Sara Price and Lucas Ordóñez repeated their 2024 victory on the lake to record Westbrook’s second-ever E1 win, overpowering the competition across both Finals to put Smith’s team firmly in command of the standings. The result was all the more impressive given the day had begun with adversity, Price picking up damage in the early stages that required repairs before the team regrouped to take victory in both Final 1 and Final 2.
It had not been a straightforward path to the podium. Westbrook had qualified second behind Team AlUla, championed by NBA icon LeBron James, after AlUla’s Rusty Wyatt and Nerea Martí combined for a composed qualifying performance to take pole position. Wyatt credited a strong second lap for securing the top spot after a scrappy opening run, while Martí described it as her first pole in the team’s colours.
Qualifying had also proven a bruising session for the Championship’s early pacesetters. Aoki Racing Team and Team Brady arrived in Como sitting first and second in the standings following Round 1 in Jeddah, yet both were eliminated in Q2 alongside Team Blue Rising and Team Rafa, leaving all four with work to do from the back of the grid on race day.
Team Brady’s Emma Kimiläinen was further hampered in Final 1, colliding with a course mark and damaging her E1 RaceBird. Teammate Sam Coleman held it together to bring the boat home in third, which proved enough for Brady to claim the final podium spot and remain within striking distance at the top of the standings.
The performance of the day away from the winner’s circle belonged to John Peeters for Virat Kohli’s Team Blue Rising. Entering the weekend at the foot of the Championship, the American pilot produced two remarkable starts from the outside lane to lead in both races, earning the PIF Pilot of the Day Award and helping Blue Rising climb to second place overall on the day.
The race weekend also marked the debut appearance of two high-profile new team owners. Thibaut Courtois, the Real Madrid goalkeeper, and NBA star Kyle Kuzma attended as co-owners of newcomers Sierra Racing Club, experiencing the UIM E1 World Championship presented by PIF for the first time. Both were given a warm welcome into the team owner fold. “My brother Thibaut!! Welcome to the club!!” wrote Aoki in the group chat, while Brady, characteristically direct, greeted Courtois with his famous nickname: “The Wall! Thibaut!! Join the party.”
Despite the friendly rivalry between team owners, it was the competition on the water that took centre stage. LeBron James was among the first to congratulate his E1 rival after the race, messaging in the team owner group chat: “Congratulations Will, amazing job by your team.” Smith, jubilant after the result, joked in response: “Wait, why’s Brady declining my calls?”
With the Championship now firmly alive heading into the European leg of the season, Westbrook lead on 60 points, with Brady (57), Aoki (55) and AlUla (46) all within reach. Just 14 points separate the top four. The series now heads to Dubrovnik for Round 3.
Lake Como GP — Round 2 Results
| Pos | Team | Pilots | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Westbrook Racing | Sara Price & Lucas Ordóñez | 41 |
| 2 | Team Blue Rising | Mashael Alobaidan & John Peeters | 30 |
| 3 | Team Brady | Emma Kimiläinen & Sam Coleman | 24 |
| 4 | Team AlUla championed by LeBron James | Nerea Martí & Rusty Wyatt | 22 |
| 5 | Aoki Racing Team | Sara Misir & Dani Clos | 15 |
| 6 | Team Monaco | Oban Duncan & Maxime Nocher | 13 |
| 7 | Team Drogba Global Africa | Tara Pacheco & Micah Wilkinson | 9 |
| 8 | Sierra Racing Club | Catie Munnings & Erik Stark | 7 |
| 9 | Team Miami powered by Magnus | Rianna O’Meara-Hunt & Timmy Hansen | 5 |
| 10 | Team Rafa | Cris Lazarraga & Tom Chiappe | 3 |
2026 E1 Series Championship Standings — After Round 2
| Pos | Team | Pilots | R1 | R2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Westbrook Racing | Price & Ordóñez | 19 | 41 | 60 |
| 2 | Team Brady | Kimiläinen & Coleman | 33 | 24 | 57 |
| 3 | Aoki Racing Team | Misir & Clos | 40 | 15 | 55 |
| 4 | Team AlUla championed by LeBron James | Martí & Wyatt | 24 | 22 | 46 |
| 5 | Team Blue Rising | Alobaidan & Peeters | 8 | 30 | 38 |
| 6 | Sierra Racing Club | Munnings & Stark | 15 | 7 | 22 |
| 7 | Team Monaco | Duncan & Nocher | 5 | 13 | 18 |
| 8 | Team Rafa | Lazarraga & Chiappe | 13 | 3 | 16 |
| 9 | Team Miami powered by Magnus | O’Meara-Hunt & Hansen | 9 | 5 | 14 |
| 10 | Team Drogba Global Africa | Pacheco & Wilkinson | 3 | 9 | 12 |
