Imagine the heart-pounding excitement of Formula 1, but translated from asphalt to shimmering water. Seventy-five years ago, daring drivers roared through the tarmac in Formula 1’s first-ever Grand Prix, marking the beginning of one of the most glamorous, fast-paced, and technologically advanced competitions on the planet. Now, three-quarters of a century later, a new generation of innovators, athletes, and celebrities is leading an audacious evolution of that adrenaline-filled tradition. This time, the racetrack is not a circuit of concrete barriers but a liquid expanse — a global stage of oceans and bays — where sleek, electric-powered hydrocrafts dart and glide at breathtaking speeds. The new series is called E1, a marine spectacle where clean technology meets human ambition.
Those who visited Jeddah in January or Lagos more recently may have glimpsed the vividly painted vessels known as RaceBirds — sleek, futuristic electric boats accelerating over sunlit waters at nearly sixty miles per hour. These cutting-edge crafts are engineered for both velocity and sustainability, introducing spectators to what might be the future of aquatic mobility. “When you sit inside one of these boats, it feels like stepping into a spacecraft,” said Dani Clos, a pilot for DJ Steve Aoki’s team and a former Formula 1 test driver, at a recent press event, capturing the surreal thrill of harnessing immense power over a shifting water surface. Audiences in Croatia experienced this exhilarating new sport in June when E1’s global tour made a stop there.
After its eagerly anticipated debut in 2024, E1’s inaugural season signaled the start of what cofounder Rodi Basso believes will become a worldwide racing phenomenon. With the second season now approaching its dramatic finale in Miami, Basso is already focused on strategic growth as preparations begin for Season Three, slated to open in January. “We are, above all, a world championship,” he emphasized at Roc Nation’s New York headquarters. “That means our presence must span every continent, with at least one race held across each.” At present, Asia and South America have yet to join the calendar, but ongoing discussions suggest that inclusion in both regions is imminent.
Basso envisions broad expansion: increasing the number of competing teams from nine to twelve and extending the race calendar from seven to fifteen events. In October, organizers announced the addition of Team Monaco for the 2026 season—an emblem of the championship’s growing prestige. “Of course, it’s not a rigid number,” he added with a balanced pragmatism, “but this feels like the right scope for our ambitions.”
Behind E1’s innovative propulsion and global buzz stands a powerful network of investors and popular figures, including high-profile backing from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. The fund first partnered with E1 in 2021 and later helped launch Electric 360, a conglomerate initiative uniting Formula E, Extreme E, and E1—three pioneering sustainable racing leagues conceived in part by Basso’s cofounder, Alejandro Agag. The Public Investment Fund described this partnership as a step toward harnessing the potential of electric motorsports to drive technological innovation, reshape the future of sustainable transportation, and cut carbon emissions on a global scale.
The E1 team owners — whom Basso calls the “talent” defining this unique entertainment-sport hybrid — hail from an extraordinary mix of disciplines. The roster includes DJ Steve Aoki, NBA superstar LeBron James, cricket world champion Virat Kohli, NFL legend and seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady, industry leader Marcelo Claure, soccer icon Didier Drogba, Grammy-winning artist Marc Anthony, tennis great Rafael Nadal, and Academy Award–winning actor Will Smith. Their collective influence bridges sports and culture, amplifying E1’s appeal beyond typical racing fans. In the inaugural season, Brady’s team secured the championship, adding yet another triumph to his illustrious career.
As Basso explained, this deliberate fusion of entertainment and competition is essential to E1’s philosophy. “We’re exploring the intersection of sport and culture,” he said. “These figures invest not merely for profit but because they sense the opportunity to create something meaningful — a sporting movement that reflects their values and aspirations for the planet.” Despite these star-studded partnerships, Basso clarified that E1 is not currently seeking financial backing due to necessity; rather, new investment would serve to intensify and accelerate growth. “We’re fortunate that we don’t require capital to survive,” he told Business Insider, “but additional funding would help us scale faster—perhaps by building new boats or expanding our marketing and sales operations.”
