The 2026 UIM E1 World Championship opened in emphatic fashion in Jeddah, with Aoki Racing Team delivering a controlled victory to claim maximum points at the first round of the season.
Staged across qualifying on Friday 23 January and racing on Saturday 24 January, the opening event of the world’s first all-electric powerboat championship immediately highlighted how fine the margins have become in E1 racing.
At the heart of the series is the RaceBird, a 7.5-metre, single-seat electric hydrofoil capable of lifting clear of the water and reaching speeds close to 50 knots. Powered by a 200bhp electric motor and advanced battery systems, the RaceBird, like other foiling race boats, rewards precision, energy management, and clean air more than brute force.
Team Blue Rising (owned by Virat Kohli) set the outright fastest lap of the weekend, stopping the clock at 1:03.657, the quickest time recorded across all races and earning the fastest lap point
Team AlUla, championed by LeBron James, followed closely with a best of 1:05.847, while Team Rafa (Rafa Nadal) and Westbrook Racing (Will Smith) both dipped into the low 1:06 range, underlining how tightly packed the field had become.
Aoki Racing Team (Steve Aoki) did not top the timing sheets on raw pace, but their consistency stood out. Across group racing and finals, Dani Clos and Sara Misir repeatedly circulated in the 1:08–1:09 bracket, avoiding costly penalties and keeping long laps to controlled phases of the race.
Saturday’s racing proved decisive. In the group stages, Team Miami (Marc Anthony) showed early promise, with laps in the 1:06.7–1:06.8 range, but penalties and lane infringements dropped them into the Race Off, where their challenge ultimately stalled.
The finals delivered the defining moments. In Final 1, Dani Clos produced a measured drive for Aoki Racing Team, opening with a 1:13.425 before dropping into the low 1:08s, including consecutive laps of 1:08.114 and 1:08.117, securing the preferred inside lane for the deciding race.
Final 2 was settled early but not easily. Sara Misir and Team Rafa’s Cris Lazarraga went foil-to-foil into Turn One, with light contact as both fought for track position. Misir emerged ahead and immediately stabilised the race pace. Her fastest clean lap of the final, a 1:06.310, was within three tenths of the event’s fastest laps, but crucially, she maintained consistent gaps thereafter rather than chasing outright speed.
Behind her, the fight for the podium remained intense. Team Brady’s Emma Kimiläinen circulated steadily in the 1:06.9–1:08.9 window, keeping pressure on without risking penalties, while Team AlUla’s Rusty Wyatt backed up his strong group-stage form with laps in the 1:08.5–1:09.7 range to secure third place overall.
At the flag, Aoki Racing Team sealed victory and maximum points, finishing the Jeddah round with 40 points, including qualifying and Grand Prix scores. Team Brady sit second on 33 points, followed by Team AlUla on 24, with Westbrook Racing (19) and Sierra Racing Club (15) completing the top five.
The timing data from Jeddah underlined a clear reality of E1 racing. Although outright speed matters, it does not win events. The leading teams delivered consistent lap times, protected track position, and avoided penalties. In a race lasting only six or seven laps, a single long lap or lane infringement cost more than five seconds, far outweighing any advantage gained from a fastest lap that was often less than a second quicker.
Team Drogba, with Kiwi driver Micah Wilkinson, suffered a snapped engine mid-section on the first lap of the first race, which put them out of contention for the finals.
Two new teams, Sierra Racing Club (with drivers Eric Stark (Denmark) and New Zealander Rianna O’Meara-Hunt standing in for Catie Munnings (GBR)) and Team Monaco (with drivers Maxime Nocher (France), and Oban Duncan (GBR)), made their championship debuts in Jeddah and showed encouraging pace, both recording laps inside the 1:08–1:10 window. As the field continues to compress, those margins are expected to shrink further.
With the opening round complete, the E1 Series heads to the picturesque Lake Como (Italy) in mid-late April for round two.
