Exclusive: E1 Series set for London debut in showcase on Thames
Electric powerboat series E1, which features teams owned by stars including Will Smith, LeBron James and Rafael Nadal, will make its London debut this summer.
An exhibition of E1’s high-speed RaceBird boats is set to take place on the Thames near Westminster on 2 July as the series looks to build its presence in the capital.
The E1 Showrun presented by Bombay Sapphire, as it will be known, follows the announcement of a new partnership with the UK-produced gin.
The London showcase is scheduled to take place between races in Italy and Monaco on the seven-leg World Championship, which is in its second season.
Other dates on the calendar include Jeddah, Doha, Dubrovnik and Lagos, with the Saudi-backed series due to conclude in Miami in November.
It is understood that there are hopes that the London event, which is subject to pending approvals, could pave the way for a race on the Thames in future years.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has been vocal about his ambition for the city to maintain its position as one of the sporting capitals of the world, offering his backing to the construction of a new world-class basketball arena and a bid for the 2040 Olympics.
What is E1 and which stars are involved?
Hollywood star Smith, NBA great James and tennis ace Nadal are among the celebrity owners of E1’s nine teams, along with former Chelsea footballer Didier Drogba, cricketer Virat Kohli, NFL legend Tom Brady, DJ Steve Aoki, singer Marc Anthony and financier Marcelo Claure.
Each team has a male and female pilot, with James’s Team AlUla – the newest entrant to the series – featuring British off-road motor racing driver and sometime BBC TV presenter Catie Munnings.
It comes after Bombay Sapphire became an official partner of E1 and the teams owned by Brady and Drogba earlier this month.