Team Rafa, the all-electric racing boat team backed by tennis icon Rafael Nadal, has secured its inaugural victory in the UIM E1 World Championship at the Visit Qatar Doha GP. The pioneering electric powerboat racing series, presented by PIF and featuring celebrity-led teams and a strong commitment to sustainability, is now in its second season, following a successful launch and reception in 2024.
Despite consistently earning podium finishes since the championship’s inception, Team Rafa had yet to claim a race win until the Visit Qatar Doha GP over the weekend.
The team, piloted by Spaniard Cris Lazarraga and Frenchman Tom Chiappe, delivered a stellar performance, crossing the finish line first in front of the thousands of fans who had gathered along Pearl Island to witness the Visit Qatar E1 Doha GP. Steve Aoki’s Aoki Racing Team came in second, followed by Didier Drogba’s Team Drogba in third.
Their triumph places Team Rafa at the top of the championship standings, ahead of Aoki Racing Team, which secured victory in Jeddah last month and now sits second in the table, and Will Smith’s Westbrook Racing in third. Hollywood star and team owner Smith was among the notable figures at the event in Doha over the weekend. His team took fourth.
Meanwhile, the reigning champions, Team Brady, backed by NFL legend Tom Brady, experienced mixed fortunes during the finals. Finnish pilot Emma Kimiläinen posted the fastest time in Final 1, but teammate Sam Coleman struggled to maintain the momentum in Final 2 after incurring a time penalty for hitting a race marker. He ultimately finished in fifth place.
Reflecting on the victory, Team Rafa’s Lazarraga, who was named PIF Pilot of the Race, became emotional in her post-race interview.
“For the last year, we’ve been looking for this win. We were determined to win. This is our mantra. Everything went smoothly, and after so much hard work, this is where we deserve to be,” she shared.
See more: Yacht Club de Monaco launches E1 Pilot Academy for next-gen electric raceboat pilots
With a vision to revolutionise marine transportation, the UIM E1 World Championship goes beyond traditional racing. By introducing charging stations at race venues and prioritising clean technologies, E1 is spearheading efforts to protect and regenerate coastal waters, paving the way for greener marine practices whilst still retaining the thrill and fun of powerboat racing.
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Photo credit: Birgit Dieryck / Spacesuit Media