When it comes to the structure of competition, E1 introduces its own set of distinctive rules. Each team consists of two alternating pilots — one male and one female — reinforcing the championship’s commitment to gender equality in professional motorsport. For instance, DJ Steve Aoki’s team features Spain’s Dani Clos and Saudi Arabia’s Mashael Alobaidan. As Clos explained, his dynamic with Aoki is deeply collaborative: “He’s the one cheering for us, constantly motivating and supporting us — communication within the team is everything.” Race weekends unfold across two intense days: the first reserved for practice and qualifying, and the second for the main event in which every maneuver counts.
The RaceBird boats themselves illustrate E1’s marriage of performance and innovation. These are foiling vessels — hydroplanes equipped with specialized underwater wings that lift the hull above the surface at high speeds, reducing resistance and allowing the craft to seemingly “fly” over water. “It’s spectacular,” Clos said, “because you literally rise above the waves.” Yet, that aerodynamic grace comes with difficulties. Unlike racetracks paved in predictable asphalt, water conditions are fluid, literally and figuratively; pilots must constantly adapt to changing winds, currents, and wave patterns. A single lap can present shifting variables that demand exceptional skill and intuition. Even passing cruise ships or nearby spectator yachts can alter the playing field. “When you see the wakes from Miami’s megayachts rolling in,” Clos noted with amusement, “you instantly prepare to recalibrate—because those waves can turn the race upside down.” Such unpredictability, he added, makes every competition not only a test of speed but also of awareness and control.
Beyond the thrilling races and celebrity ownership, E1 is grounded in a broader environmental mission. Its organizers view the sport as a platform for advancing sustainability and celebrating the ocean’s ecological value. While Formula E focuses its environmental message on urban, land-based electric mobility, E1 extends that consciousness to marine ecosystems and coastal communities. “Our vision,” Basso said, “is to protect and celebrate lifestyles that thrive around the sea.” The league aligns itself with the principles of the ‘blue economy’—an emerging global framework that seeks to balance economic development with the preservation of marine environments. “We want to make sustainability aspirational and exciting,” Basso continued. “When you attend one of our events, it should feel like a festival — full of energy, enjoyment, and curiosity about the next era of water mobility.”
As Season Two draws to a close, all eyes turn to the final race unfolding in Miami’s Biscayne Bay — E1’s first-ever competition in the United States. The weekend begins with practice and qualifying runs on Friday, followed by the climactic races on Saturday. According to the organization, six rounds across three continents have already set the stage for a high-stakes showdown: reigning 2024 champions Team Brady currently lead, with Rafael Nadal’s squad trailing by a narrow three-point margin. Only 20 points separate the top four contenders, promising a finale filled with tension and unpredictability. Adding local pride to the mix, Team Miami, owned by artist Marc Anthony, will compete on their home waters.
For Dani Clos and his teammate, the Miami stop offers both pressure and opportunity. The Aoki Racing team began the year with victories in Jeddah and Croatia but faced difficulties in later rounds. “The last few events have been challenging,” Clos admitted, “and luck hasn’t always been on our side.” Yet he remains hopeful: “We’re arriving in Miami with a positive mindset, ready to reconnect every piece of our performance. I believe this weekend can finally bring the joy we’ve worked for.”
In the end, E1 stands as more than just a new motorsport. It is an experiment in how entertainment, technology, and sustainability can fuse into a single, exhilarating vision — one that respects nature as much as it thrills audiences. Just as Formula 1 transformed our understanding of automotive innovation over the past seventy-five years, E1 now aims to do the same for electric maritime engineering, proving that the future of racing — and perhaps of mobility itself — can be both thrilling and environmentally conscious.
Sourse: https://www.businessinsider.com/e1-all-electric-speed-boat-championship-tom-brady-will-smith2025-11
