Team Brady crowned winner of the 2025 E1 Blue Impact Championship presented by Bombay Sapphire in recognition of efforts to protect our oceans

Team Brady has been announced today as this year’s winner of the 2025 E1 Blue Impact Championship presented by Bombay Sapphire. The award from E1, the world’s first all-electric raceboat Championship, recognises the team that delivered the strongest season-long contribution to protecting and restoring aquatic ecosystems as part of E1’s activities to accelerate the protection of oceans.

 

As well as being crowned 2025 E1 Champions of the Water, Team Brady has achieved the E1 season double by being recognised for its Race for Change programme, delivered in partnership with 4ocean Foundation, OceanR, OMP and WaterAid.

The judges said that Team Brady distinguished itself through tangible environmental action in alignment with E1’s mission to raise awareness and deliver a purpose-led approach to racing.

For every championship point Team Brady obtained in 2025, one hundred kilograms of plastic were removed from the oceans – one hundred kilos being the average amount of plastic waste generated per person each year.

The jury, composed of Rodolfo Nervi (Vice President for Corporate Sustainability, Global Safety and Quality, Bacardi), Jan Pachner (Secretary General, One Ocean Foundation), Alexandra Cousteau (Founder, Oceans2050), and Marina Anselme (Secretary General, MSC Foundation), brings together leading voices in marine conservation, sustainability, and corporate responsibility to assess all nine teams’ initiatives.

Teams were judged on key metrics including the impact of their activities on local communities and marine ecosystems, the strength of their collaboration with stakeholders, and the creativity, inclusivity and ambition of their environmental programmes. 

The jury also evaluated how effectively teams engage fans and partners to inspire wider action, ensuring that purpose and high-performance sport work hand in hand.

The award aims to challenge teams to go beyond racing to drive positive impact, protect fragile marine habitats and restore aquatic ecosystems. 

Throughout the 2025 season, teams have built up a portfolio of sustainability initiatives, reflecting their individual commitments to purpose-led sport. 

This year’s winners were announced at the Bombay Sapphire Distillery at Laverstoke Mill, the home of E1’s Official Gin Partner and the presenting partner of E1’s Blue Impact Championship. Bombay Sapphire is part of the Bacardi family of brands and Rodolfo Nervi, Vice President for Corporate Sustainability, Global Safety and Quality at Bacardi is a key member of the jury.

The distillery provided a fitting backdrop to the award presentation being a landmark of sustainable design from globally celebrated, visionary designer Thomas Heatherwick. Its design is rated “Outstanding” by BREEAM, and more than 99% of its waste is recycled or converted into energy. Added to this, Bombay Sapphire is crafted using a unique blend of 10 botanicals from sustainably certified suppliers.

The partnership with E1 is rooted in Bombay Sapphire’s Step Into The Blue[TM] global campaign that invites people to immerse themselves in a beautiful, blue world and celebrates the brand’s role in bringing the beauty of the moment to life.  

As a partnership founded on a drive for innovation, craftsmanship and caring for the world’s natural blues – it continues to demonstrate that electric sport and environmental responsibility can accelerate positive change – both on and off the water.

Winning the E1 Championship for a second time this year is special, and earning the first ever Blue Impact Championship title means a lot. “When we first set out to build the team with team principals Ben and Joe, our goal was to win both on and off the water – and we’ve done exactly that. “Our Race for Change platform has been a driving force for real environmental impact, and it was important to all of us that our commitment went beyond words. We wanted measurable change. I’m proud that we’re not just talking about doing good – we’re actually doing it. Seeing my team recognised for their hard work is truly inspiring.

Tom BradyE1 Team Owner

“Congratulations to Team Brady for winning this year’s Blue Impact Championship and sealing the Championship double. “Their win not only represents excellent teamwork but the heart of E1’s mission – using sport as a platform to protect and restore our waters. “The Blue Impact Championship is the component of E1 where, regardless of who wins, we all win, as the collective actions of all teams are an impressive example of the potential of sports to drive meaningful, positive impact on our waters. “Team Brady has shown remarkable dedication in fast-tracking from awareness to meaningful environmental impact this season. Plastic pollution is one of the more pervasive human impacts on the ocean and Team Brady’s initiative sets a benchmark for what truly purpose-driven racing can achieve.”

Carlos M. DuarteE1 Chief Scientist

“At Bombay Sapphire we take real action to help protect the planet, from sourcing all ten botanicals from sustainably certified suppliers to achieving Wildlife Habitat Council Certification for our work to protect biodiversity at the distillery. That's why we are so proud to be the presenting partner for the E1 Blue Impact Championship - the teams are making incredible contributions to help protect the world's oceans, and that's certainly something that's close to our hearts.”

Rodolfo NerviVice President of Corporate Sustainability, Global Safety and Quality for Bacardi

“Our Race for Change campaign has been at the forefront of everything we’ve done this season, even while fighting hard in a tight E1 championship. “Seeing the tangible impact this initiative was having throughout the season has been a genuine source of pride. Through Race for Change, we’ve built incredible partnerships, and our goal was never just about winning - it was about making a meaningful difference, and it's great to see this recognised in winning of the Blue Impact Championship.”

Sam ColemanTeam Brady Pilot

“I’m incredibly proud to win the Blue Impact Championship alongside our second World Championship. The Blue Impact title means a great deal to both Team Brady and me, as sustainability, recycling, green energy, technology, and innovation are causes I deeply care about - and values that sit at the heart of E1. “I’m especially proud of Team Brady’s Race for Change programme and the meaningful collaborations we’ve built with our partners WaterAid, 4ocean, and OceanR. “From wearing team kit made from recycled plastic bottles with OceanR, to raising awareness of access to clean, safe drinking water with WaterAid, these initiatives have created real impact. One of the most powerful elements was our performance-linked partnership with 4ocean: in 2025, for every Championship point we earned, 100 kilograms of plastic waste was removed from the ocean, totalling 19,500kg this year. Delivering tangible environmental change alongside sporting success is something I’m extremely proud of, and I hope we can make an even greater positive impact in the 2026 season.”

Emma Kimiläinen

Teams are already preparing for the 2026 E1 Blue Impact Championship, which will run alongside the E1 2026 season calendar, which starts in Jeddah on January 23 and 24.