Team AlUla championed by LeBron James wins E1 Blue Impact Championship presented by Bombay Sapphire

On the eve of the E1 all-electric raceboat Championship double-header season finale, Team AlUla championed by LeBron James has today been announced as the overall winners of the 2026 E1 Blue Impact Championship presented by Bombay Sapphire.

The Blue Impact Championship recognises the E1 team that has delivered the most robust and impactful sustainability programme throughout the season.

Team AlUla won for their “Powered by Data. Driven by Impact.” programme, which was deemed to most holistically align with the strategic pillars of the Blue Impact Championship. Aoki Racing Team owner, music producer and DJ Steve Aoki presented the award alongside Tara King, Bombay Sapphire Senior Brand Director.

As part of the programme, the team continued its partnership with WATR, a monitoring solutions provider, to deploy real-time water quality monitoring technology at every race. They launched a live public dashboard in December and planted one mangrove propagule for every WATR reading in the season, totalling 3,200 propagules so far in 2026.

In Luanda, Team AlUla partnered with the Kissama Foundation to publish a bilingual edition of "Cori, the Turtle in Danger" to tell the story of Team AlUla. One thousand copies were printed and are expected to reach over 20,000 children in schools and Kissama hubs around Angola.

E1, the world’s first all-electric raceboat Championship, celebrates the second edition of its Blue Impact Championship presented by Bombay Sapphire, part of the series’ wider Blue Impact Programme.

 

The Championship encourages teams to use their platforms to support ocean conservation, engage local communities and develop projects that deliver measurable environmental and social benefits.

 

Now in its second year, the award event brought together E1 partners, stakeholders and local sustainability experts for an afternoon of sustainability panel discussions, followed by the award ceremony.

 

New for 2026, three additional award categories alongside the overall Blue Impact Championship title.

 

Last year’s overall winners Team Brady claimed the Environmental Impact Award for doubling their ocean plastic removal pledge launched in 2025 with strategic partner 4Ocean Foundation. In 2026, 200 kilograms of plastic were removed for every Championship point Team Brady obtained, meaning over 30 tonnes after five of seven rounds this season.

Team Rafa took home the Social Impact Award for delivering ocean literacy workshops for 24,000 people, making a measurable difference to communities, from youth engagement and science, technology and mathematics education to charitable partnerships.

 

And the Tech Award went to Westbrook Racing by Visit Angola, who were praised for leading an innovative technology-driven partnership with the European Space Agency and EOMAP to gather environmental insights at each race location through satellite imagery.

 

The award winners were selected by a panel of six experts from the fields of marine science, ocean conservation and sustainability, led by Distinguished Professor of Marine Science and E1 Chief Scientist Carlos Duarte.

 

The rest of the 2026 Blue Impact Championship judging panel included:

  • Rodolfo Nervi, VP Corporate Sustainability, Global Safety and Quality, Bacardi
  • Jan Pachner, Secretary General, One Ocean Foundation
  • Dr Maria Donoso, UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Water Security and Director of International Programs, FIU Institute of Environment
  • Dr Rashid Sumaila, Canada Research Chair in Interdisciplinary Ocean & Fisheries Economics
  • Dr Timothy Kellison, UNESCO Chair in Sport Ecology and Sustainable Development and Associate Professor, Sport Management, Florida State University

The Blue Impact Championship is presented by Bombay Sapphire, E1's Official Global Gin Partner and race title sponsor for the Bombay Sapphire E1 Miami GP 2026.

 

Through this partnership, Bombay Sapphire supports the Championship's wider focus on aquatic ecosystems. Crafted using a unique blend of 10 hand-selected botanicals sourced from certified sustainable suppliers around the world, Bombay Sapphire is distilled at Laverstoke Mill in Hampshire, England, using its signature 100 per cent Vapour Infusion process to gently extract the botanicals' natural flavours, creating its distinctive, vibrant and versatile taste.

 

The partnership also brings Bombay Sapphire's global Step Into The Blue campaign to life at E1 races across the world, inviting people to immerse themselves in the beautiful blue world of Bombay Sapphire against some of nature’s most striking backdrops.

 

“Winning the 2026 E1 Blue Impact Championship is fantastic recognition of our work. In 2025, we focused on using data to inform our decisions, both on the racecourse and across our sustainability programme. “We built on that approach in 2026 through partnerships around the world, and we're looking forward to taking it even further in 2027.”

Barny WhitwhamCo-Team Principal, Team AlUla championed by LeBron James

“E1 teams come from different motorsport backgrounds and disciplines, bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience to how we compete on the water. “We have an opportunity to use that same expertise to drive sustainability forward. It's important that every team makes protecting our oceans a priority.”

John MarlowCo-Team Principal, Team AlUla championed by LeBron James

“This year, we've continued to work with our fantastic partners, 4ocean Foundation and WaterAid. Through our partnership with 4ocean Foundation in particular, we've built on last year's achievements, doubling our commitment to removing plastic from the ocean.”

Joe SturdyCo-team Principal, Team Brady

“We're delighted that Team Rafa has won the Social Impact Award, recognising our work with the Protect Posidonia project. Since 2024, we've been raising awareness and educating children about the vital role Posidonia plays in protecting our oceans.”

Louis RogezTeam Principal, Team Rafa

“We're delighted to win the Technology Award today. We created our sustainability strategy, Powering Performance with Purpose, in 2025 and, building on that, we are now working with the European Space Agency and EOMAP to use satellites to track water quality and floating marine debris wherever we race."

Phillip AllenTeam Principal Westbrook Racing, Westbrook Racing by Visit Angola

“Following our inaugural Blue Impact Championship held last year, we have seen a major leap in the ambition, diversity and creativity of the projects delivered by the E1 teams. “Together, they have truly delivered impact across social, environmental and technology aspects of the push to positively impact our oceans. Thanks to the efforts of our teams and E1, we can say that the Blue Impact Championship has come of age and we look forward to what our teams will achieve next year.”

Carlos M. DuarteE1 Chief Scientist

“I was impressed by both the calibre of work and the ambition to drive impact from all the teams this year. Protecting water, such a vital resource to people and planet, is something that’s very close to our hearts at Bombay Sapphire, so it’s inspiring to see innovative thinking, new technologies and impactful partnerships being leveraged as part of the Blue Impact Championship to push boundaries and make a real difference. Congratulations to Team AlUla and all the teams whose contributions have made such a significant impact.”

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