfathomable, but Chiappe demonstrated the mindset that has made him one of E1’s top pilots.
“We know very well that in motorsport competitions, these things happen,” he reflected. “However, the team and all its members are leaving Monaco stronger and closer together. We all had a challenging weekend, but everyone supported each other.”
Perhaps most significantly, Chiappe revealed how tennis legend Rafael Nadal’s presence during the weekend proved to be a source of strength rather than additional pressure.
“Rafa’s presence during the E1 championship race in Monaco was a blessing and a wonderful moment,” Chiappe explained. “Unfortunately, we would have liked to celebrate a victory together, but the accident deprived us of that opportunity. However, I think the moment we shared together was even more powerful.”
The pilot described how Nadal’s reaction to the crash brought the entire team closer: “Rafa and my team members were all shocked, frustrated, and disappointed by the accident. But we were all able to count on Rafa’s support and encouragement to keep going and move forward. The incident brought us together and we are now so much more than a team: we are a family.”
Eyes on Lagos revenge
With the championship very much still alive—Team Brady leads with 135 points to Team Rafa’s 134—Chiappe is already looking ahead to the next round in Lagos, Portugal.
“The team and I have one goal: to become Champions of the Water this year,” he declared. “We’re working hard to prepare for the upcoming races, and I have full confidence in our abilities for the end of the season.”
When asked whether the Monaco setback would change their approach, Chiappe was emphatic: “I do not think the Monaco result has affected our competitiveness or determination in any way. The team cohesion we have within E1 Team Rafa has grown stronger now, and each member, including myself, is looking forward to one thing: getting our revenge in Lagos!”.
As the E1 World Championship heads towards its conclusion, Tom Chiappe and Team Rafa have shown that sometimes the greatest victories come not from crossing the finish line first, but from how you respond when everything goes wrong.
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Main photo credit: Francois Asal / Spacesuit Media