13th June 2026
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Race Report: Second Podium of the Season with Team Owner LeBron James Watching On
Team AlUla Championed by LeBron James secured a hard-fought third-place finish at the E1 Dubrovnik GP presented by Adriatic Luxury Hotels, Round 3 of the UIM E1 World Championship presented by PIF. The result marks the team's second podium of the 2026 season and strengthens its position in the Championship standings, where the team sits third overall.
Battling the Elements in Dubrovnik
Set against the stunning backdrop of Dubrovnik's Old City, a UNESCO World Heritage site and the Adriatic Sea, team pilots Nerea Martí and Rusty Wyatt delivered an impressive performance during one of the most demanding E1 race weekends ever. Adding to the high energy on the water, team owner LeBron James was on site to watch the action firsthand.
Dubrovnik holds special significance for Team AlUla, it’s the venue where the team claimed its first-ever E1 podium - a year ago - and this year's return proved equally memorable.
For Pilot Nerea Martí, competing in just her fifth E1 event in the all-electric RaceBird, the weekend represented another important milestone. Faced with some of the roughest conditions she has experienced in the Championship so far, the Spanish racing driver continued to demonstrate impressive progression alongside fellow teammate Rusty Wyatt.
Qualifying: Friday
Adverse weather conditions forced Thursday's free practice session to be cancelled, resulting in a compressed schedule with practice moved to Friday morning.
The team showed encouraging pace and stability during the first on water session, with both pilots finding their rhythm despite the challenging conditions. However, the afternoon’s qualifying proved frustrating. Damage to the propeller impacted acceleration performance, preventing both pilots from extracting the full potential of the RaceBird. The setback left Team AlUla P9 heading into Race Day.
Race Day: Saturday
With limited preparation time and a challenging starting position, Saturday demanded a flawless performance from the entire team. A heavy sea state created some of the toughest racing conditions seen this season, testing both pilots and Racebird throughout the day. Starting from the outside lane called for strategic opportunities, the team executed a series of well-judged moves to steadily work up through the fleet.
The two final races delivered some of the championship's most intense racing to date. Under immense pressure, both pilots produced composed and determined performances. Martí's exceptional drive in Final 2 proved decisive, securing the second podium finish of the season for Team AlUla.
Nerea Martí, Pilot: "I'm really happy. Another podium feels fantastic, and we're seeing all the hard work pay off. It's been a big weekend with some huge conditions, and every session demanded a lot but I'm feeling more comfortable in the RaceBird with every event and I’m enjoying the challenge.”
Rusty Wyatt, Pilot "Dubrovnik demanded a lot from us! The weather and waves made for some big and challenging racing, but these are the conditions we love and push even harder in! It was great to have LeBron here supporting us this weekend, we hope he enjoyed the show. There was definitely some added pressure, but it motivated us even more. We're thrilled to deliver another podium for him and the team this season."
Barny Whitwham, Co-Team Principal "What a comeback on Race Day, after Friday's frustration in qualifying! The conditions on Race Day were some of the toughest we've ever raced in and pushed everyone to the limit. Rusty and Nerea both did an outstanding job, and Nerea's performance in the final was exceptional. This result reflects the preparation, strategy and technical work happening behind the scenes. I'm incredibly proud of the progress the team continues to make, race by race and event by event."
John Marlow, Co-Team Principal "Racing in a unique venue like Dubrovnik is always going to be challenging, on and off the water, but Dubrovnik is one of the standout destinations on the E1 calendar. It's an incredibly beautiful racecourse, and this marks our second consecutive podium here, so it's clearly a venue we enjoy. The entire team has done an outstanding job to secure this result, and it's another important step forward in securing a Championship podium this Season."
Team AlUla Championed by LeBron James now turns its attention to Monaco on 17-18 July, the final European stop of the 2026 UIM E1 World Championship before the series heads to the African stage of its global tour.
Championship standings after qualifying:
Angola Westbrook Racing - 101 pts
Team Brady - 89 pts
Team AlUla championed by LeBron James - 70 pts
Aoki Racing Team - 59 pts
Team Blue Rising - 47 pts
Team Rafa - 35 pts
Team Monaco - 33 pts
Sierra Racing Club - 27 pts
Sports.com Predict Team Miami powered by MAGNUS - 26 pts
Team Drogba Global Africa - 20 pts
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