A year ago Rusty Wyatt, the 31-year-old Canadian powerboat racer who competes for the Sharjah Team in the UIM F1H2O World Championship, became a pilot for Team AlUla Championed by LeBron James.

From F1H2O to E1 Series

He was already familiar with the UIM E1 World Championship Series thanks to the involvement of his friend and fellow F1H2O racer Eric Stark.

Being active in the boating world, it was natural for Wyatt to follow the sport’s developments. This prior knowledge, along with his international race experience, certainly made joining Team AlUla a smoother process.

The team is named after the ancient oasis city in Saudi Arabia, a rising luxury heritage destination and home to Hegra, the Kingdom’s first UNESCO World Heritage site.

Following last year’s E1 Grand Prix in Jeddah, Wyatt was fortunate enough to spend a week there which he said was truly unforgettable.

I had the opportunity to meet locals and immerse myself in the culture. We explored landmarks like Elephant Rock and took a hot air balloon ride for a breathtaking view of the region and now I’m eager to return to discover more.

AlUla Hotel Plans

Saudi Arabia will section off part of its ancient Hegra site in AlUla to become a luxury hotel.

The surprise move will see the UNESCO World Heritage Site run the flag of Chedi, which will operate the boutique property.

Building a Championship Team

Signing up for the 2025 season meant that he would be partnering up with Catie Munnings who had previously competed for Team Brazil. Fortunately for Wyatt she brought valuable insights from her previous season, which were used to their advantage. With his extensive boating experience he was able to quickly adapt, and together they formed a well-balanced and effective partnership that strengthened the team.

Dubrovnik and Monaco: Defining Moments

The Adriatic waters surrounding the historic city of Dubrovnik provided one the highlights of his season, taking a pole position for the final which then lead to the team’s first a podium finish.

Achieving a podium place in Dubrovnik was a huge emotional milestone for our new team. We were still finding our rhythm and refining our teamwork, so that success meant a lot.

It certainly provided a huge boost in the teams confidence because it wasn’t long before they were back on the podium, this time at the glamourous Principality of Monaco. To make it even sweeter the Team AlUla owner NBA legend LeBron James was there watching on from the VIP section. So, did his presence provide that little extra motivation?

Absolutely! LeBron’s visit to Monaco was inspiring for the whole team. Coming off the emotional high in Dubrovnik, his encouragement gave us an extra push to perform at our best and strengthened our determination to make him proud.

E1 vs F1H2O: Different Championships, Different Approaches

In just a few months of racing E1 Wyatt has had to develop a new approach to competing due to the share nature of progressing through the race weekend. Whilst F1H2O puts more emphasis on individual driver performance, E1 is more team oriented.

E1 and F1 demand different approaches. Everything from teamwork to boat dynamics shifts, so my focus is always on how we could perform best as a team rather than on individual competition. While there are similarities between the championships, each offers its own unique challenges.

A ‘Home’ Grand Prix in Jeddah

The new season will once again open along the stunning Red Sea coastline in Jeddah and the Canadian is first to admit that it does this feel like a ‘home’ Grand Prix where he’s excited to show what the team can achieve in front of so much local support and to make AlUla proud.

With two new teams entering the championship Team AlUla are no longer ‘the new kids on the block’ although with Munnings now moving to the Sierra Racing Club backed team there will obviously be a new team dynamic with Nerea Marti bringing her experience to their line-up.

We’ve spent a lot of time planning, evaluating, and identifying areas to improve. Fans can look forward to us building on our past successes, creating more memorable moments, perhaps even new adventures in unique locations and competing with greater confidence and unity.

Aiming for E1 Success

If you take a look at Rusty Wyatt’s two-season UIM F1H2O World Championship career it reads like a masterclass in consistency and speed. He has accumulated 194 championship points from 17 race starts, finished on the podium in both seasons, and claimed four Grand Prix victories. His goal now is to recreate that feat in the UIM E1 World Championship series.