- Saudi national Al Obaidan and Spanish team-mate Dani Clos’ Aoki Racing Team claimed top spot on the E1 Jeddah GP podium on Saturday, with Team Rafa second and Team Blue Rising third
- The UIM E1 World Championship presented by PIF, the world’s only all-electric raceboat championship, began its second season in spectacular style at the Jeddah GP
- ‘This win is not for our team only but for Saudi Arabia and all Saudis as this is an international championship and the competition is real’ – Mashael Al Obaidan, Aoki Racing Team
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JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA (25 January 2025) – Mashael Al Obaidan, of Aoki Racing Team, proudly dedicated her team’s E1 Jeddah GP victory in the season’s opening UIM E1 World Championship presented by PIF race to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and all Saudis.
Female pilot Al Obaidan and her male counterpart Dani Clos, from Spain, claimed top spot on the podium at the E1 Jeddah GP on Saturday ahead of Team Rafa in second and Team Blue Rising in third. Aoki Racing Team, owned by Steve Aoki, the hitmaking global DJ, earned 39 points for their win, while Team Rafa, owned by tennis legend Rafael Nadal, claimed 30 points. Team Blue Rising, owned by Indian cricket hero Virat Kohli, received 24 points.
The triumph on home waters marked an incredible achievement for Al Obaidan – whose sporting background prior to joining E1 is in rallying – in the second season of the world’s only all-electric raceboat championship.
Al Obaidan said: “Winning in your own country and winning among your own people and loved ones, it hits differently. It’s something indescribable. My mom just called me crying because she knows how much I want to win!
“I am proud that the team won, not just me, but the team. I am proud that I won in Saudi as this gives it another taste. This win is not for our team only but for Saudi Arabia and all Saudis as this is an international championship and the competition is real. But we proved that we are among the best.
“It means a lot because as a kid I got inspired by athletes who achieved, so the effect (of this win) is beautiful, and my dream is to see so many Saudis achieve on a global and international level. It holds a special place in my heart. We’re going for the championship!”
Clos said: “I love Jeddah! I really liked it but now I will have it forever in my heart. I just feel so proud for Mashael and the entire team that we have achieved this together. We had a very complicated season last year and right now all these things came together, and we have achieved a victory here in Mashael’s home country, so I’m very proud. The boat was bigger, and we were doing an amazing job and no mistakes; that was amazing.
“It is amazing what she is doing and achieving, and I know from here onwards many young girls would want to be pilots and sport champions to make the country even better than it already is.”
Clos was delighted owner Aoki was able to share the special win in Jeddah with them. Clos said: “Steve is a great character and a good man full of energy and vibes – and, of course, who does not love to win! And he came here and shared those vibes and it just happened. Be aware of the dragon because things are coming!”
E1 features top teams owned by some of the best-known celebrities in the world such as Aoki, Nadal, Kohli, Tom Brady, Will Smith, Didier Drogba, and more. Teams feature two pilots – one male, one female – powering futuristic, all-electric RaceBirds.
The 2025 E1 Jeddah GP was presented in partnership between E1, the Saudi Ministry of Sport, and the Saudi Water Sports and Diving Federation. Having debuted in Jeddah during the inaugural UIM E1 World Championship presented by PIF last year, this season’s event in the city was held under the theme ‘Race for Change’. Following the Jeddah event, the E1 season will now head to six different marine locations across the globe, beginning with Doha in Qatar next month.
The UIM E1 World Championship presented by PIF transcends traditional racing and champions a vision of revolutionising marine transportation. The introduction of charging points at race venues marks a shift towards greener marine practices.
E1 also aligns fully with the vision of the Saudi Water Sports and Diving Federation, which promotes sustainable practices, champions the aspiration for excellence in athletic performance, and encourages broad participation across all levels of society.
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