Tennis legend Rafael Nadal’s E1 team powered into pole position for the first ever E1 Miami GP after a fierce qualifying showdown ahead of tomorrow’s season finale.
Team Rafa, piloted by Cris Lazarraga, 2019 European Jet Ski Racing Champion, and Tom Chiappe, an experienced powerboat racer, steered to the front of tomorrow’s grid on the waters of Biscayne Bay, Miami.
Reigning Champions of the Water Team Brady, owned by seven-time Super Bowl Champion Tom Brady, took second place, with Team Brazil third.
Only one point now separates defending Team Brady from the qualifying race winners, Team Rafa and just 20 points cover the top four teams, including Miami-born DJ Steve Aoki’s Team Aoki. It promises a spectacular finale to the final round of the 2025 UIM E1 World Championship presented by PIF.
The E1 Miami GP marks the final stop of a worldwide tour that has entertained fans across seven international destinations on four continents. The Championship’s global journey has taken in Jeddah, Monaco, Lagos and Dubrovnik, now culminating in its historic first race on U.S. waters.
Alongside today’s qualifying action, E1 founder and Chairman Alejandro Agag announced Team Sierra as the newest addition to the series for 2026.
E1 now reaches audiences in over 140 broadcast territories worldwide, and the arrival of its latest team signals the next wave of growth for the championship.
Alejandro Agag, founder and Chairman of E1, added:
“It was great to see the likes of Will, Marc and Rafa here to support their pilots and teams. The E1 Miami GP represents a major moment as our first race in the U.S.
"Tomorrow’s final has a truly American energy that captures what E1 is all about: innovation, excitement and a deep connection to the water."
Rodi Basso, founder and Chief Executive Officer of E1, said:
“To see E1 racing in Miami for the first time is a milestone moment. The competition has been incredible all season and today’s qualifying sets up a finale worthy of this entertaining season of racing. Miami has provided the perfect backdrop for our E1 RaceBirds.”
As part of its E360 Partnership with E1, Presenting Partner PIF hosed its Driving Force STEM programme in Miami this week, advancing electric mobility and inspiring students to pursue careers in technology. The initiative has already reached more than 60,000 students across 660 schools, bringing the excitement of electric racing directly into classrooms around the world.
Fans around the world can watch the E1 Miami GP Final live on E1’s official YouTube channel. For US fans, they will be able to catch all the highlights on CBS at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, 9 November.
