The 2025 UIM F4 World Championship roared into life on 23–24 August with its opening rounds at the Grand Large circuit in Mons, Belgium. The “Mons Water Grand Prix” served up fast straights, tight corners and plenty of drama across two days of racing, giving fans a taste of what promises to be an enthralling season.
A Truly International Line-Up
Almost 30 drivers from 13 nations lined up for the start of the campaign, with representation stretching across Europe, the Middle East and North America. Latvia, France, Sweden, Norway, Belgium, Finland, Lithuania, Slovakia, Hungary, Germany, Poland, Italy, the UAE and the United States were all on the entry list – underlining the global pull of the UIM F4 category.
The Format
Racing was contested over two heats – one on Saturday and one on Sunday – with drivers tackling 20 laps of the 1.5 km course each day. Points from both races were combined to shape the overall standings for the weekend.
Results – Slakteris Takes Early Control
Latvia’s Nils Slakteris stamped his authority on the championship with a composed performance, collecting 35 points after finishing third in Saturday’s opener and then storming to victory on Sunday.
France’s Jean-Baptiste Thomas proved consistent across both days, notching up 32 points to sit second overall. Sweden’s Adam Wrenkler came away with 28 points, thanks to a strong second race, while Norway’s William Martinsen, who had dominated Saturday’s heat, slipped back on Sunday and ended the weekend on 25 points.
Local hope Benjamin Berti delighted Belgian fans with a battling display, collecting 17 points across the two races. Other noteworthy performances included Sweden’s Hilmer Wiberg with 21 points and France’s Lucas Boyard with 19.
British Interest
British racing was well represented, with Ben Morse and George Elmore on the grid. Morse arrived off the back of his recent British Sprint Championship triumph, while both drivers benefitted from the backing of the Stewartby Powerboat and Hydroplane Racing Club. Their involvement added an extra layer of interest for UK followers of the sport.
What’s Next
With the opening battles now complete, the championship heads towards its finale in Viverone, Italy, on 12–14 September. The Italian round will decide the 2025 world champion, and with the points table already tightly bunched, it promises a thrilling showdown.
| 2025 UIM F4 World Championship | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mons, Belgium | Viverone, Italy | ||||||||
| August 23-24 | September 13-14 | ||||||||
| Position | # | Driver | Country | Team | Race 1 | Race 2 | Race 1 | Race 2 | Points |
| 1 | 51 | Nils Slākteris | LVA | Riga Powerboat Team | 15 | 20 | 35 | ||
| 2 | 13 | Jean Baptiste Thomas | FRA | Team Privileège | 17 | 15 | 32 | ||
| 3 | 5 | Adam Wreinkler | SWE | Karnag Racing Powerboat Team | 11 | 17 | 28 | ||
| 4 | 18 | William Leithe Martinsen | NOR | Karnag Racing Powerboat Team | 20 | 5 | 25 | ||
| 5 | 70 | Hilmer Wiberg | SWE | Wiberg Racing | 8 | 13 | 21 | ||
| 6 | 8 | Lucas Boyard | FRA | Pégase Racing Team | 9 | 10 | 19 | ||
| 7 | 38 | Benjamin Berti | BEL | Monsnauteam | 6 | 11 | 17 | ||
| 8 | 45 | Olivier Martin | FIN | Motomix Racing Team | 13 | 0 | 13 | ||
| 9 | 9 | Pierre Lambertin | FRA | Team Torpilleurs Racing | 4 | 8 | 12 | ||
| 10 | 27 | Noé Van Tinne | FIN | Team 27 | 10 | 0 | 10 | ||
| 11 | 21 | Nida Kilinskaite | LTU | Mega driving | 0 | 9 | 9 | ||
| 12 | 41 | Paulius Stainys | LTU | Riabko Racing Team | 2 | 6 | 8 | ||
| 13 | 64 | Simon Jung | SVK | Slovakia Team | 0 | 7 | 7 | ||
| 14 | 22 | Attila Horvath | HUN | Horvath Powerboat Racing Team HPRT | 7 | 0 | 7 | ||
| 15 | 7 | Sager Alfaflahi Sultan | ARE | Team Black Pharaoh | 5 | 0 | 5 | ||
| 16 | 14 | George Elmore | GBR | Kingfisher Fire and Security racing team | 0 | 4 | 4 | ||
| 17 | 81 | Andor Fuke | HUN | Fuke Yacht | 0 | 3 | 3 | ||
| 18 | 93 | Niklavs Rimeicans | LVA | Pausums | 3 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 19 | 3 | Torsten Stangenberg | DEU | Starge Powerboating | 0 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 20 | 17 | Roberts Minings | LVA | Minings | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 21 | 50 | Rainis Paegle | LVA | Racingteam 50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 22 | 60 | Khalid Alzarooni | ARE | Sharjah | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 23 | 97 | Morse Ben | GBR | BRM Racing | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
John Moore has a longstanding involvement in event organisation and powerboat racing journalism. He organised the historic Cowes–Torquay–Cowes races between 2010 and 2013 and was actively involved with British offshore racing from 2017 until 2025.
In 2017, Moore founded Powerboat Racing World, a digital platform providing global powerboat racing news, insights, and event coverage.
He is now Editor of Powerboat.News, continuing to contribute to the sport’s media landscape with in-depth reporting and analysis.