diff --git a/test/e2e/config/docker.yaml b/test/e2e/config/docker.yaml
index 7909d5666685..c4f1a0cc017b 100644
--- a/test/e2e/config/docker.yaml
+++ b/test/e2e/config/docker.yaml
@@ -367,10 +367,10 @@ variables:
   # allowing the same e2e config file to be re-used in different Prow jobs e.g. each one with a K8s version permutation.
   # The following Kubernetes versions should be the latest versions with already published kindest/node images.
   # This avoids building node images in the default case which improves the test duration significantly.
-  KUBERNETES_VERSION_MANAGEMENT: "v1.33.0-rc.0"
-  KUBERNETES_VERSION: "v1.33.0-rc.0"
+  KUBERNETES_VERSION_MANAGEMENT: "v1.33.0-rc.1"
+  KUBERNETES_VERSION: "v1.33.0-rc.1"
   KUBERNETES_VERSION_UPGRADE_FROM: "v1.32.2"
-  KUBERNETES_VERSION_UPGRADE_TO: "v1.33.0-rc.0"
+  KUBERNETES_VERSION_UPGRADE_TO: "v1.33.0-rc.1"
   KUBERNETES_VERSION_LATEST_CI: "ci/latest-1.33"
   ETCD_VERSION_UPGRADE_TO: "3.5.21-0"
   COREDNS_VERSION_UPGRADE_TO: "v1.12.0"
diff --git a/test/infrastructure/docker/examples/machine-pool.yaml b/test/infrastructure/docker/examples/machine-pool.yaml
index 4afd115669c3..bfa61c168f25 100644
--- a/test/infrastructure/docker/examples/machine-pool.yaml
+++ b/test/infrastructure/docker/examples/machine-pool.yaml
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ metadata:
   namespace: default
 spec:
   replicas: 1
-  version: v1.33.0-rc.0
+  version: v1.33.0-rc.1
   machineTemplate:
     infrastructureRef:
       apiVersion: infrastructure.cluster.x-k8s.io/v1beta1
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ spec:
   replicas: 2
   template:
     spec:
-      version: v1.33.0-rc.0
+      version: v1.33.0-rc.1
       clusterName: my-cluster
       bootstrap:
         configRef:
diff --git a/test/infrastructure/docker/examples/simple-cluster-ipv6.yaml b/test/infrastructure/docker/examples/simple-cluster-ipv6.yaml
index b04b2cfdfd59..c1832f82af6b 100644
--- a/test/infrastructure/docker/examples/simple-cluster-ipv6.yaml
+++ b/test/infrastructure/docker/examples/simple-cluster-ipv6.yaml
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ metadata:
   namespace: default
 spec:
   replicas: 1
-  version: v1.33.0-rc.0
+  version: v1.33.0-rc.1
   machineTemplate:
     infrastructureRef:
       apiVersion: infrastructure.cluster.x-k8s.io/v1beta1
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ spec:
       cluster.x-k8s.io/cluster-name: my-cluster
   template:
     spec:
-      version: v1.33.0-rc.0
+      version: v1.33.0-rc.1
       clusterName: my-cluster
       bootstrap:
         configRef:
diff --git a/test/infrastructure/docker/examples/simple-cluster-without-kcp.yaml b/test/infrastructure/docker/examples/simple-cluster-without-kcp.yaml
index 8eb05361daca..8f81899b92cb 100644
--- a/test/infrastructure/docker/examples/simple-cluster-without-kcp.yaml
+++ b/test/infrastructure/docker/examples/simple-cluster-without-kcp.yaml
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ metadata:
   name: controlplane-0
   namespace: default
 spec:
-  version: v1.33.0-rc.0
+  version: v1.33.0-rc.1
   clusterName: my-cluster
   bootstrap:
     configRef:
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ spec:
       cluster.x-k8s.io/cluster-name: my-cluster
   template:
     spec:
-      version: v1.33.0-rc.0
+      version: v1.33.0-rc.1
       clusterName: my-cluster
       bootstrap:
         configRef:
diff --git a/test/infrastructure/docker/examples/simple-cluster.yaml b/test/infrastructure/docker/examples/simple-cluster.yaml
index 8adbd9ebea8e..5b8fe2270e99 100644
--- a/test/infrastructure/docker/examples/simple-cluster.yaml
+++ b/test/infrastructure/docker/examples/simple-cluster.yaml
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ metadata:
   namespace: default
 spec:
   replicas: 1
-  version: v1.33.0-rc.0
+  version: v1.33.0-rc.1
   machineTemplate:
     infrastructureRef:
       apiVersion: infrastructure.cluster.x-k8s.io/v1beta1
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ spec:
       cluster.x-k8s.io/cluster-name: my-cluster
   template:
     spec:
-      version: v1.33.0-rc.0
+      version: v1.33.0-rc.1
       clusterName: my-cluster
       bootstrap:
         configRef: