E1 Lagos GP Was Basically 'Fast & Furious: Lagos Drift'

This weekend, Lagos gave me a front-row seat to a whole new kind of madness, where electric powerboats flew across our own lagoon like they had somewhere urgent to be.

And I’m not even exaggerating when I say: Lagos showed up.

The crowd came in their Sunday best, waving flags, screaming pilot names they’d just learned that morning. While many were in the Fan Zone, others balanced on boats, bridges, and balconies to catch a glimpse of the action. DJs played the best sounds between races. Even the seagulls looked confused but entertained.

The E1 Lagos GP was more than a race. It was Lagos being Lagos: chaotic, loud, fun, and unfiltered.

With eight international teams in the mix — from Team Brazil and Team Blue Rising to Team Drogba Global Africa and Team Brady — the Lagos Lagoon transformed into a global stage. 

Saturday’s qualifying saw everything from picture-perfect turns to unexpected wipeouts. Then came Sunday’s finals, delayed by a tropical storm that only raised the suspense (and the humidity).

When the spray settled, Team Brazil by Claure Group, piloted by Timmy Hansen and Ieva Millere-Hagin, turned the lagoon into their personal playground. After dominating qualifying on Saturday, they came back on Sunday (after that tropical storm delay) to seal their maiden victory. If that’s not “weathering the storm,” I don’t know what is.

They clinched victory with 25 points, ahead of Team Blue Rising (Virat Kohli’s crew) in second and Team Drogba Global Africa in third.

It was a fight worth losing your voice over, and Lagosians loudly picked sides, as if it were a World Cup final. 

If you weren’t there, trust me, your timeline was. Because, even with all the adrenaline on the water, the real spectacle was on land, and Lagosians turned the race into a content goldmine. 

More than 10,000 fans lined the waterfront from Falomo Jetty to Landmark Beach. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu showed up to support, while global icons like Didier Drogba and Virat Kohli cheered their teams.

There were memes about Team Brady’s technical issues, clips of fans dodging water splashes mid-selfie, and influencers reviewing snacks at the Fan Village like it was a Michelin experience.

Through it all, the city just… glowed. From the Falomo Jetty to the waterfront lounges, the lagoon looked like a movie set.

Following this historic stop in Lagos, the UIM E1 World Championship now turns its attention to a mouth-watering season finale in North America, where the battle for the 2026 Champions of the Water crown will reach its dramatic conclusion. With the Championship wide open, the Miami showdown promises to deliver the most thrilling racing yet as the teams fight to make history.

As for E1 Lagos GP 2025, the event fitted right into that Lagos pulse.

Even E1 CEO Rodi Basso said it best: “This race wasn’t just about speed; it was about legacy.” The Lagos State Government couldn’t agree more, seeing it as proof that the city’s waterways can host not just ferries, but festivals.

With thousands lining the shores and global stars like Drogba cheering from the sidelines, the E1 Lagos GP set a high bar for what’s possible on African waters.

In my opinion, this shouldn’t be a one-off. Let’s have more of this: water concerts, floating art shows, lagoon festivals. The city’s already noisy; might as well make waves while we’re at it.

As I packed up on Sunday evening, still buzzing from the music, the cheers, and the spray of the lagoon, one thought stuck with me:

We came. We saw. We splashed.

And Lagos? Lagos did what it always does: turned everything into a show.