Former UIM F2 World Champion Stefan Hagin will make his debut with the China CTIC Team at the forthcoming Grand Prix of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, becoming the third driver to fill the seat alongside lead pilot Peter Morin in what has been a season of frequent changes for the team.
The 37-year-old German racer brings a wealth of experience to the team as they tackle the penultimate round of the UIM F1H2O World Championship on November 27th to 29th. With regular second driver Brent Dillard still recovering from back surgery, the team has relied on substitute pilots throughout the season. Australian Grant Trask answered the call for the opening round in Indonesia, whilst Canadian Kyle Maskall took the helm for the back-to-back Chinese Grand Prix earlier this month.
Hagin’s appointment represents a significant opportunity for the team, which currently sits fifth in the Teams’ Championship. His arrival brings championship-winning pedigree to an operation that has consistently shown flashes of pace but struggled for consistency in a fiercely competitive field.
Championship Credentials
The Wittlingen resident’s crowning achievement came in 2022 when he secured the UIM F2 World Championship title with Team Rowe Powerboat and RPM Performance Management. The victory was hard-fought and marred by controversy when he, along with Finland’s Sami Selio and Norway’s Tobias Munthe-Kaas, was initially disqualified from the final round in Portugal following post-race technical checks for engine infringements.
The decision was overturned after an independent examination at the internationally renowned Carl Zeiss laboratory in Sweden confirmed the motor complied with UIM regulations. The reversal saw Hagin claim the world title ahead of the UAE’s Mansoor Al Mansoori and Selio, vindication for what had been a dominant season’s work.
From Karting to World Champion
Hagin’s journey to powerboat racing’s elite began in karting before he transitioned to the water in 2005. His progression through the ranks has been marked by consistent success and an ability to adapt to increasingly competitive machinery.
After making his on-water debut in F5, Hagin moved to F4 in 2006, representing Team Germany. His talent quickly became apparent, winning the Formula 4 Cup in both 2008 and 2009. The latter year proved particularly memorable as he claimed both the German and World F4 championships, establishing himself as one of the sport’s rising stars.
An F4 European title followed in 2010, after which he graduated to the F1 Atlantic Team as an F4-S driver on the world stage, gaining valuable experience competing against established international racers.
F2 Success and F1 Experience
In 2011, Hagin made the step up to F2, joining Team Rowe Powerboat. The transition period proved lengthy, but his persistence paid dividends. He became German champion in the discipline in 2018 and successfully defended the title in 2019, demonstrating the consistency that would later deliver world championship glory.
Between his F2 campaigns, Hagin gained exposure to the pinnacle of circuit powerboat racing when he worked as a reserve driver for the F1 Atlantic Team in the UIM F1H2O World Championship in 2017. The experience provided invaluable insight into the demands of top-level international competition.
His F2 career reached another milestone in 2021 when he claimed the Baltic F2 championship title, maintaining his competitive edge even as opportunities at the highest level remained limited.
Diversifying Experience
Hagin’s racing portfolio extends beyond European waters. He worked with Team Dillard in the USA NGK Formula 1 Championship, gaining experience of American circuit racing conditions and building relationships that would later prove valuable in his career development.
More recently, his focus has shifted towards electric powerboat racing. For the past two seasons, he has worked as a performance coach in the E1 Series, the world’s first all-electric powerboat racing championship. He has also served as a reserve pilot before graduating to a competitive seat for the Monaco round of that championship, where he competed alongside his wife, Ieva Millere-Hagin, who also races in the series.
The Jeddah Challenge
Hagin’s arrival at China CTIC Team comes at a crucial juncture in the 2025 season. The team has endured a turbulent campaign, with Dillard’s absence forcing them to field different drivers alongside Morin at consecutive rounds. This lack of continuity has made it difficult to develop the boat consistently or establish a stable working relationship between crew members.
The Frenchman Morin has carried the team’s hopes throughout the season, demonstrating impressive pace at times but unable to convert that speed into sustained championship success. His two recent victories in the Sprint races at Zhengzhou showed the potential within the operation, but the lack of a consistent second driver has hampered their ability to challenge for team honours.
Hagin will be hoping his F2 world championship experience and recent work with cutting-edge E1 technology can translate into immediate competitiveness in the Moore hull. The Jeddah circuit, making its debut on the F1H2O calendar, will be new to all competitors, potentially offering Hagin an opportunity to make an immediate impact without the disadvantage of unfamiliarity that might come at an established venue.
Whether his appointment proves temporary or develops into a longer-term relationship remains to be seen, but Hagin’s addition undoubtedly strengthens the team’s driver roster as they head into the championship’s Middle Eastern finale.
John Moore’s involvement in powerboat racing began in 1981 when he competed in his first offshore powerboat race. After a career as a Financial Futures broker in the City of London, specialising in UK interest rate markets, he became actively involved in event organisation and powerboat racing journalism.
He served as Event Director for the Cowes–Torquay–Cowes races between 2010 and 2013. In 2016, he launched Powerboat Racing World, a digital platform providing global powerboat racing news and insights. The following year, he co-founded UKOPRA, helping to rejuvenate offshore racing in the United Kingdom. He sold Powerboat Racing World in late 2021 and remained actively involved with UKOPRA until 2025.
In 2025, he established Powerboat News, returning to independent journalism with a focus on neutral and comprehensive coverage of the sport.
