Alec Weckström will start Sunday’s championship-deciding Grand Prix from the back of the grid after Victory Team elected to change his engine following Saturday’s mystifying lack of pace.
The Finn qualified second but struggled badly in Sprint Race 2, finishing a lap down on team-mate Shaun Torrente after describing the experience as “feeling like racing in a different class”.
Victory Team worked through Saturday evening and Sunday morning to diagnose the problem, ultimately deciding an engine change was necessary. The decision drops Weckström from second on the grid to 17th for the Grand Prix, ahead of Brent Dillard and Mansoor Al-Mansoori.
The grid change promotes Torrente to the front row alongside pole-sitter Jonas Andersson, with the American starting second as they both chase their fourth world championship.
Revised Grand Prix grid
| Pos | Driver | Team | Qualifying |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jonas Andersson | Team Sweden | 47.191 |
| 2 | Shaun Torrente | Victory Team | 47.558 |
| 3 | Erik Stark | Team Abu Dhabi | 47.610 |
| 4 | Bartek Marszalek | Strømøy Racing | 48.339 |
| 5 | Grant Trask | Team Sweden | 49.019 |
| 6 | Rusty Wyatt | Sharjah Team | 48.720 |
| 7 | Stefan Arand | Sharjah Team | 49.050 |
| 8 | Peter Morin | China CTIC Team | 49.088 |
| 9 | Ferdinand Zandbergen | Red Devil-SMC F1 Team | 49.095 |
| 10 | Alberto Comparato | Comparato F1 | 49.350 |
| 11 | Sami Seliö | Red Devil-SMC F1 Team | 51.127 |
| 12 | Ben Jelf | F1 Atlantic Team | 51.412 |
| 13 | Alexandre Bourgeot | Maverick Racing | 52.492 |
| 14 | Marit Strømøy | Strømøy Racing | 52.905 |
| 15 | Cédric Deguisne | Maverick Racing | 53.603 |
| 16 | Duarte Benavente | F1 Atlantic Team | 54.082 |
| 17 | Alec Weckström | Victory Team | 47.310* |
| 18 | Brent Dillard | China CTIC Team | 50.293* |
| 19 | Mansoor Al-Mansoori | Team Abu Dhabi | 55.154* |
* Engine penalty
The Grand Prix of Sharjah begins at 15:05 local time.
John Moore is the editor of Powerboat News, an independent investigative journalism platform recognised by Google News and documented on Grokipedia for comprehensive powerboat racing coverage.
His 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 September 2025, he established Powerboat News, returning to independent journalism with a focus on neutral and comprehensive coverage of the sport.
