LeBron James leads Team AlUla in Luanda in a billionaire battle on the water
The NBA star traveled to Angola to join Team AlUla at the Luanda Grand Prix, the fifth round of the E1 season, where his team starts third in the standings behind Tom Brady and Will Smith.
L eBron James arrived in Luanda on Friday to accompany Team AlUla during the E1 Grand Prix. The NBA player thus made his first visit to Angola to support the team he owns during the fifth round of the championship.
This Saturday, September 12, LeBron landed on the Asian continent, pausing his offseason in the United States to make the trip across the Atlantic. He traveled with the aim of supporting his racing franchise, Team AlUla , which was competing in the UIM E1 Electric Boat World Championship in southern Africa.
LeBron James and a battle of stars on the water
Team AlUla arrives in Luanda in third place in the standings, with 75 points, after a difficult weekend in Monaco, where it earned just five points. The team is 35 points behind Will Smith's Westbrook Racing and 44 behind Tom Brady's Team Brady.
James has traveled to directly support his two main drivers, Spain’s Nerea Martí and Canada’s Rusty Wyatt , in a championship characterized by technical parity and mandatory gender equality in the lineups
The peculiarities of the vessels
The vessels used by the teams, known as RaceBirds, are identical for all participants and use hydrofoil technology that allows them to rise above the surface of the water when reaching top speeds of 93 kilometers per hour (50 knots).
The hydrofoil system reduces the vessel's contact with the water and, from a certain speed, allows the hull to be lifted above the surface. That configuration reduces drag and requires the pilots to control the trajectory precisely, especially in turns and when facing changes in the state of the water.
Energy management is one of the key elements of E1 racing. Drivers must combine speed and efficiency on short, technical circuits, where decisions during each heat can make the difference. In Luanda, moreover, all the teams are facing a new track for the first time.
A celebrity showdown in the African paddock
The presence of the NBA player adds voltage to the so-called "Formula 1 of the sea" , a championship of 100% electric speedboats where the real rivals are found in the VIP offices. Team AlUla competes directly against teams owned by major figures from global sports and entertainment, such as the American actor Will Smith's Westbrook Racing.
The main rival to beat in the waters of Luanda is Team Brady, owned by NFL legend Tom Brady, which leads the provisional standings after winning the opening rounds of the championship.
Among the owners of other teams are cricketer Virat Kohli, at the helm of Team Blue Rising; singer Marc Anthony, owner of Team Miami; and former footballer Didier Drogba, in charge of Team Drogba Global Africa.
The athlete was received in an official audience by the president of the Republic of Angola, João Lourenço, in a meeting intended to address investment projects and sports development, and completed his public agenda with a historic visit to the National Museum of Slavery.
The Luanda Grand Prix will be the fifth round of the season and will set the championship battle on course before the finale in Miami. The season will end in the United States with a double program, where Team Miami will serve as host.
