Victory Team’s Perfect Sunset | XCAT Dubai Finale

Victory Team claimed their third consecutive victory at the Dubai Grand Prix finale on Sunday, but a first-turn collision reshaped the championship standings as HPI Fujairah Racing Team secured second place overall after Team GB retired from the incident.

Salem Al Adidi and Eisa Al Ali won the 15-lap race under cloudy skies at Sunset Beach, completing a perfect weekend for the world champions. Sharjah Team finished second whilst the Schiano di Cola brothers claimed the podium position that secured their second-place championship finish.

First-Turn Collision

Energima Racing rolled over at the opening turn after contact with another boat. Marit Strømøy and Erik Sundblad Johansen were then struck again whilst inverted, whilst Team GB suffered significant damage in the incident.

Strømøy explained the sequence of events after being recovered from the water.

We had a very good start from the beginning. Put a good lead on both Swecat and the GBR team. And then as we went into the corner, we were hit from the gear case. And then we went upside down and then we were hit again.

Energima Racing sustained extensive damage to both sides of their boat. The initial contact damaged the propeller and gear case on the right side. The second impact whilst inverted caused significant port sponsor damage.

Propeller damage on the right side. So that happened first, propeller and gear case. And then as we spun around, as we went upside down, we were hit again on the left side.

Both Strømøy and Johansen emerged from the incident uninjured. The Norwegian crew were leading into the first turn when the collision occurred.

Team GB sustained significant damage and retired from the race.

Championship Standings Shift

Team GB entered Race 2 holding second place in the championship by two points over HPI Fujairah Racing Team. Their retirement awarded zero points whilst the Schiano di Cola brothers’ third-place finish earned 26 points, creating a six-point swing.

The final championship standings show HPI Fujairah Racing Team second on 132 points, six points ahead of Team GB on 126 points. The Italian brothers claimed second place in the 2025 XCAT World Championship, defending the position they held as 2024 world champions.

Team GB drop to third place in the final standings despite their strong season.

Race 2 Results

Victory Team’s Perfect Weekend

Salem Al Adidi and Eisa Al Ali won all four competitive sessions across the Dubai Grand Prix weekend. Their pole position on Saturday secured the Pole Position Championship by one point, their Race 1 victory clinched the XCAT World Championship, and their Race 2 win completed a dominant finale.

Victory Team won the 15-lap race by 12.66 seconds over Sharjah Team, leading every lap at an average speed of 146.72 km/h. The Dubai-based crew finished the season with 200 championship points from three victories across the Fujairah, Kuwait and Dubai rounds.

Sharjah Team’s Strong Finish

Konstantin Ustinov and Shaun Torrente finished second in Race 2, crossing the line 12.66 seconds behind Victory Team. The result capped a weekend of strong pace for Sharjah Team after their qualifying dominance throughout the season.

Sharjah Team finished fifth in the final championship standings on 91 points. Their season featured pole positions at five of the six qualifying sessions and a victory in Race 1 at Fujairah, but technical failures whilst leading both Kuwait races cost them crucial championship points.

Torrente now focuses on next weekend’s F1H2O Grand Prix of Sharjah, where he leads Jonas Andersson by 14 points in pursuit of his fourth world title. The American driver races for Victory Team in circuit racing whilst competing for Sharjah Team in XCAT.

Final Championship Standings

Weather Delays

The delayed start pushed the race into the late afternoon, with Victory Team crossing the finish line as the sun set over the Dubai skyline. The world champions completed their championship season with victory at Sunset Beach as the sun literally set on the 2025 XCAT campaign.

Season Conclusion

The 2025 XCAT World Championship concluded with three rounds at Fujairah, Kuwait and Dubai. Victory Team won all three rounds to claim the world title by 68 points over HPI Fujairah Racing Team.

The season featured competitive racing across multiple venues in the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, with several teams demonstrating the pace to challenge for victories. Technical reliability proved crucial in the championship battle, with several crews suffering retirements whilst in strong positions.

Victory Team’s double championship success – winning both the XCAT World Championship and Pole Position Championship – marked a dominant campaign for the Dubai-based crew. Salem Al Adidi and Eisa Al Ali delivered consistent performances throughout the season to secure both titles.