E1 TEAM MIAMI SHOWS PROMISE AT CHALLENGING E1 LAKE COMO GP
- E1 Team Miami
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
E1 Team Miami, powered by MAGNUS, endured a challenging weekend at the E1 Lake Como GP. Despite showcasing front-running pace in Practice and Qualifying, the Miami squad struggled to convert that speed into race results, finishing in ninth place overall.
While the championship made its return to Lake Como, the event marked Rianna O’Meara-Hunt’s debut for the Miami outfit, and she quickly settled into the team alongside Timmy Hansen. The new pairing demonstrated strong chemistry from the outset, finishing third overall in Practice and signalling their intent early on.
That momentum carried into Friday’s Qualifying, where Hansen impressed with a session-topping lap in Q2 and the second fastest time of the day behind Team Drogba’s Micah Wilkinson. As the six remaining teams battled it out in Q3, O’Meara-Hunt narrowly missed out on a spot in Q4 for the team by just 0.004 seconds - underlining the team’s competitiveness across both pilots.
Execution proved more challenging in the races as Saturday’s action got underway. A compromised start in Race 1 Group A forced Hansen to fight back through the field, but the Swede recovered to an impressive second place. O’Meara-Hunt faced a similar situation in Race 3 Group A, struggling off the line but gaining a place on course with a composed stint to finish fourth and secure Team Miami a spot in the Race Off.
A disrupted Race Off, following a red flag and course reset, added to the challenges facing Team Miami. When the race eventually got underway, Hansen set the fastest lap of the session. However, as he caught up to the RaceBirds ahead the turbulent conditions and race traffic limited progress, leaving the team fourth despite strong underlying pace.
The Place Race, held at the conclusion of the day’s running following the Finals, provided the Miami team with a final opportunity to consolidate their overall result. Facing up against the likes of Erik Stark and Wilkinson, a difficult launch placed O’Meara-Hunt under immediate pressure.
Following a decisive overtake on Team Rafa’s Tom Chiappe as she entered the longer lap, the New Zealand-born pilot maintained her composure throughout the remainder of the race to secure third place and a final classification of ninth for the team.
While the result did not reflect the Miami squad’s speed, the E1 Lake Como GP highlighted clear progress and potential within the new driver pairing. Team Miami now turns its attention to the next round in Dubrovnik (12-13 June), aiming to convert their evident pace into consistent race results. Steve Curtis, E1 Team Miami powered by MAGNUS Team Principal, said: “This weekend has demonstrated both the potential within the team but also the areas where we must continue to improve, particularly when it comes to consistently translating our qualifying pace into race results. The performance level we have shown, especially in Qualifying and across key moments in the races, confirms that we can compete at the front of the field. We know what we need to work on and we’re confident that stronger results are within reach.”
Timmy Hansen, E1 Team Miami powered by MAGNUS pilot, said: “We showed good pace throughout the weekend, so it’s encouraging to know that we have the speed to challenge for a podium. At the same time, the racing highlighted just how quickly things can change in this championship. The results here didn’t reflect our full potential, but we can take a lot from this weekend and build on it for the next round.”
Rianna O’Meara-Hunt, E1 Team Miami powered by MAGNUS pilot, said: “Stepping into the team this weekend has been an incredibly valuable experience, and I’m feeling more and more comfortable with the RaceBird and the challenges that come with racing alongside the other teams. There are definitely areas where we know we can improve, but there are also positives to take away, and I’m looking forward to pushing myself and giving it my all at the next round.”
