China CTIC Team have confirmed Peter Morin and Brent Dillard as their drivers for the 2026 UIM F1H2O World Championship, restoring the partnership that delivered third place in the Teams World Championship in both 2023 and 2024.
The announcement ends a disrupted 2025 campaign for the team, during which Dillard’s absence through injury forced them to cycle through three replacement drivers across the season’s five rounds.
Morin: the constant
While the team’s second seat changed hands throughout 2025, Peter Morin provided the one consistent thread. The Frenchman raced every Grand Prix of the season, finishing seventh in the Drivers World Championship. Sprint race podiums, including second and third place finishes, showed the pace he is capable of, but converting that speed into main race victories remained out of reach.
He goes into 2026 aiming to return to the form that earned him third in the championship in 2023 and fourth in 2024 – results that placed him consistently among the title contenders over both seasons.
Dillard: a full season after surgery
Back surgery at the start of 2025 ended Brent Dillard’s season almost before it began. The American was sidelined for the majority of the year, returning only for the final Grand Prix. In his absence, three drivers rotated through the seat: Grant Trask raced for the team at the Grand Prix of Indonesia; Kyle Maskall took the wheel for both rounds in China; and Stefan Hagin made his F1H2O debut with the team at the Grand Prix of Jeddah.
Dillard is set to start every round in 2026, giving the team the consistency they were missing last season.
The championship picture
China CTIC finished a distant fourth in the 2025 Teams World Championship. In 2023 and 2024, running the same Morin and Dillard combination, they finished third on both occasions. The decision to restore that line-up speaks for itself.
2026 driver confirmations so far
| Team | Country | Drivers | Numbers | Engine | Hull |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sharjah Team | 🇦🇪 U.A.E. | Rusty Wyatt 🇨🇦 Stefan Arand 🇪🇪 Grant Trask 🇦🇺 Filip Roms 🇫🇮 (reserve) |
17 18 TBC 55 |
Mercury 2-stroke Mercury 2-stroke Mercury 2-stroke Mercury 2-stroke |
Sharjah Sharjah Sharjah Sharjah |
| China CTIC Team | 🇨🇳 China | Peter Morin 🇫🇷 Brent Dillard 🇺🇸 |
7 8 |
Mercury 2-stroke Mercury 2-stroke |
Moore Moore |
| Strømøy Racing | 🇳🇴 Norway | Marit Strømøy 🇳🇴 Bartek Marszalek 🇵🇱 |
50 77 |
Mercury 360 APX 4-stroke V8 Mercury 2-stroke |
DAC DAC |
| Maverick Racing | 🇫🇷 France | Cédric Deguisne 🇫🇷 Alexandre Bourgeot 🇫🇷 Beranger Robart 🇫🇷 (reserve) |
73 74 – |
Mercury 360 APX 4-stroke V8 Mercury 2-stroke Mercury 2-stroke |
Moore Moore Moore |
| Atlantic Team | 🇵🇹 Portugal | Duarte Benavente 🇵🇹 Ben Jelf 🇬🇧 |
10 9 |
Mercury 2-stroke Mercury 2-stroke |
Moore DAC |
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.
