E1 Series Makes US Debut with Tight Title Battle in Miami

The UIM E1 Series makes its United States debut in Miami on 7-8 November, bringing the all-electric powerboat racing championship to American waters for the first time as the 2025 season reaches its conclusion.

With just three points separating the top two teams and 20 points covering the top four, the Miami Seaplane Base will host one of the tightest championship finales in the series’ brief history.

Championship on a Knife Edge

After six rounds across three continents, reigning 2024 champions Team Brady hold the lead on 154 points. However, tennis legend Rafael Nadal’s Team Rafa trails by only three points on 151, with Team Blue Rising third on 145 and Aoki Racing Team fourth on 134 points.

The tight margins mean the title race remains wide open heading into the season finale.

Championship Standings (After Lagos)

Team	Owner	Points
Team Brady	Tom Brady	154
Team Rafa	Rafael Nadal	151
Team Blue Rising	Virat Kohli	145
Aoki Racing Team	Steve Aoki	134
Westbrook Racing	Will Smith	94
Team Drogba Global Africa	Didier Drogba	90
Team Brazil	Claure Group	89
Team AlUla	LeBron James	84
Team Miami	Marc Anthony	39

Lagos Sets Up Miami Showdown

Team Brazil claimed their maiden victory at the E1 Lagos GP in October, the first all-electric powerboat race held on African waters. However, their win came too late in the season to mount a championship challenge.

Team Brady’s fourth-place finish in Lagos yielded 19 points, just enough to maintain their narrow advantage over Team Rafa, who finished fifth with 17 points.

Star-Studded Ownership

The championship has attracted some of the world’s most recognisable names as team owners. Tom Brady’s seven Super Bowl victories make him arguably the greatest quarterback in NFL history. His team will be fighting to retain the championship they won in the inaugural 2024 season.

Will Smith owns Westbrook Racing, whilst LeBron James leads Team AlUla. Marc Anthony, the Grammy-winning music icon, will see his Team Miami compete on home waters against the Miami skyline.

North American Representation

Nine teams will compete in Miami, each featuring both a male and female pilot who share equal driving duties throughout the weekend. North American talents Sara Price, Rusty Wyatt and John Peeters are among the pilots competing.

The RaceBird electric hydrofoil boats reach speeds of up to 50 knots (93 km/h) as they race across the water, rising above the surface on aluminium hydrofoils once reaching 17 knots.

Weekend Entertainment

Cirque du Soleil will provide entertainment during the weekend with a performance created exclusively for E1. The production will blend acrobatics, artistry and music.

Bombay Sapphire, the championship’s official cocktail partner, will serve Bombay Sapphire Sparkling Lemon to guests throughout the weekend.

E1’s official ticketing partner TIXR is offering hospitality passes for the event. Two-day passes provide access to both qualifying and finals, whilst single-day passes are also available.

Race Format

The Miami weekend follows the established E1 format, with Friday’s qualifying rounds determining grid positions for Saturday’s semi-finals, play-off race, eliminator race, place race and finals.

Each race consists of four laps, with teams required to complete both a long lap and short lap at some point during the race, adding a tactical element to the competition.

“Miami knows how to throw a party, and this is going to be one for the books. Championship racing on the water, celebrity team owners, world-class hospitality, and a winner-takes-all finale that could go down to the wire.

“Whether you’re a racing fan or just want an incredible weekend experience, the E1 Miami GP is where you want to be November 7th and 8th.”

John Williams, Managing Director at E1 Series, said those words ahead of the championship decider.

The Miami Seaplane Base provides a dramatic backdrop for the season finale, with the city’s skyline forming a striking setting for what promises to be a closely-fought conclusion to the 2025 UIM E1 World Championship.