E1 Racing Series Kicks off 2026 Season with New Teams & New Venues

BoatBlurb Contributor
3 hours ago
3 min read

The E1 Racing Series, also known as the UIM E1 World Championship, kicked off the 2026 season in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia last weekend with new teams, new pilots, and new venues on the horizon. Race #1 saw Aoki Racing Team take the checkered flag, followed by Team Brady in 2nd and Team Alula (Lebron James) in 3rd. The new season will have everyone chasing Team Brady after the NFL's champion's squad took the title in each of E1's first two seasons.

Race #2 will be the E1 Lake Como GP in Lake Como, Italy, in April.

The 2026 championship will feature 10 teams, up from previous seasons. Two new teams are joining the grid, including Team Monaco, which brings the Principality into the championship for the first time. The team includes French professional kitesurfer Maxime Nocher and 10x British powerboat champion Oban Duncan. Monaco’s entry aligns with the series’ general focus on coastal venues with a strong maritime culture. Monaco is arguably Europe's, if not the world's, epicenter for yachts and superyachts. Partnerships with major yacht brands like Sunreef and Azimut have helped to connect boating enthusiasts with the series. Sierra Racing Club is also joining the fold, piloted by Brit rally racer Catie Munnings and Swedish powerboating veteran Erik Stark, who finished 2nd in last year's F1H2O World Championship.

Other returning teams include Team Brady, Aoki Racing Team, Team Drogba, Team Nadal, Team Miami (Marc Anthony), and Team AlUla (Lebron James), among others. Several teams changed their pilot pairings ahead of the new season, which requires one male and one female pilot splitting time at the wheel. Pilot changes are expected to be a key factor early in the season as teams adapt to the new pairings and refine race strategies under the short-format competition rules. Races include a mix of lap lengths, both "short" and "long," where pilots must navigate a mandatory "long lap" (taking a wider, outer route) and a "short lap" at some point during the race. Each pilot also has one 20-second energy "boost" per race, which can be strategically activated for overtaking. The boost can be toggled off to manage energy.

Launched in 2024, the E1 Series was created to showcase electric propulsion technology in a competitive racing environment. All teams drive RaceBirds, an electric hydrofoil developed specifically for the series. The boats are powered by standardized battery and propulsion systems, placing the focus on pilot skill, race strategy, and operational execution, rather than hardware development.

The 2026 calendar will include eight events around the world, with races scheduled in the Middle East, Europe, Africa and North America. Following the season opener in Jeddah, other locations include Lake Como (Italy), Dubrovnik (Croatia), and Monaco, with additional stops planned in Miami, Lagos, and the Bahamas. One venue has yet to be announced. Each event takes place over a two-day format, featuring qualifying sessions and knockout heats on Saturday with a final race on Sunday.

Team Brady, owned by former NFL quarterback Tom Brady, will enter the 2026 season as the defending champion after securing titles in both 2024 and 2025. The team has set the standard since the series launched, although competition is expected to tighten as newer teams gain experience with the RaceBird platform. The 2025 season was noticeably tighter and increasingly competitive, with multiple teams recording race wins and podium finishes. Organizers expect even closer racing in 2026 as teams continue to refine data analysis, energy management, and pilot coordination. While the technology used in E1 is not directly transferable to production recreational boats, the series is a testing ground for electric marine systems, electrification, infrastructure, and motor performance. Mercury Racing has served a quiet yet intriguing role as the series' motor provider, undoubtedly using it to explore electric motor capability for both racing and recreational applications in the future.

The next E1 race will take place from April 24th-25th at Lake Como, Italy. #news #e1 #e1racing