RaceBird pilots of the nine teams in the UIM E1 World Championship are looking forward to a thrilling penultimate race of the season in Lagos, as E1 makes its debut in Africa this weekend, The PUNCH reports.
The E1 is an all-electric international offshore powerboat racing series which debuted in Jeddah last year, and is competed by nine teams across selected cities in different countries.
Ahead of the E1 Lagos GP, the pilots tested the waters with their RaceBirds on Thursday, before the qualifying on Saturday and the main race on Sunday.
Team Brady, owned by seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, leads the championship standings by just a single point over Team Rafa, which is owned by tennis legend and 22 Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal.
Ivory Coast football legend and former Chelsea striker, Didier Drogba, is also a co-owner of Team Drogba Global Africa, along with Gabrielle Lemaire, and he is expected to attend the race this weekend.
‘It’s been a tough season, and the competition has been intense. We hold a one-point lead, which shows everyone is getting used to the event. We’ll see how it goes in Lagos. I can’t wait for the race’, Team Brady’s co-pilot Sam Coleman told PUNCH.
Team Brady, who are also the defending champions of the E1, are top with 135 points.
Their closest challengers are Team Rafa with 134 points. Co-pilots Cris Lazarraga and Tom Chiappe are also enthusiastic about winning in Lagos.
‘We hope to get the support of the fans in Lagos. The entire team has been putting in great work all through the season, and winning here is going to be big for us’, Chiappe told our correspondent.
Team Drogba’s Oban Duncan also said, ‘We’ve been on the water and the conditions feel perfect. Drogba is big here and he makes the team really comfortable, so we hope to make that count here in Lagos’.
The founder and Chief Executive Officer of E1, Rodi Basso, said bringing E1 to Africa represents a pivotal moment in their mission to grow electric racing globally.
‘Lagos brings incredible energy, creativity and ambition that matches E1’s DNA perfectly. We’re honoured to work with local partners to create a sporting spectacle that helps drive clean innovation while elevating Lagos’ profile as a global hub for sport and sustainable development’.
E1 Lagos GP is the penultimate round, with the season finale scheduled for Miami.
