Team Blue Rising pulled off a sensational victory at Monaco on Saturday, claiming their first-ever E1 World Championship win. Cricket legend Virat Kohli’s team staged a remarkable comeback from what looked like a hopeless position to cross the line ahead of Team Brady and Team Brazil by Claure Group.
The victory moves team Blue Rising to fourth in the championship standings with 114 points, keeping them firmly in the hunt as the reason reaches its climax. More significantly, it allows defending champions Team Brady to reclaim the overall lead with 135 points—though they hold just a single point advantage over Team Rafa’s 134 points.
Exclusive: Inside the winning strategy
Speaking exclusively to Monaco Life’s Kyriaki Topalidou after their breakthrough victory, Team Blue Rising’s pilots were still processing their historic achievement.
“Absolutely. Through the moon,” Sara Misir beamed when asked about securing their first win. “Over the moon. Did we even land on the moon?” she joked with her co-pilot John Peeters, to which he replied “I think we overshot it. We went almost until the sun. Yeah. It was pretty special.”
The team also revealed how they orchestrated their comeback after Team Brazil had established early dominance. Sara Misir, explaining their tactical masterstroke, said: “There’s a lot of strategy that goes into these races. It’s a matter of putting in good times. We were able to get John into some clean water; he achieved some solid times, and he was catching up and closing that gap. So, we were just waiting to see one of them make a mistake, and that’s what we really capitalised on and went for it, and came out first.”
The race featured multiple lap configurations—long lap, short lap, and regular lap—each demanding different approaches. “There’s theories how to do that, different deltas for the laps, and you’re able to capitalise on it. We all race in the same water, so it was just part of the deal. Make the most of it.” John Peeters explained.
Survival mode in Monaco waters
Monaco’s water conditions on Saturday tested every team to breaking point.
“It was massively difficult,” the team told Monaco Life. “You know, John brought it home because he called it himself. It was like Seatte waters. I guess this is what you’re used to in the boating world,” Misir added.
When asked how Monaco compared to other E1 race locations, the pair were candid about the challenge: “I think it definitely challenged us. It challenged everybody, but we clearly won, so we like it. I thought it was survival mode out there, so it was very interesting, and I didn’t expect anything different from Monaco.”
The team also acknowledged the conditions were particularly brutal this year: “This was rougher than last year for sure, but we knew that it was going to be part of the strategy.”
Happy but grounded
Despite their euphoria, Team Blue Rising remain grounded about what lies ahead. When asked whether this breakthrough victory gave them confidence for future races, their response revealed the mentality that may have been key to their success.
“No. I mean, we’ve always had the morale of a team where it doesn’t matter what we do today — tomorrow’s a new day, and anything can change. It’s just a matter of how hard we’re ready to work and bring home what we can,” Misir explained.
Alongside their victory in the Monaco E1 race, John Peeters was recognised with the PIF Driver of the Race award. He and co-pilot Sara Misir accepted the team’s trophy on the podium from E1 founder and chairman Alejandro Agag, marking a rewarding conclusion to their steady climb toward this milestone result.
Stay updated with Monaco Life: sign up for our free newsletter, catch our podcast on Spotify, and follow us across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok.
Main photo credit: Shiv Gohil / Spacesuit Media