Meta description: Team Brady seal the inaugural E1 Series Season 1 championship after a thrilling finale in Miami, marking a milestone for electric boat racing.
A new era on the water
The Season 1 E1 Series was more than a sporting experiment. It was the world’s first international championship for electric foiling raceboats; a blend of competition, sustainability, and showmanship that turned heads from Jeddah to Miami.
Founded by motorsport innovators Alejandro Agag and Rodi Basso, the E1 Series shares DNA with Formula E and Extreme E, aiming to prove that speed and sustainability can coexist. Each team runs identical RaceBird craft, designed by SeaBird Technologies and Victory Marine, with twin hydrofoils and zero-emission propulsion.
Each team also fields two pilots, one male and one female, racing in alternate heats. The format produces short, aggressive races filled with spray, strategy and split-second decisions on whether to take the long or short lap for clean water.
The ownership line-up reads like a celebrity roll-call: Tom Brady, Rafael Nadal, Steve Aoki, Will Smith, Didier Drogba, and Sergio Pérez among them, each bringing global visibility to an emerging sport.
How the season unfolded
Jeddah – Aoki Racing Team opens the account
The series launched in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in January 2025. Steve Aoki’s crew, Aoki Racing Team, took the early lead with pilots Dani Clos and Mashael Alobaidan claiming victory after a tense double-final format. Their win underlined the pace potential of the RaceBird and the appeal of E1’s format: short, foiling, and unpredictable.
Doha – Team Rafa fights back
In February, Team Rafa, led by tennis legend Rafael Nadal, struck back at the Visit Qatar E1 Doha GP. Pilots Cris Lazarraga and Tom Chiappe delivered the Spaniard’s first win, propelling the team into the championship lead. “It was an incredible weekend for us,” Lazarraga said afterwards. “We showed that we can fight with the best.”
Dubrovnik – Aoki Racing Team’s double delight
June’s Dubrovnik GP saw Aoki Racing recover from long-lap penalties to take another stunning win on Croatia’s Adriatic coast. The team’s resilience, and Clos’s Formula-1-honed control, lifted them back into the points lead and proved that consistency mattered more than raw pace.
Lago Maggiore – Team Brady strikes back>/h3>
Late June brought the turning point. Team Brady, driven by Sam Coleman and Emma Kimiläinen, dominated the Lago Maggiore GP in northern Italy. After a mixed start to the year, the pair found their rhythm and began a charge that would carry them to championship glory.
“Every time we get on the water we learn something new,” Coleman said. “By Italy, we knew how to make the RaceBird fly.”
Miami – a champion’s finish
The grand finale in Miami delivered a fitting climax. Four teams: Team Brady, Team Rafa, Team Blue Rising, and Aoki Racing all had a mathematical shot at the crown. Nadal’s Team Rafa briefly closed the gap in qualifying, trimming Team Brady’s lead to just two points. But once racing began, there was no stopping the defending champions.
In Group A, Will Smith’s Westbrook Racing stole an early win, but Team Brady’s Sam Coleman stormed through Group B by 38 seconds before Kimiläinen matched the performance in hers. Their momentum carried into the finals where, despite a spirited fight from Team Rafa, Coleman and Kimiläinen executed near-flawless runs to take both the Miami GP win and the overall Season 1 E1 Series title.
“The calls, the strategies; everything went super-well today,” Kimiläinen said, moments after climbing from her cockpit. “Sam, you crushed it. Absolutely crushed it.”
“We’ve learned from our mistakes earlier in the season,” added Coleman. “Every time we’ve gone on the water we’ve improved. So look out, Season 2.”
Final standings
Team Brady’s double triumph in Miami confirmed their second consecutive title, finishing on 195 points. Team Rafa followed on 184, Blue Rising on 169, and Aoki Racing fourth with 149.
Westbrook Racing, owned by actor Will Smith and piloted by Sara Price and Lucas Ordóñez, rounded out the top five, while Team Brazil by Claure Group and Team Drogba Global Africa tied on points just behind.
The results reflected not only competitive balance but also the breadth of talent involved, from ex-Formula 1 testers and Olympic sailors (Kiwi connection, Micah Wilkinson, is an Olympic medalist and renowned Nacra sailor Micah Wilkinson who drives for Team Drogba) to newcomers like Sara Misir, who impressed with consistent speed across multiple rounds.
Technology and spectacle
At the heart of the E1 Series lies the RaceBird, a 7-metre electric hydrofoil capable of speeds over 90 km/h, powered by a 150 kW battery system. It rises on carbon foils, slicing through chop while conserving energy and creating virtually no wake.
Each venue provided unique challenges, from the flat waters of the Persian Gulf to the breeze-kicked Mediterranean, giving teams valuable data on battery performance, cooling systems, and foil trim. Technical parity meant every edge came from setup precision and pilot teamwork.
The E1’s partnership with sustainability initiatives such as the Blue Impact Programme and the Sport for Nature Charter reinforces its mission: to accelerate clean-marine innovation and inspire coastal cities to adopt electric transport on water.
A championship built on personality
Beyond the technology, Season 1 E1 Series thrived on personality. Tom Brady’s leadership lent the championship the confidence of a veteran winner. Rafael Nadal’s passion gave it heart. Steve Aoki’s energy made it cool.
For Kiwi followers, the sport’s crossover with powerboat racing and foiling yachts felt familiar. Many drew comparisons to SailGP’s precision, with the same electric excitement and rapid-fire tactics, only this time on a smaller, more intimate stage.
Legacy and what comes next
The inaugural E1 season achieved what many doubted possible: a full international electric-boat championship that was fast, competitive, and commercially viable. Crowds grew at every stop, and the broadcast footprint expanded with new streaming partnerships.
“It’s a new era for racing,” said co-founder Rodi Basso. “We’re showing that electric mobility can thrill spectators while protecting the waters we race on.”
For Season 2, organisers promise more teams, more venues, and even closer racing. The Pilot Academy will expand, nurturing new talent from countries looking to join the grid, and updated RaceBirds are expected to deliver greater range and responsiveness.
As the foils settle and the batteries cool after Miami, the verdict is clear. The Season 1 E1 Series didn’t just introduce a new sport, it redefined what powerboat racing can look like in a cleaner, faster future.
