Alongside global stars like Tom Brady, LeBron James, Virat Kohli, Rafael Nadal, and actor Will Smith, former Chelsea and Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba co-owns a team in the E1 Series — the world’s first all-electric international powerboat racing championship.
After launching last year, E1 is now in its second season and is set to make its debut in Africa, with Lagos Lagoon hosting the nine teams on the weekend of October 4-5.
“When we joined E1, our main goal was to bring the race to Africa,” Drogba told BBC Sport Africa. “We want people to discover our culture and history. Lagos is a vibrant city, making it a perfect choice.”
Drogba’s partner and co-investor Gabrielle Lemaire, vice president of the Didier Drogba Foundation, echoed this sentiment: “The people here are very young, and it’s a great opportunity to promote sustainability.”
E1 markets itself as “pioneering a sustainable future in marine sports,” aiming to regenerate coastal waters through innovative clean technologies. Past race locations include Venice, Monaco, Dubrovnik, Doha, and Lake Como, with Miami set to close the season.
The series also promotes gender equality by requiring each team to have one female and one male pilot. “It’s a powerful symbol to show men and women can compete equally,” said Lemaire. “We want to inspire young people, especially girls, to see the importance of this—not just in sports, but in life.”
