JEDDAH: Rafael Nadal, Will Smith, Sergio Perez, Tom Brady, Steve Aoki, Virat Kohli, Mark Anthony and Didier Drogba are among the superstar electric-powerboat team owners hoping to make waves on Jeddah’s corniche this weekend as the 2025 UIM E1 World Championship gets underway on Jan. 24 and 25.
The first round of the competition is taking place in the Kingdom for a second year in a row, following its inaugural season last year. Nine international teams will compete, each featuring one male and one female pilot in control of RaceBird electric boats that use cutting-edge hydrofoil technology and can reach speeds of more than 80 kph.
“It’s so great to return to Jeddah for the 2025 UIM E1 World Championship as we kick off our first racing of the year,” said Rodi Basso, the CEO and co-founder of the E1 series.
“The success of the last edition met our expectations and the preparations are at their best thanks to the combined efforts.”
He thanked the Saudi Water Sports and Diving Federation and the Ministry of Sport, which are organizing the Jeddah event in partnership with powerboat governing body Union Internationale Motonautique, for their help and added: “The fans will have a thrilling race, a wonderful atmosphere and great experience, and we look forward to the launch of the event.”
Saudi racer Mashael Al-Obaidan, of Aoki Racing, said: “I am proud to represent the Kingdom in this sporting event, which is part of a series of global events on our home soil.
“I am so grateful for this opportunity to compete in front of my family and the local community here, which would not have been possible without the great support we receive as athletes under the vision of our wise leadership.”
Emma Kimilainen from Finland and Sam Coleman from the UK, pilots with reigning champions Team Brady, said they hope to repeat last year’s success to win the trophy for a second year in a row.
“It is important to implement the strategy that will be developed and exploit the data and statistics provided by advanced technologies in cooperation with the team’s partners,” said Coleman.
Kimilainen added: “I’m excited to kick off season two with Team Brady after an incredible first season together. Being on top will take hard work but we’re a competitive team and we’re ready for the challenge.”
This year’s championship will feature seven rounds, compared with five last year, each taking place in a different city around the world
Powerboat racers look forward to start of 2025 UIM E1 World Championship in Jeddah on Friday
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Powerboat racers look forward to start of 2025 UIM E1 World Championship in Jeddah on Friday
- Opening round of the competition is taking place in Saudi Arabia for a second year in a row, following the inaugural season last year
- 9 international teams with superstar owners will compete, each featuring one male and one female pilot in control of electric boats capable of speeds of more than 80 kph
Qatar’s Al-Attiyah wins Stage 6 for Dacia, retakes Dakar lead
- Al-Attiyah, 55, has now completed 19 successive Dakars with at least one stage win every time
RIYADH: Qatar’s Nasser Al-Attiyah will lead the Dakar Rally into its second and final week after winning the sixth stage in the Saudi desert on Friday to take over at the top from South African rival Henk Lategan.
Al-Attiyah, a five-time Dakar winner now competing for the Dacia Sandriders, had been second overnight but turned a deficit of more than three minutes into a 6 minutes and 10 second advantage over the 326km timed stage between Hail and Riyadh.
Saturday is a rest day before the rally resumes in Riyadh on Sunday with seven more stages to the finish in Yanbu on the Red Sea coast on Jan. 17.
Al-Attiyah won Friday’s stage by two minutes and 58 seconds from teammate and nine-time world rally champion Sebastien Loeb, Dacia’s first Dakar one-two, with Toyota’s American Seth Quintero third.
Overall, three different manufacturers filled podium positions with Toyota’s Lategan second and Ford’s Nani Roma third — his first time on the virtual podium since 2019.
Al-Attiyah, 55, has now completed 19 successive Dakars with at least one stage win every time.
Friday was his career 49th stage win in the car category — one off the record held jointly by Ari Vatanen and “Mr Dakar” Stephane Peterhansel.
Spaniard Carlos Sainz, father of the Formula One driver and a four-time Dakar winner still racing hard at the age of 63, was in fourth place for Ford with teammate Mattias Ekstrom fifth and Loeb sixth.
American Mitch Guthrie, stage winner on Thursday for Ford, dropped to seventh from sixth.
In the motorcycle category there was no change at the top, although leader and defending champion Daniel Sanders was handed a 6-minute penalty for riding at 98kph in a zone limited to 50kph.
KTM rider Sanders now leads Honda’s American Ricky Brabec, the stage winner after the Australian’s penalty, by 45 seconds with Argentine rider Luciano Benavides more than 10 minutes behind in third.
“It was an emotional rollercoaster all day. Unfortunately, I got a speeding penalty, so that will set me back a bit,” said Sanders.
“I just pushed as much as I could today but it’s hard to do good in the sand, especially opening. I did the best I could and I’ve got to stop making silly mistakes. I haven’t pieced this first week together so well.”
