Qualifying: Friday

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AIUIa delivered a strong performance in Friday’s qualifying session, topping the fleet to secure pole position after successfully progressing through all four stages of the racing format. It marked Pilot Nerea Martí’s first E1 Series pole.

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Although it was not without its challenges - it was a demanding day on the water - Rusty Wyatt still set the fastest lap time and the duo maintained their pace and focus  throughout. Claiming pole position also earned three valuable championship points, strengthening the team’s position in the overall standings.

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Race Day: Saturday

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Martí and team mate Rusty Wyatt carried the momentum into Saturday, both winning their group races to secure direct qualification to the finals for the second consecutive event.

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In Final 1, Martí delivered a composed performance in difficult, choppy conditions and a chaotic racecourse to finish P4 - an impressive result in only her fourth E1 race weekend ever.

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In Final 2, Wyatt started strongly but was squeezed at turn 1, sustaining damage to the RaceBird’s foil. Despite the setback, he remained focused and determined to comeback, and set the fastest lap time across the fleet. In a tense finish, the team missed out on a place on the podium by just 0.2 seconds.

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Barny Whitwham, Co-Team Principal, Team AlUla: “It was a really positive event from start to finish. We were strong early on with P1 in qualifying and continued that momentum into race day, reaching the finals directly again. We’re learning every time we go on the water - each session gives us valuable insight, which is vital given our limited time in the RaceBird. Como has given us excellent data and plenty to go away and build on.”

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Nerea Martí, Team AlUla Pilot: “We had the pace and were really fighting at the front throughout the weekend. Then Rusty kept pushing until the very end and we were incredibly close to the podium. We know we have the speed to be at the top, and we’ll aim to deliver that even more in the next race. I’m really excited for Dubrovnik - I’ve never raced there, it looks really beautiful and I hope we will show our true potential.”

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Rusty Wyatt, Team AlUla Pilot: “There are lots of positives to take from the weekend: P1 in qualifying and three P1s across race day. The majority of the event was very strong. The speed was clearly there - it was just the start that cost us at times. We never gave up and kept fighting to the end, and we’ll take that momentum forward.”

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John Marlow, Co-Team Principal, Team AlUla: “It was a really strong weekend overall in Como. It’s disappointing to miss the podium, but the performance was very encouraging. The pace across both days was excellent - even with damage, Rusty set the fastest lap of the session. It shows the boat and the pilots both have real speed, and we were very close to a perfect weekend.”

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Team AIUIa Championed by LeBron James, now heads to the next round in Dubrovnik (11 - 12 June), sitting fourth in the overall standings as the Championship continues the European stage of the global tour.