E1 Team Monaco endured a frustrating end to an otherwise promising weekend in Croatia, finishing fifth at the Dubrovnik round of the 2026 UIM E1 World Championship after technical issues dashed hopes of a maiden podium finish.
The Monegasque outfit demonstrated impressive pace throughout the event and secured a place in its second final of the season. Female pilot Oban Duncan made an excellent start in the decisive race, quickly moving into third position and putting the team firmly in contention for a top-three result.
However, the race was interrupted by a red flag after an incident involving another competitor, forcing officials to restart proceedings. During the stoppage, Monaco’s RaceBird sustained damage believed to have been caused by heavy boat wash, affecting visibility and allowing water to enter the cockpit.
Despite the setback, Duncan remained competitive and held third place after the restart. The team’s hopes were then dealt a major blow when a loss of power struck the boat mid-race. Although a manual restart briefly kept Monaco in the contest, a failure of the engine isolation system ultimately forced the crew to retire before the finish.
The disappointing outcome came after one of the team’s strongest performances of the campaign, with both pace and race management suggesting a first podium appearance was within reach.
Duncan praised the team’s determination despite the difficulties encountered on the water.
“The conditions were challenging and we showed strong speed from the start,” she said. “After the restart visibility became very difficult and the boat was taking on water, but everyone kept fighting until the end.”
Co-owner and pilot Maxime Nocher also highlighted the positives to take from the weekend, noting that the team’s performance demonstrated significant progress since the opening rounds of the season.
With Round Three now complete, E1 Team Monaco sits seventh in the championship standings on 33 points. Attention now turns to the team’s home event in the Principality on July 17 and 18, where Monaco will aim to transform its growing competitiveness into a breakthrough result in front of local supporters.
The Dubrovnik round was won by Team Rafa, while Monaco left Croatia knowing that, despite the fifth-place finish, a podium challenge is no longer out of reach.
