The E1 World Championship, a pioneering all-electric powerboat racing series, has made its African debut as Lagos hosts inaugural championship
The event, held on the Lagos Lagoon, marked the first time the series has been hosted on the continent.
The championship features nine teams owned by global sporting and entertainment icons, including Didier Drogba, Tom Brady, LeBron James, and Rafael Nadal.
The racing action was thrilling, despite a tropical storm delaying the start of the finals.
Team Brazil, owned by tech entrepreneur Marcelo Claure, emerged victorious, with Norwegian pilot Marit Stromoy and Swedish pilot Timmy Hansen lifting the winners’ trophy on the podium.
Indian professional cricketer Virat Kohli’s Team Blue Rising came second, while Drogba’s team finished third.
The E1 Lagos Grand Prix was the penultimate round of the season, with the season finale scheduled to take place in Miami later this year.
Africa is the fourth continent to host an E1 race during the series’ second season, as the championship has expanded from five to seven races.
Rodi Basso, founder and CEO of E1, expressed pride in expanding the championship to four continents, saying, “Africa needed to be there, the motherland needed to be there, so we are incredibly proud to be here.”
The event was a celebration of sustainability and innovation, with the series using zero-emission electric propulsion and foil technology to reduce environmental impact.
Fans trickled into white tents erected as watching areas along the coast, while afrobeats music blared from huge speakers and vendors sold food, including Nigeria’s staple jollof rice.
Fans watched from balconies of hotels and lofty office blocks, some sipping champagne.
Didier Drogba, the Ivory Coast football legend, mingled with the winners and posed for pictures on the post-race podium.
Bumi Oke, a 61-year-old advertising executive, attended the event with her husband, saying, “It’s almost as if you’re abroad” and hosting the race gave “Nigerians more confidence in our own ability to host global events.”
The event is expected to boost the local economy, with fans and tourists flocking to the city to witness the thrilling racing action.
The E1 World Championship is set to conclude its season in Miami later this year, leaving a lasting impact on the continent and paving the way for future events in Africa.
