Sometimes the final standings tell only part of the story.
On Monaco’s famous waterfront, where precision matters as much as outright speed, E1 Team Monaco delivered one of its most convincing performances of the 2026 UIM E1 World Championship.
The home team left the Principality with pole position, the fastest lap of the weekend and renewed confidence that podium finishes are an increasingly realistic expectation.
The weekend began in perfect fashion on Friday as Maxime Nocher and Oban Duncan combined to secure pole position after an outstanding qualifying performance. It was another reminder that Monaco’s inaugural E1 team has rapidly become one of the championship’s quickest outfits.
When racing got underway, 11-time kitefoil world champion Maxime Nocher immediately demonstrated why.
Leading the opening race, he showcased the impressive pace of Monaco’s RaceBird, while later recording the fastest lap of Race 1 with a remarkable 1:15.422, the quickest time achieved by any competitor during the event.
Race day, however, proved far less forgiving.
A mistake at the mandatory opening corner of the second race triggered penalties that ultimately resulted in a DNF despite Oban Duncan recovering strongly on the water to fourth place. It was one of those weekends where performance and final classification travelled in different directions.
Even so, Monaco salvaged second place in the Place Race and finished seventh overall at its home event, results that scarcely reflected the speed the team displayed throughout qualifying and racing.
Rather than dwelling on disappointment, both drivers chose to focus on the progress being made.
Nocher described securing pole position as a major moment for the team, acknowledging that the first season continues to provide valuable lessons while insisting the fastest lap proved Monaco has the pace to challenge anyone in the championship.
Duncan struck a similarly optimistic tone, saying the team would learn from its mistakes while building on the many positives from the weekend.
Prince Albert
One of the most memorable moments came away from the racing itself.
H.S.H. Prince Albert II visited the Monaco paddock to congratulate the team and meet the engineers, founders and drivers behind the project. Praising the remarkable progress achieved during the team’s debut campaign, the Prince encouraged everyone to maintain their hard work and positive spirit, ending his message with a characteristically Monegasque rallying cry: “Daghe Munegu!”
The visit served as another reminder that Team Monaco represents more than sporting ambition alone.
Competing in the world’s first all-electric raceboat championship, the team combines Monaco’s long maritime tradition with cutting-edge electric propulsion technology, helping showcase innovations that could influence the future of sustainable marine transport far beyond motorsport.
With the Monaco event concluding the European leg of the championship, attention now shifts overseas.
Four rounds remain in the 2026 season, beginning in Angola on 12–13 September, where Team Monaco will be determined to convert its undeniable pace into the podium finish that increasingly appears within reach.
If Monaco’s home race proved anything, it is that this young team no longer needs to prove it belongs among the championship contenders.
Now, the next challenge is turning speed into silverware.
