Hollywood actor, musician and film producer, Will Smith, has launched a new team in the UIM E1 World Championship – the world’s first all-electric race boat Championship. Westbrook Racing, named after Smith’s global entertainment company, is set to compete in the debut season of E1.
The team will join the fleet for the second race of E1’s debut season at the E1 Venice GP this weekend (11-12 May) as the series arrives in the City of Water.
The Championship sees nine teams go head-to-head in high-octane racing at iconic global cities including Jeddah, Monaco and Hong Kong in a bid to be crowned “Champions of the Water’.
The actor’s investment in an E1 team puts him in good company as he joins an impressive roster of team owners in the Championship that include NFL icon Tom Brady, tennis legend Rafael Nadal, international DJ Steve Aoki, footballing superstar Didier Drogba, philanthropist and businessman Marcelo Claure, star cricketer Virat Kohli, F1 hero Sergio Perez and Grammy award-winning musician Marc Anthony.
The arrival of the new team aligns Smith’s affinity for electric and competitive sports with E1’s mission to accelerate sustainability in marine mobility. With over 265M followers across social media, Smith will use his global platform to help elevate the world of electric sports and mobility and the shared goal of creating a more sustainable future.
Westbrook Racing will be led on the water by two internationally recognised superstars of their fields. The pioneering Lucas Ordoñez, who entered professional racing from the virtual world as a GT Academy winner before racing at Le Mans five times, as well as SuperGT and Formula 3, is joined by Sara Price, professional racer and stuntwoman and winner of 17 national motocross championships, along with performances in Extreme E, the X Games and the Dakar Rally.
Will Smith, team owner of Westbrook Racing, said: “As a fan of racing, the opportunity to be part of the E1 fleet and play a role in realizing its broader vision got me very inspired. The entire Westbrook team is truly excited to bring Westbrook Racing to the water and join such an amazing group for this race.”
Smith is launching the team in conjunction with Westbrook Inc, the media and company he founded with wife Jada Pinkett Smith, Miguel Melendez, and Ko Yada in 2019.
With a focus on empowering artists to tell stories that connect the world, Westbrook Inc. curates and produces content – from short and mid-form digital to traditional television and motion pictures – for all major platforms and since its inception, has garnered numerous awards and nominations across film, television and marketing.
With this venture, the company it turning their creative lens from the screen to the water.
Kosaku Yada, CEO of Westbrook Inc says, “We are looking forward to working with E1 co-founders- Rodi Basso and Alejandro Agag – and our investment partners – Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio, Alshair Fiyaz and Tommaso Chiabra – to launch Westbrook Racing and to bring entertainment to the electrification of motor sports.
Rodi Basso, co-founder and CEO of E1 said:
“Will Smith is simply one of the most famous names on the planet. He’s shown throughout his career he is a born winner, so we are incredibly excited to see how this transitions to racing on the water.
“He’s also time and again proven himself as an inspirational force for good in a multitude of ways. Together, we are looking forward to pursuing our joint ambition to progress the electrification of sport and the positive effect this will have on the wider marine industry.”
Alejandro Agag, co-founder and chairman of E1 said: “E1 is scaling new heights in the celebrity ownership of sports teams.
“Will is smart businessman, life-long sports fan, and champion of electric marine mobility, so we’re delighted to bring Westbrook Racing onboard to be part of our trailblazing Championship.”
Alongside Will Smith, investors include EssilorLuxottica Chief Strategy Officer and Italian entrepreneur Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio, Monaco based investor and owner of Polo Club de Saint Tropez Alshair Fiyaz and philanthropist and founder of Royal Yacht International Tommaso Chiabra.
Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio has already stood out for his attention to green and sustainable projects with his firm LMDV Capital, the CEO of which is Marco Talarico.
Alshair Fiyaz, who successfully transformed Bellakvarter in Copenhagen into one of Scandinavia´s largest sustainability led green-powered urban developments, is impressed by E1 team´s focus on social responsibility and environmental impact:
“I have been involved in competitive sports my entire life”, says Fiyaz. “When the opportunity arose to enter another team, there was no doubt in my mind about my support. The E1 series highlights an important message about the potential of electric power in marine transportation. The Blue Impact initiative by E1 series addresses coastal waste management challenges in some of the most iconic urban locations in the world, including Venice and Monaco”.
E1 is the world’s first and only all-electric raceboat championship sanctioned by the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM), which is the international governing body for all powerboating activities. The UIM E1 World Championship was established to create a new, exciting and competitive on-water racing platform based on electric technologies to protect and restore our urban waters and coastal areas.
The championship will see nine tream and 18 mixed gender pilots racing on the water in iconic cities around the world, with the US due to host a race in Season 2. The E1 pilots will navigate tight and technical circuits behind the wheel of the electric E1 raceboats. For the latest news and updates, please follow us at @E1Series on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. #ChampionsOfTheWater
