Motorsport is huge business, with F1 alone worth over 2 billion euros a year. However, they are often criticized for not being environmentally friendly, and even the glamor around them can't make up for that fact.
But come 2024, there will be an alternative that will take the world of luxury sports by storm. Enter the E1 Series, the world's first all-electric raceboat championship.
It has generated a lot of interest around the world since its huge launch to great fanfare in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia last month, and now it will add excitement to European waterways as the season continues.
Sanctioned by the International Motonautic Union (UIM), the international governing body for all powerboating activities, the E1 World Championship is unique in its vision.
compete and protect
It was founded not only to utilize the latest electrical technology to build a competitive water racing platform, but also to protect and restore both coastal communities and urban waters.
The team, made up of one male and one female pilot, will also race around European hotspots. They will be driving the RaceBird, the first-ever all-electric race boat.
Each boat uses state-of-the-art hydrofoil technology and can reach speeds of up to 80km/h or more.
Star-studded owner directory
Perhaps more interesting than the gender balance of the pilots, or indeed that the boats themselves are the owners of the teams.
It is owned by Tom Brady, Didier Drogba, Rafael Nadal, Steve Aoki and Marc Anthony.
With such star power, including over 500 million followers on Instagram, the buzz surrounding E1 has understandably grown.
Superstar DJ Steve Aoki attended the Jeddah event to support the team. Mashael Alobaidan and Saud Ahmed, both from Saudi Arabia, are known for their outstanding racing talent.
Racing on water runs deep in Aoki's blood. His father, Rocky, is a professional offshore powerboat racer and his Benihana Grand Prix where he was a two-time champion.
Speaking to Euronews Culture at the inaugural event, Steve Aoki said the sport is “a big part of my family's history. It was a big part of my dad's life.”
“I think that went through, and then; [E1] “If you have time, can I put in X, Y, Z? It was a conversation at the table. I was fully involved,” he added.
But he laughed at our suggestion that he might want to follow in his father's footsteps and race boats himself, saying: I just know some of his drive and ambition and his courage better than I do. ”
Jeddah was Aoki's musical companion and, dare I say it, his rival both on stage and on the water. Marc Anthony, the best-selling tropical salsa artist of all time, is no stranger to the world of sports.
learn from losing
In 2009, he and his then-wife Jennifer Lopez became minority owners of the NFL team, the Miami Dolphins.
They've certainly experienced ups and downs in the competitive world of sports, something Anthony knows all too well.
“When we first bought the Miami Dolphins, we knew we were rebuilding the team for the first seven years. Losing hurts when you own a team, but we've learned that it burns differently. “, he told Euronews Culture.
Did it teach him any lessons about how to deal with loss? Without a doubt, he says: “It's about perseverance. It's about what you lose. It's about what you learn by losing. That's what I realized, right? Every challenge is an opportunity.”
Supporting his team (which he named Miami rather than his own name to honor his heritage) allowed him to put these lessons into practice.
“I said [my E1 pilots, Anna Glennon and Erik Stark] No matter what happens, just say, “Yeah, I know that feeling, but I never want to feel it again.” ”
In the end, the positive thinking paid off and Team Miami finished second overall behind American football star Tom Brady's Pilots.
While Brady wasn't able to attend the race in person, legendary soccer player Didier Drogba traveled to Jeddah for every part of the race and even spoke to scientists to learn about how race boats work.
For the Ivorian hero, E1 was an opportunity to indulge his competitive side and work towards a more sustainable future for the sport.
“I really wanted to be involved in E1, which focuses on the real issues of ocean conservation and climate change,” he told Euronews Culture in a dedicated event space on the banks of the race venue.
“Obviously winning trophies and medals and making money is good, but I want to give back to the community in everything I do. I believe that the community is what makes us champions in the first place. believe.”
“We need to give something back to people like me, the so-called legends. It's also about climate change. We need to fight for a better future for our young people. Yes, E1 can be a positive step towards a brighter future.”
How did E1 begin?
Former McLaren Motorsport Business Director and NASA consultant Roddy Basso is the brain behind E1 as co-founder and CEO.
During the coronavirus lockdown, he teamed up with the founders of Formula E and Extreme E. Alejandro Agagaiming to electrify water racing.
After solving the problem, the two realized that attracting team owners who were at the top of their respective games was not difficult.
“They are [the owners] All are at the top of their careers. Some of them are ongoing in entertainment and sports,” Basso told Euronews Culture. “They wanted a project that had a big impact.”
Tennis champion Rafael Nadal is another owner who hopes to expand his repertoire due to his exceptional sportsmanship.
“Before Rafa Nadal heard about the E1 project, he spoke to his manager and team and said, 'When you stop playing, find a high-impact project,'” Basso explained.
So far, so good. The only thing Basso is missing, it seems, is a female team owner.
Each pair of racers is made up of one man and one woman, but all eight team owners are men.
“That's my biggest frustration, I can tell you that,” he explained, but continued. We tried very hard. ”
However, all is not lost. There are currently only eight teams, but Basso promises that the number will eventually grow to 12, and that when all teams are finally announced, there will be at least one female owner.
Regardless of ownership, it's clear he and his team are excited about the future of this emerging sport.
“What we're doing at E1 has never been done before. We're exploring uncharted waters in our mission to drive change through electrified sports and sports entertainment.” he explained. “By combining innovation and sustainability with celebrity glamor and sports drama, we aim to connect with our global fan base and inspire change that positively impacts maritime habits and waters in coastal cities. We created our own championship.”
Its fan base is becoming established day by day. It's certainly fun to watch the talented, world-class E1 pilot navigate narrow, technical circuits at the wheel of his motorized racing boat that looks like it's straight out of a science fiction writer's futuristic ideas. It's a thrill.
Tom Brady's team emerged victorious after two days of intense competition in Jeddah, but other teams still have a chance to prove themselves.
The Saudi event is just the beginning of the first season, with future seasons already planned.
But before that, the team will head to parts of Europe and some of the world's most famous waterways.
On May 11th and 12th, the team will visit Venice's iconic canals before heading to Marbella, Geneva, Monaco and Rotterdam, before the season concludes in Hong Kong on November 10th in undoubtedly spectacular style.
Naturally, everyone involved, including those of us watching from the sidelines, are filled with anticipation to see what happens next.
“E1 has firmly established itself on the world sporting map and our next destination, Venice, will be another great event,” says Basso. We can't help but agree with him.
