Andersson fastest as flooding disrupts Sharjah

Jonas Andersson topped Free Practice 1 at the Road to Sharjah–Grand Prix of Sharjah after intense thunderstorms and flooding forced officials to modify the schedule on Friday afternoon.

The Team Sweden driver posted a fastest lap of 48.365 seconds on Khaled Lagoon as crews battled to dry out equipment following unprecedented weather conditions that inundated the Sharjah area throughout Thursday night and into Friday morning.

Heavy rain and flooding blocked access roads to the Corniche and forced the cancellation of the official press conference at the Sharjah Holiday International Hotel. Race officials added an extra 45-minute practice session before the scheduled one-hour session at the end of the afternoon.

Flooding disrupts preparations

The severe weather marked a dramatic departure from the perfect conditions that have characterised previous editions of the Sharjah Grand Prix. Many access roads remained blocked by varying depths of slowly receding flood water, forcing teams to navigate challenging conditions to reach the venue.

Crews faced a clean-up operation before the first session, with several teams working to dry out equipment that had been exposed to the overnight downpour. Despite the disruption, all 20 boats made it onto the water for the opening session.

H2O Racing founder Nicoló di San Germano addressed drivers at the pre-race briefing and paid tribute to the event’s 25-year history.

Twenty-five years ago we began the Road to Sharjah. We started it all and we have to smile because we are in Sharjah and the weather forecast is good. We are also grateful to Sharjah for all its efforts to make sure the racing could go ahead after the heavy rain. It proves that Sharjah can organising everything perfectly.

Di San Germano also paid tribute to 10-time world champion Guido Cappellini’s mother, who passed away recently.

Andersson sets the pace

Marit Strømøy was first onto the water with her four-stroke Mercury APX V8-engined DAC, clocking 49.860 seconds. Andersson quickly established himself at the top of the times with an opening lap of 48.368 seconds in surprisingly good conditions following the overnight storm.

Peter Morin slotted into second with 48.945 seconds whilst championship leader Shaun Torrente opened his account with 49.090 seconds. Grant Trask improved to second after 12 minutes with 48.563 seconds, whilst Alec Weckström and Alberto Comparato were yet to take to the water.

A brief yellow flag interrupted the session with just over 25 minutes remaining, but Andersson’s early run proved enough to secure fastest time. The Swede finished ahead of team-mate Trask and Torrente, with Morin fourth, Strømøy fifth and Ben Jelf sixth.

As the afternoon sun broke through and began to beat down on Khaled Lagoon, conditions improved significantly from the morning’s challenging weather.

Free Practice 1 results

Qualifying takes place on Saturday morning at 09:30 local time, with the two sprint races scheduled for the afternoon. Weather forecasts suggest improved conditions for the remainder of the weekend.

John Moore

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.