The fourth of the eight rounds in the all-electric E1 Series presented the teams with a real challenge. Conditions in Monaco were the toughest of the season so far. The race not only produced a maiden victory, but also shook up the overall standings considerably.
Technical glitch in qualifying
The race weekend at Port Hercule got off to a surprising start on Friday. Due to propeller damage and the resulting loss of power, the previous championship leaders, Westbrook Racing, could not manage better than fifth on the grid. As a result, Will Smith’s team, which had previously two wins in a row had made it through to the final qualifying round for the first time this season. Pole position was surprisingly secured by the home team, Monaco.
Hopes of a home win
On race day, the situation on the narrow circuit changed once again. The leading team, Monaco, took a wrong turn on the water. This blunder dashed all hopes of reaching the final at the E1 Series’ home race. Instead, the crew only made it into the placement race, where they came up against Westbrook Racing. Will Smith’s team used the race to limit the damage, winning the placement race and thereby securing seventh place for the weekend.
Team Drogba dominates the final heats
Didier Drogba’s team dominated both final races in Monaco. Prior to this, a seventh-place finish on Lake Como had been the team’s best result of the season in the E1 Series. In Saturday’s final races, however, everything came together. Tara Pacheco won the first race by a narrow margin ahead of the Team Brady drivers. In the second race, Micah Wilkinson defended his lead against Sam Coleman. Wilkinson was subsequently voted Driver of the Day. The victory saw the team climb to sixth place in the overall standings.
Battle for the overall standings
Team Brady secured valuable points for the overall standings with their second-place finish in Monaco. The reigning champions have now taken the lead for the first time this season with 119 points. Will Smith’s Team Westbrook Racing lies in second place, nine points behind. Team Miami took the third place on the podium in Monaco. This is the team’s first podium finish after 13 races. The E1 Series now moves on to Luanda in Angola, where the next race is scheduled for 12 and 13 September.
E1 Series: Background
The E1 Series operates officially under the auspices of the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM), the only governing body for motorised water sports recognised by the International Olympic Committee. In addition to regulating the E1 as well as established classes such as F1H2O and the offshore categories Class 1 and XCAT.
Behind most of the teams are high-profile owners who act as team principals, including football legend Tom Brady, professional tennis player Rafael Nadal, cricket star Virat Kohli and actor Will Smith. Alongside these global stars, however, there are also teams such as AlUla and the new Team Monaco, which represent a specific region.
The E1 is largely funded by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia. The money from the desert enables the boats to be further developed and funds the logistics behind the global competition. At the same time, however, the partnership is repeatedly the subject of controversy in the context of ‘sportswashing’.
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David Ingelfinger
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