Team Brady Remain on Top Despite Difficult Race
Lake Como, Italy – August 24, 2024 – Lake Como played host to the fifth round of the UIM E1 World Championships, where Team Brady secured fifth place overall, yet remain at the top of the championship standings with an 11-point lead.
The weekend kicked off with a strong performance during Friday’s qualifying sessions. Sam and Emma dominated the timesheets and celebrated their first pole position of the season. Their momentum carried through to the semi-finals, where both pilots clinched first-place finishes, propelling the team straight into the finals. Sam’s victory in his round was particularly noteworthy, as he overcame the challenge of a second long lap due to procedural infringements.
However, the finals proved to be a tougher battle. Sam faced intense competition, being squeezed out on multiple occasions, while Emma’s encounter with a buoy inflicted damage on the RaceBird, hampering her chances. Despite these setbacks, Team Brady’s early success ensures they remain the frontrunners in the championship race.
Emma Kimiläinen, Team Brady Pilot said, “We had a positive weekend overall, we achieved our first pole position and lead in both our semi-finals. I got off to a strong start, which I'm proud of, but things took a turn at the end of the first lap. As I made an aggressive manoeuvre, my foil hooked mid-air and hit the buoy. I was fully committed to the turn, so there was no turning back. It's disappointing, but that's the nature of racing—if we're not pushing the limits, we're not pushing hard enough. Unfortunately, I pushed too far today. But we've bounced back before, and I'm confident we'll do it again."
Sam Coleman, Team Brady Pilot said, “We’ve been fast all weekend and overall, it’s been very positive. Securing our first pole position is something we can be proud of, and staying at the top of the championship standings is a huge achievement for the team. The semi-final win was particularly sweet for me, as I managed to take a comfortable lead despite the double long lap. It was a challenging weekend, with some uphill battles that we managed to overcome, but our luck unfortunately turned. In my final, I found myself stuck behind a few competitors and felt slightly trapped. We tried a different approach with the long lap, but the battle ahead was intense, and they managed to pull away. Our goal each weekend is to reach the final, and we did just that. We'll take the lessons from this race and come back stronger.”