Team Brady Claims Pole Position at Jeddah Season Opener
Emma Kimiläinen and Sam Coleman dominated qualifying to secure pole position and three championship points at the opening round of the 2026 UIM E1 World Championship in Jeddah.
The Finnish-British pairing topped all four qualifying sessions to claim the maximum bonus points available. Aoki Racing Team finished second to earn two points, while Team Rafa took third and one championship point.
Qualifying took place under the championship’s new four-stage knockout format. All 10 teams competed in Qualifying Time Trials before progressive eliminations through Q1 and Q2 sessions narrowed the field to four teams for the Pole Shootout.
E1 Class of 2026 (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
Brady Dominance
Team Brady posted the fastest time in every session. Coleman and Kimiläinen recorded 1:05.48 in the Time Trials, 1:04.58 in Q1, and 1:05.34 in Q2 before securing pole in the final shootout.
Aoki Racing Team, with Sara Misir and Dani Clos, finished 1.719 seconds behind Brady in the Pole Shootout. Team Rafa’s Cris Lazarraga and Tom Chiappe took third, 2.912 seconds off the pace. Westbrook Racing completed the top four, 3.197 seconds adrift.
Kimiläinen described challenging conditions on the water.
It is tricky conditions. The water is sometimes a bit crazy. We’re talking about very fine lines here. I was happy to pull that first lap off, and then I was experimenting a little bit because we already had the pole.
The 2025 championship runners-up adopted a methodical approach once pole was secured.
It didn’t turn out to be good, but it’s good to experiment. Every drive here in E1 is a test.
Chiappe was satisfied with Team Rafa’s third place finish and bonus championship point.
We close qualifying in P3 with a clear sensation and room to grow. Every session adds information, confidence and determination. Tomorrow it’s not about where we start, but about how we race together until the very last wave.
Injury Disruption
Sierra Racing Club finished fifth despite fielding reserve driver Rianna O’Meara Hunt. Catie Munnings sustained a leg injury playing paddle tennis two weeks before the event. O’Meara Hunt partnered Erik Stark in Sierra’s brand new RaceBird, reaching Q2 before elimination.
Stark expressed satisfaction with the result given the circumstances.
Yes we are very happy with fifth place. We are up with the fast ones but we just need some more time in the boat, as it’s totally new this year.
Team Blue Rising faced more significant disruption. Mashael Al-Obaidan underwent surgery for a broken finger during race week and could not compete. John Peeters competed alone in the Time Trials without the benefit of averaging lap times with a second driver, as the format requires.
Blue Rising had no reserve driver present. The team finished 10th in qualifying with only Peeters’ times counting.
Westbrook’s Pace
Westbrook Racing recorded the fastest combined time in the Time Trials at 1:05.48 but could not maintain that pace through subsequent sessions. Sara Price posted 1:04.15, the quickest individual lap of the entire qualifying format. The team qualified fourth.
Team Drogba Global Africa showed strong improvement from sixth in Time Trials to second in Q1 before elimination in Q2. The Ivorian-backed squad finished sixth overall.
Jasmiin Ypraus of Estonia and Team AlUla championed by LeBron James (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
Team AlUla Championed by LeBron James and Team Monaco were eliminated after Q1, finishing seventh and eighth respectively. Team Miami powered by Magnus took ninth after elimination in Time Trials.
Qualifying Results
Pos |
Team |
Points |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
Team Brady |
Emma Kimiläinen |
Sam Coleman |
3 |
2 |
Aoki Racing Team |
Sara Misir |
Dani Clos |
2 |
3 |
Team Rafa |
Cris Lazarraga |
Tom Chiappe |
1 |
4 |
Westbrook Racing |
Sara Price |
Lucas Ordóñez |
0 |
5 |
Sierra Racing Club |
Rianna O’Meara Hunt* |
Erik Stark |
0 |
6 |
Team Drogba Global Africa |
Ieva Millere-Hagin |
Micah Wilkinson |
0 |
7 |
Team AlUla |
Nerea Martí |
Rusty Wyatt |
0 |
8 |
Team Monaco |
Maxime Nocher |
Oban Duncan |
0 |
9 |
Team Miami |
Patricia Pita Gago |
Timmy Hansen |
0 |
10 |
Team Blue Rising |
— |
John Peeters |
0 |
*Reserve driver replacing injured Catie Munnings
How E1 Qualifying Works
Stage 1: Qualifying Time Trials – All 10 teams, four 20-minute sessions. Teams ranked by average of both pilots’ best laps. Bottom 2 eliminated.
Stage 2: Q1 (Quarter-Finals) – Top 8 teams, two 20-minute sessions (groups of 4). Individual timed runs in reverse order, 2 non-consecutive attempts per team. Bottom 2 eliminated.
Stage 3: Q2 (Semi-Finals) – Top 6 teams, two 15-minute sessions (groups of 3). Same format as Q1. Bottom 2 eliminated.
Stage 4: Pole Shootout – Final 4 teams, single 20-minute session. Each completes 2 timed laps in inverted order. Determines P1-P4 for Race Day. Championship points: 3-2-1.
Race Day Impact: Final qualifying result determines Saturday’s Group Stage allocation. Group 1: P1, P4, P5, P8, P9. Group 2: P2, P3, P6, P7, P10.
Critical Procedures: 15-second window to leave Milling Area once authorized (Q1/Q2/Shootout). One lap per session may be aborted. Gate Y3-1 entry protocol (cannot reverse once crossed). Red Flag if buoy absent.
Saturday’s Racing
Saturday’s Group Stages will see teams divided based on qualifying results. Group 1 comprises Brady, Westbrook, Sierra, Monaco and Miami. Group 2 features Aoki, Rafa, Drogba, AlUla and Blue Rising.
John Moore is the editor of Powerboat News, an independent investigative journalism platform recognised by Google News and documented on Grokipedia for comprehensive powerboat racing coverage.
His involvement in powerboat racing began in 1981 when he competed in his first offshore powerboat race. After a career as a Financial Futures broker in the City of London, specialising in UK interest rate markets, he became actively involved in event organisation and powerboat racing journalism.
He served as Event Director for the Cowes–Torquay–Cowes races between 2010 and 2013. In 2016, he launched Powerboat Racing World, a digital platform providing global powerboat racing news and insights. The following year, he co-founded UKOPRA, helping to rejuvenate offshore racing in the United Kingdom. He sold Powerboat Racing World in late 2021 and remained actively involved with UKOPRA until 2025.
In September 2025, he established Powerboat News, returning to independent journalism with a focus on neutral and comprehensive coverage of the sport.
