High-speed crash ends qualifying as E1 makes dramatic Monaco return
A high-speed crash resulted in heavy damage to Team Rafa’s E1 RaceBird, a red flag and an early end to qualifying for tomorrow’s E1 Monaco race.
Tennis star Rafael Nadel was watching from the sidelines and witnessed the collision between his team and Team Brazil by Claure Group. Team Rafa’s French pilot Tom Chiappe emerged unscathed.
The UIM E1 World Championship presented by PIF, the world’s first all-eclectic raceboat series, returned to Monaco with the on-water drama resulting in the qualifying session being stopped. This marks the first time in the Championship’s history that qualifying has ended prematurely with a red flag.
Tom Chiappe jumped clear of his E1 RaceBird to nearby waiting safety crews as it began taking on water as a result of the damage sustained. His visibly concerned co-pilot Cris Lazaraga witnessed the drama unfold from the paddock.
Speaking after the incident in Monaco, Rafael Nadal reacted to the crash saying, “It was scary. Seeing it in real-time, I was worried for Tom. From the sidelines it looked dangerous. The main thing is he’s okay, he’s healthy. Everything else doesn’t matter when you go through something like this.”
Qualifying points have been allocated based on positions in the qualifying time trials.
With Team Rafa current Championship leaders, they will be hoping to bounce back as they bid to extend their lead over their closest rivals, Aoki Racing Team.
