Will Smith joins E1 e-boat series with Westbrook Racing

Hollywood superstar Will Smith has become the latest big name to join the world of fully electric powerboat racing.

The actor, musician and film producer has launched Westbrook Racing to compete in the inaugural season of the UIM E1 World Championship – the world’s first electric racing boat championship.

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).

The Championship sees nine teams go head-to-head in the waters around famous 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 sees him join an impressive roster of team owners that includes sports stars Rafael Nadal, Sergio Perez, Tom Brady and Didier Drogba, DJ Steve Aoki and Grammy award-winning musician Marc Anthony.

Westbrook Racing is employing two experienced racing drivers to pilot its boat this season. Lucas Ordoñez, who entered professional racing from the virtual world as a GT Academy winner before racing at Le Mans and in the SuperGT and Formula 3 classes, is joined by Sara Price, professional racer and stuntwoman and winner of 17 national motocross championships.

Smith said: “As a fan of racing, the opportunity to be part of the E1 fleet and play a role in realising 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.”

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 added: “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.”