Mashael Al-Obaidan And Lagos Make Waves In Africa’s First E1 Grand Prix

The Team Aoki Racebird During The E1 Lagos GP

Supplied/E1

When Saudi Arabian pilot Mashael Al-Obaidan arrived in Lagos for the E1 Grand Prix, she carried more than racing credentials; she carried a legacy of firsts. As the first Saudi woman to obtain a rally licence and the first to compete in the Formula 4 UAE Championship, Al-Obaidan has become a symbol of progress and possibility, breaking barriers in motorsport across the Middle East and beyond. Her participation in the UIM E1 World Championship, the world’s first all-electric powerboat series, reflects not only her personal drive but also the sport’s broader shift toward innovation, inclusion, and sustainability.

The Lagos Grand Prix ultimately became about more than podiums or points. It marked a moment of shared progress between continents, a meeting of stories defined by courage, vision, and firsts. Al-Obaidan’s presence on the grid was a reminder that every barrier broken creates momentum for what comes next. Lagos’ debut on the E1 calendar sent the same message: Africa’s role in shaping the future of sport and technology is only beginning. The first African E1 Grand Prix will not be the last, but it has instead opened the door a little wider.

A Meeting Point Between Two Worlds

For Al-Obaidan, Lagos represented more than just a new course. It was a cultural and emotional connection between her and the continent, which is beginning to make strides in sports innovation.

“Honestly, it’s my first time in Africa,” she shared after Day 1 of racing. “We are really relaxed and happy, and people are really smiling, welcoming, and they want to make sure that we have everything we need. I really love this place. I hope we come next year as well.”

Her co-pilot, Dani Clos, echoed the same sentiment, reflecting on the warmth he experienced from the local fans. “It was nice,” he said. “I felt very welcome, and that’s beautiful. It’s a country I didn’t know much about. The only place I’d been in Africa before was Johannesburg, but never here in Nigeria. The people are fantastic and the atmosphere is great.”

Their comments reflect the broader sense of excitement which surrounded Lagos’ debut as an E1 host city; an event that blended electric speed with African energy, introducing locals to a sport where technology, sustainability, and adrenaline meet on water.

Adjusting and Learning in the moment

After the first day of racing, Al-Obaidan had an optimistic outlook on the team’s preparation. “We started on a high note,” she said. “Dani finished P1, I finished P1 in free practice, but then, going into the qualifying time trials, one of my laps was cancelled due to miscommunication between the rules that had been set.”

Despite the setback, her competitive instincts remained clear. “I was trying to push the boat really fast and high,” she explained. “My first two laps weren’t really good, so I understood my limits and where to push max. Unfortunately, they didn’t give me that lap. I am really upset and angry because we did not do anything wrong, but sometimes in racing, there’s miscommunication with the rules.”

Team Aoki ultimately finished P4 in qualifying, a solid result heading into the final race day. “Tomorrow is the actual race, and tomorrow we get to fight and push,” Al-Obaidan said. “So today we eat, we go, we sleep, we relax, and tomorrow we come and push.”

Finding Balance Under Pressure

When asked how she handles a day that doesn’t go to plan, Al-Obaidan emphasised the importance of mental reset.“Honestly, I was telling the team we need to go grab a bite, have a strategy meeting for an hour max, and then let everyone go do their thing,” she said. “Relax with friends, do something different, sleep early, tomorrow is a new start.”

It’s an approach that blends discipline with emotional balance, something that has guided her through every stage of her career. “We’ll analyse every mistake and see how we can fix it,” she added. “At this point, we just need to take our minds off it a bit after our meeting, enjoy things, and come back refreshed.”

Strategy, Speed, and Water Flow

Her co-pilot, Clos, provided deeper insight into Team Aoki’s tactical approach. “The course is nice. The track in general is good, and the water feels good,” he said. “We had a very good qualifying, but in the qualifying race, we messed up a little bit at the start. We went for a strategy that didn’t suit us, and we got caught in the middle of the waters, so we lost a lot of positions. Once you’re behind someone in the waves, it’s very hard to overtake.”

He explained how strategy in E1 racing relies heavily on variable conditions. “Going through the weekend depends on the times that you do, how the pilots feel, and what the engineers say,” Dani noted. “There are many options that we can do, from starting at the back, or right in front, or maybe 25 seconds before or 16 seconds before. It depends on the place, the currents of the water, and the wind. It also depends on who’s beside you.”

Race Day Challenges

The final day of racing in Lagos brought unpredictable weather, which caused schedule delays and adjustments to the race order. Conditions on the water became more complex, forcing pilots and crews to adapt quickly between sessions.

After a strong start to the weekend and flashes of pace in practice, Team Aoki concluded the Lagos Grand Prix in seventh place overall. It wasn’t the finish the team had envisioned, but their performance across the sessions reflected both resilience and consistency under changing circumstances.

The Lagos stop proved to be a demanding course for many teams, yet it offered valuable insights into how E1’s unique race format interacts with natural elements. For Al-Obaidan and Clos, every lap added to their growing experience as competitors in a rapidly developing global series.

The Broader Mission

While results matter, Al-Obaidan’s story extends beyond rankings. The gender parity on the E1 circuit symbolises an evolution, one that mirrors the increasing inclusion of women in elite sports globally. Across Africa and the Middle East, more female athletes are breaking through barriers, changing perceptions, and setting new precedents in their fields.

Al-Obaidan’s journey toward becoming an E1 pilot began long before she ever took to the water. Her time with the E1 Academy, a program designed to train and develop the next generation of pilots, engineers, and innovators, played a defining role in shaping her path. Through the Academy, she learned the technical and competitive skills needed to navigate the challenges of electric racing, gaining the foundation that would later carry her into the professional circuit.

“The E1 Academy gives a platform to train people who are interested,” she explained. “It teaches you how to race, how to drive it, and the skills needed to compete. It would be nice to see the Academy all over the world; for example, one here in Africa, one in Saudi Arabia, and so on.”

Reflecting on what her Lagos debut means for others, Al-Obaidan hopes her presence on the starting grid inspired more women, especially from Africa, to take part in the sport. Asked what she would tell a young woman who watched her race this weekend and dreams of doing the same, she didn’t hesitate. “If a young African racer wanted to join, they need to have mental power, skills, and just be really hungry to win,” she said. “Sometimes you’re up, sometimes you’re down, but just focus. I really hope to see someone from Africa. And a woman, as well.”

An End and a Beginning

As the series continues and the boats head to their next and final destination, Lagos’ moment in the spotlight remains significant. It demonstrated what can happen when ambition meets opportunity and when a city takes a chance on hosting something new, and when individuals like Al-Obaidan continue to expand what’s achievable.

The final day’s disruptions may have slowed the pace of racing, but they didn’t dampen the larger message: that motorsport’s future is more open, more global, and more diverse than ever.

For Al-Obaidan, that future continues to evolve; one race, one milestone, and one “first” at a time.

The Lagos Grand Prix will be remembered as the race that brought E1 to Africa, a continent known for its passion for sport and its growing influence in global sporting conversations. For Al-Obaidan, it was another landmark in a journey that began with determination and continues to inspire.

Both stories: that of a pilot breaking barriers and a city hosting its first electric boat race, point toward the same horizon: one where being first is only the beginning, and where each wave cleared makes room for many more to follow.