E1 LUANDA GP ENDS EARLY FOR TEAM MIAMI

Sports.com Predict Team Miami powered by MAGNUS showed strong pace on its debut at the E1 Luanda GP, with both Timmy Hansen and Rianna O’Meara-Hunt proving competitive at the front of the field before circumstances outside the team’s control brought the weekend to an early conclusion.

As the UIM E1 World Championship made its first appearance in Angola, Team Miami arrived in Luanda off the back of a season-best performance in Monaco, where Hansen and O’Meara-Hunt secured a podium finish.

In Qualifying, Hansen delivered a strong performance to finish third in his group and second overall after the teams’ first stints. Following on from her team-mate, O’Meara-Hunt’s qualifying run was disrupted after debris become lodged in the propeller. This meant the Kiwi had just two attempts to deliver a competitive lap time, and the Miami squad slotted into P8 overall as Saturday’s action came to close.

On Sunday, O’Meara-Hunt made a strong start in the first race of the Group Stages, immediately taking the lead through the opening corners. The 25-year-old opted to take the short lap early to extend her advantage at the front, but a jump-start penalty meant she was required to complete an additional long lap. Dropping back to fifth, O’Meara-Hunt managed to keep both Team Aoki and Team Monaco within reach at the finish line despite her penalty.

Hansen also made an excellent getaway in his Heat and quickly moved into second, using the short lap to gain clear water and the long lap to avoid a fight with Team Aoki. As a place in the Final looked firmly within reach, the team’s RaceBird suffered a sudden mechanical failure when the midsection snapped on Lap 4, bringing Hansen’s charge to an end.

Team Miami was unable to continue in the Place Race due to a lack of spare parts available to repair the RaceBird. With the other teams already committed to the Final, there was also no opportunity to borrow a boat, so the Miami outfit were left to watch from the sidelines.

Despite the disappointing conclusion, Luanda once again highlighted the pace and potential of the Team Miami package, with every member of the squad working tirelessly to remain competitive against challenging circumstances.

Team Miami now turns its attention to the season-ending double-header on home waters in Miami (13-14 November), where the squad will look to finish the campaign on a high.

Steve Curtis, Team Principal: “Of course, it’s disappointing to end the weekend this way, particularly when the pace was clearly there, but there is a lot to be proud of. The whole team did an incredible job to put us in a position to fight at the front, and ultimately what happened to the boat was outside of our control. We showed that we had the speed to be competitive against all odds, and that’s something we can take forward to Miami.”

Timmy Hansen: “It was a frustrating way for the race to end because we had done everything we needed to do. The boat was working well, we were fighting at the front, and I felt we had a real chance of making the Final. When the midsection broke, there was nothing we could do. The team did an amazing job all weekend, so I think we should focus on how competitive we were rather than the result.”

Rianna O’Meara-Hunt: “There were a lot of things this weekend that were out of our hands, but I’m really proud of what we showed as a team. To fight with the front runners in the Group Stages after so little time in the boat was really positive. Everyone worked incredibly hard to give us the best possible package, and we proved we have what it takes to be right up there at the top.”