As the UIM E1 World Championship heads to Lagos, we caught up with Phil Allen, Team Principal of Westbrook Racing, to hear his thoughts on the season so far, the challenges the team has faced and expectations for the next event.
Championship Standing & Performance
Q: The team last raced in Monaco this summer. Can you give us an update on Westbrook Racing’s current position in the championship and how you assess performance so far?
“We’re currently sitting fifth in the championship. This season we’ve been consistently in the top half of the fleet and reached the finals in four out of five events. The exception was Dubrovnik, where technical problems kept us from reaching the final and left us with our worst result of the year, seventh place. In the other events, we’ve been fighting for a podium — so competitive, but also frustrated by recurring technical reliability issues. It’s been a tough season because every time we fix one issue, another seems to appear. Reliability has been a theme across the fleet, but we’ve been particularly affected. That said, our pace is there and strategy always smart. In Monaco, for example, Lucas was leading comfortably before a failure of the boost function took us out of contention. We know we had the speed to win, and that gives us some confidence. With two events left, the target is clear: get back into the finals and finally step onto the podium.”
Team Changes Over the Summer
Q: The summer brought some team changes. Can you tell us more about Matt and Tara joining, and Steve Curtis moving to Team Brazil?
“After Dubrovnik, we knew Farhaan would miss the Maggiore event, and at the same time Steve Curtis also took the opportunity to join Team Brazil. That left us exposed, but fortunately, we had already lined up Matt Wright as a backup race engineer. Matt stepped in seamlessly, and I also temporarily took on Steve’s role in Maggiore. We also welcomed Tara Pacheco, an Olympic sailor with deep foiling expertise, who joined us as performance coach. Tara has been instrumental in improving our performance analysis, boat setup and communication between pilots and engineers. Her ability to bridge those roles has been invaluable and since her arrival, we’ve seen excellent teamwork and good progress with our overall performance. Unfortunately, for Lagos, Guy Barron, our lead mechanic, won’t be on site due to another racing commitment. To cover, we’re bringing in Maxim Leclerc, who already has experience with Seabird. Alongside Javier, he’ll ensure the boat is in top condition and ready to win.”
Technical Issues & Challenges
Q: Technical challenges have been a recurring theme. How have they impacted the team, and what steps have you taken to address them?
“This year, technical problems have defined too many of our weekends. We’ve faced a series of different and hard to diagnose reliability issues, mostly linked to the complex wiring and connectivity and associated software — all of which have cost us valuable positions and points. The lack of testing opportunities and limited access to technical data from Seabird make it difficult to diagnose problems quickly. That said, we’ve worked closely with Seabird’s engineers and invested in building our own expertise. Farhaan and Guy both travelled to Italy after Monaco to further investigate the Monaco issues firsthand. We’re doing everything possible to reduce the risk of repeat failures, but with seawater and electricity, it’s always a battle. The positive side is that our technical knowledge has grown immensely, and communication between pilots, engineers, and mechanics is sharper than ever. The goal is to make sure Lagos is the turning point — where all that effort finally pays off.”
Looking Ahead to Lagos
Q: What are your expectations for Lagos and the race setup?
“Initially, the course was set to run right-handed but the latest instructions confirm we’ll race a traditional left-hand circuit. That’s good news — more familiar to the pilots and easier to prepare for. We’re going in with high expectations. The objective is simple: reach the finals and fight for the podium we deserve. We’ve been close all season, but we haven’t converted, and Lagos is a great opportunity to change that. The setup will be strong despite Guy’s absence, with Maxim joining Javier in the mechanical team. Tara has also trained since Monaco as a reserve pilot, giving her even deeper insight into boat handling and set-up. We will have resources earlier than usual in Lagos to resolve the outstanding technical issues, making sure nothing is left to chance. Personally, I’m pushing the team harder than ever, we have the pace, the people, and the determination. Now it’s about execution. It’s time for Westbrook Racing to stand on that podium.”
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