The Young Electric Boat Racing League E1 continues to expand its roster of racing teams as it approaches its second UIM E1 World Championship Season in 2025. Several big names in sports and entertainment were signed in season 1, but this next Championship Series includes a new name – LeBron James, who will lead Team AlUla.
As you may or may not know, the UIM E1 World Championship is a new electric racing yacht series that was first announced for 2022. It started its first season in February 2024 with the Jeddah GP, held in Saudi Arabia.
Since its inception, E1 co-founders Rodi Basso and Alejandro Agag have assembled an impressive list of team owners and continue to grow the league to draw attention to sustainable motoring and bring strong competition.
Ahead of season 1 of the UIM E1 World Championship Series, several familiar names have joined as team owners, including Formula 1 veteran Sergio Perez, superstar DJ Steve Aoki, singer Mark Anthony, and, most recently, Will Smith.
Additional teams are owned by sports legends such as Rafael Nadal, Didier Drogba, and the NFL's Tom Brady, whose team won the first electric boat race last November. Today, E1 announced a new team ahead of season 2, and it's another world-renowned elite athlete who knows how to win – LeBron James.
LeBron James will lead Team AlUla in the second season of E1
The E1 series shared the news of LeBron James joining as the team's latest owner this morning, just days before the fledgling powerboat racing league kicks off its second season again in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. That place is fitting, as LeBron James will lead a new team called Team AlUla.
“AlUla” comes from the ancient oasis city in Saudi Arabia of the same name and home to Hegra, the Kingdom's first UNESCO World Heritage Site. James' new team will be tested by runners Rusty Wyatt and Catie Munnings. The NBA Hall of Famer talked about owning a team in the latest E1 race:
As a lifelong fan of the sport and competition, the opportunity to own an E1 team that represents such a high level of innovation in the sport is incredibly exciting, the E1 is a new type of competition that is changing the world of water racing and I am proud to be a part of it. is in the lead-up to its second season extension.
According to E1, James is supported by Team Principals John Marlow and Barny Whitwham, who have 30 years' experience working in commercial and technical roles at FIA Formula 1 and World Rally Championship teams.
Watch out for LeBron James and Team AlUla competing in the Racebird seen above during the second season of the UIM E1 World Championship presented by PIF. The race will start this Saturday, January 25, during the Jeddah GP. Here is the 2025 E1 race calendar as it currently stands:
- January 24-25: E1 Jeddah GP
- February 21-22: Visit Qatar E1 Doha GP
- TBA
- July 18-19: E1 Monaco
- August 22-23: E1 Lake Como GP
- TBA
- November 7-8: E1 Championship, Miami
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