31st October 2025

Q+A with Barny Whitwham
"We bring F1 expertise to electric boats"

As the 2025 E1 season finale in Miami approaches (7-8 November), Team AlUla — championed by LeBron James — is preparing for one last showdown on the water.

Co-Team Principal Barny Whitwham has been instrumental in shaping the team’s direction, bringing a wealth of experience from his motorsport career. We caught up with Barny to discuss his first season in E1, the evolution of the series and what sets this championship apart.

Barny, for those new to the sport, how would you describe the E1 Series?

“It’s like Formula E - but on water - a world championship for electric race boats. We call these boats RaceBirds because they have wings, known as hydrofoils, that lift the boat out of the water. This reduces drag and allows them to travel significantly faster than a traditional boat using an equivalent amount of energy. Each team features both a male and a female pilot, and their combined performance determines the team’s overall result. The races are head-to-head, with boats competing side by side. Beyond the racing, each team is committed to protecting and preserving the marine environments we compete in. This includes the RaceBirds themselves, which represent new sustainable marine technology, and our participation in the Blue Impact Championship, where the goal is to champion initiatives that preserve and protect the marine environments in which we race.”

How have you found the 2025 E1 calendar?

“It’s very varied and a true World Championship! The very fact we were in Nigeria, Lagos, for the previous round demonstrates the ambition of the series – it’s fantastic to be part of one of the few international motorsport championships that compete on the African continent. On a personal level, it’s always exciting to visit new places, and we’ve been lucky enough to race in some truly iconic locations this year”

For anyone watching at home and wondering how to get involved in E1, what does that process look like?

“What is interesting about E1 is that it's drawn people from a lot of different backgrounds. There’s people like myself who've come from a motorsport background and worked in various different pitlanes. Catie comes from a rallying background and then you've got people from the sailing world. There’s some from traditional powerboating like Rusty and there’s lots of jetski racers who are involved too. What is fascinating is seeing all these people come together and approaching the racing in a slightly different way, but ultimately working together to develop this new championship and technology. E1 itself does a Pilot Academy, and that's been successful at selecting athletes from different backgrounds. It's a rigorous training programme – you need to be able to read the water and it’s a tricky task to drive on the limit. In fact, a lot of people describe the RaceBird like flying a plane rather than driving a boat, because you spend almost 90% out of your time out of the water!”

How similar is the RaceBird to other types of machinery?

“In regards to the format, it's similar to rallycross in that it has short, sharp heats which progress through to semi-finals and finals. There's elements of jet ski and regular powerboating as well, in terms of the starts and course layouts. In terms of driving, other than the extreme temperatures we see in the cockpit, it’s fair to say that they are not aggressive or overly physical to drive. Finesse is much more important, using the controls to keep the RaceBird balanced and flying above the waves. When you add in the boost strategy, the start timing and the constant updates from the spotter giving the positions of all the competitors, it becomes a real mental challenge to maximise every race”

How has your experience in Formula 1 influenced the way you co-run an E1 team?

“There’s no denying it’s been a steep learning curve, but there are some clear parallels. My goal is to bring the insights I’ve gained from F1 and other World Championships and develop a well-structured and high performance team - both from an operational standpoint and from an engineering perspective. The RaceBirds generate a huge amount of data which we’re able to analyse in real time while they are on water, and that’s an area where we aim to outperform other teams. Of course the teams are much smaller than in F1, but we can still apply the same principles and mindset. We want all our decisions to be data-driven, but it’s important to recognise when you need to look up from the laptop and have eyes on the course, reacting to the elements and information that no sensors can give you.”

How does it feel having the involvement of LeBron James and other big names in E1?

“We’re all very proud to have the support of LeBron and his team, and for us it adds a healthy and welcome pressure to compete for him against the other big names in the sport. The Monaco event was very special for me having raced there with F1 many times to then racing on the water alongside LeBron, who had come to support us that weekend. He's obviously a great ambassador for us as a team and every time we put on our shirt, we see his name. It reminds you that you're representing an icon of sport - you have to live up to that and you have to deliver!”

Missed our other Q+A with Barny’s Co-Team Principal, John Marlow? Catch up HERE.