Doha, Qatar: Team Rafa served up an ace performance to secure pole position for tomorrow’s Visit Qatar E1 Doha GP.
The UIM E1 World Championship presented by PIF, the world’s first and only all-electric raceboat championship, anchored in the city for the first time as a thrilling qualifying session unfolded in front of thousands of fans on The Pearl Island.
Team Rafa, piloted by Frenchman Tom Chiappe and Spaniard Cris Lazarraga and owned by tennis legend Rafael Nadal, powered to pole after faultless drives to blow away the rest of the fleet.
Team Rafa overcame tough competition from Virat Kohli’s Team Blue Rising and philanthropist and businessman Marcelo Claure’s Team Brazil by Claure Group who finished in second and third respectively.
Championship leaders Aoki Racing Team, who will be aiming to replicate their win in Jeddah last month, finished in fourth followed by NBA icon LeBron James’ Team AlUla Championed by LeBron James in fifth.
The qualifying session marked the first time the RaceBirds, the championship’s all-electric raceboats, have taken flight in Qatar as the future of racing on water arrived in style.
Now the stage is set for a high-energy finale on Saturday with the teams bidding to establish themselves as a force in the championship’s 2025 season.
Fans can watch all sessions live on YouTube on the E1 YouTube channel or across the championship’s international broadcast network – for information visit the E1 website.
