By Rodi Basso, Co-Founder and CEO of E1

Wednesday, October 19, 2022
3:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Auditorium (between Building 4 & 5)

Abstract

The most watched events on the planet are sports and motorsports rank high among them. While providing enjoyment to billions, motorsports have - as space exploration - been a constant source of innovation, pushing the boundaries of engineering for mobility. Today, the challenge rests with electric mobility and, while already advanced for land vehicles, huge challenges remain for aquatic mobility. 

In this talk, I would elaborate on my path in pushing the limits of engineering through motorsport and why E1series.com will propel aquatic mobility to a new dimension.

About the speaker

Rodi Basso is a Naples-born engineer with a passion for nature and sustainability. Having written his thesis with NASA, his background as an aerospace engineer led him to work with some of the biggest names in motorsport. Basso worked with the famous Ferrari outfit in Formula 1 during their most dominant era in the sport, alongside the likes of Rory Byrne, Ross Brawn, and Michael Schumacher. He then made the switch to Red Bull Racing, working under the watchful eye of technical and engineering guru Adrian Newey, where he helped build the foundation for the future success of the team in the hands of four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel.

After more than a decade working at the pinnacle of motorsport, Basso moved on to other projects, focusing on business performance and development for major organizations at Magneti Marelli and McLaren Applied Technologies. During his tenure at McLaren, he met Spanish businessman and entrepreneur Alejandro Agag, while working to develop the new battery for the Gen2 Formula E car.

In 2020, during the COVID pandemic, he was walking along the Thames River in London with Agag and came up with the idea of an electric race boat championship on the water, akin to Formula E and Extreme E. This ultimately led Basso to work alongside Norwegian designer Sophi Horne to develop what would eventually become the RaceBird, which is the innovative electric foiling boat that the pilots will race within the UIM E1 World Championship.

This event is brought to you by Prof. Carlos Duarte and Dr. Ian Campbell.