Dani Clos has had an interesting journey over the past 14 years, with the former GP2 driver going from racing against Sergio Perez to working for him.
Dani Clos’ story has come full circle. Fourteen years ago, he was going wheel-to-wheel with Sergio Perez around the iconic streets of Monaco in Formula One’s feeder series GP2. Now, he is back racing in the principality – this time on the water of the iconic Port Hercules. And not against Perez, but for him.
The Spaniard is one of two pilots for Team Sergio Perez, which is one of nine teams in the new E1 Series. It is an all-electric hydrofoil boating championship founded by the same brains behind Formula E and Extreme E. For Clos, racing in the X-wing-like boats that glide across the water using foils marks a very different career than he envisaged back in 2010.
“It’s crazy! It’s a fantastic opportunity,” the former karter and racecar driver tells Express Sport. “I really like the sea. I really like the water. I’ve been involved in boats for many, many years but not racing boats. Finding myself racing in E1 is something fantastic.
“I saw it on social media when they started promoting the series. No drivers were there but it got my attention and there was a moment where everything was pure coincidence. I was racing against Checo when we were in GP2, and everything happened so easy and so natural.”
It’s a unique tale for Clos to be able to tell, having gone from plotting to beat Perez to working alongside him. That race in Monaco 14 years ago saw Perez, now a Red Bull driver in F1, clinch his first ever GP2 win at the age of 20. Clos had started on pole but the Barcelona-born racer had to settle for P3 behind Pastor Maldonado.
“Here in Monaco I really like it. When I was racing here in GP2 I got pole and a podium with Sergio,” he adds. “Having been racing against each other and now together, with the team, it’s amazing. An amazing situation. Being with such a character as Sergio, trying to boost his team, it’s an honour for me.
“I feel very thankful to be able to be in this series and drive in it.” Also soaking in the sun in Monaco’s La Condamine district, at E1’s fourth race of its debut season, are NFL icon Tom Brady and Chelsea football legend Didier Drogba. Both own rival teams competing against Team Perez.
Checo was unfortunately too busy to join them on the French Riviera. He was running his own race over the same weekend, finishing eighth in the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps. “Because he’s active, it’s been hard for him,” Clos says, with the Mexican so far unable to attend any of E1’s events in Jeddah, Venice, Puerto Banus or Monaco.
“The F1 calendar is very, very tight. I know because I’ve been there. When you find a weekend off, you just want to chill, you don’t want to go to another race and all that. I know that if he had the possibility, he would’ve been here.”
So how different is it racing in 50mph boats having previously been in GP2 cars capable of hitting almost 200mph? “At the end of the day it’s racing,” he continues. “The mental side, it’s the same. It’s true that driving style and water aren’t the same as asphalt. We have water, the wind, the current. It’s a little bit tricky.
“On asphalt it’s another style and there’s a lot more speed. Right now these boats are very powerful but we can still get a lot more speed. I’m used to something more powerful. I need to adapt myself and my driving style to be able to be super smooth at this and to get the maximum out of it.”
How big can E1 be, then? At its beating heart is a deeper desire to promote sustainability and protect the planet’s oceans. Its silent all-electric boats do not disturb sea life and produce zero emissions, while the buoys used to mark the circuit are powered by GPS instead of using anchors that disrupt the seabed.
Clos adds: “E1 can become the peak of the pyramid in this aspect with Formula E. With the water, it’s more eco-friendly. The organisers have done it well. They’ve brought not only good drivers with good numbers on social media like myself. The team owners are very special people in their environment.
“That makes the series very exciting and very attractive to many different types of people. I want to be here for a long time. I really like being part of this project. I like the water, I take care of the environment. This is something that’s important for all of us to understand and give a voice to to help save the planet.
“My target too is to be able to help the championship and my team to grow. At the end I want good results. I come here for the racing – that’s my main target. But the better we do on track, the bigger we can make it off track.”
So, with his boss in F1, does Clos still keep an eye on the sport he never quite managed to break into? Speaking on the Saturday of the Belgian GP weekend, he says: “Yeah of course! I’ve always been involved in F1, I like those cars, I love the speed. F1 is always a nice show.
“We were here but also watching the qualifying in Spa so we’ve had a good day. Checo P2, so that’s positive.” The Sunday was unfortunately not quite so positive for Perez or for Clos.
Checo started the race second but finished eighth at Spa while Clos was not on the E1 Monaco podium, unlike in 2010. Sadly for Perez, his E1 team aren’t doing much better than he’s faring in F1. They are ninth of the nine teams and have just 13 points.
E1 league leaders Team Brady, by contrast, collected 21 points from the Monaco GP alone and sit on 63 overall. But with races in Lake Como (August 24) and Hong Kong (November 10) still to come, perhaps Clos and his female team-mate Vicky Piria can still help the team end their maiden season on a high.
For Team Perez, there’s work to do on both the water and the asphalt. You can expect some shortages in Checo’s personal supply of his Patron Tequila if things don’t sufficiently improve in either sport over the next few weeks and months…
