Round 2 of the 2026 UIM F2 World Championship heads to southern Italy this month, with Brindisi hosting the Gran Premio d’Italia and the XIII Adriatic Cup across three days from Friday 26 to Sunday 28 June. The event is organised by Circolo Nautico Porta d’Oriente on the Adriatic coast of Puglia, and entry for spectators is free.
The race doubles as the Gran Premio d’Italia GT30, bringing Italian national championship competition alongside the world championship programme. It is the third time in recent years that Brindisi has welcomed the F2 series, and the harbour circuit in the inner port is one of the more distinctive venues on the calendar.
What You Will See
F2 catamarans are closed-cockpit tunnel-hull circuit racers powered by Mercury SST 200 or Mercury Racing 250 APX outboard engines. They race a 1,500-metre lap around a buoyed course in the inner harbour, with a flying start from a pontoon jetty. Speeds regularly exceed 150 km/h in the tight confines of a harbour circuit, and the close-quarters racing that results makes for compelling trackside viewing.
The GT30 class runs alongside the world championship programme, giving Italian national championship competitors their own race days across Saturday and Sunday.
Race Timetable
| Session | Local time (CEST, UTC+2) | Your time |
|---|---|---|
| Friday 27 June 2026 | ||
| Pit area open / Scrutineering | 14:00 | 14:00 |
| Administrative & Technical Scrutineering | 15:00 – 18:00 | 15:00 – 18:00 |
| Saturday 28 June 2026 | ||
| GT30 Drivers Briefing | 08:05 | 08:05 |
| F2 Drivers Briefing | 08:30 | 08:30 |
| GT30 Free Practice | 09:00 – 09:45 | 09:00 – 09:45 |
| F2 Free Practice Group A | 10:00 – 11:30 | 10:00 – 11:30 |
| F2 Free Practice Group B | 11:30 – 13:00 | 11:30 – 13:00 |
| GT30 Time Trial | 15:30 – 16:15 | 15:30 – 16:15 |
| F2 Qualifying Q1 Group A | 17:00 – 17:20 | 17:00 – 17:20 |
| F2 Qualifying Q1 Group B | 17:30 – 17:50 | 17:30 – 17:50 |
| F2 Qualifying Q2 | 18:15 – 18:30 | 18:15 – 18:30 |
| F2 Qualifying Q3 | 18:30 – 18:50 | 18:30 – 18:50 |
| Sunday 29 June 2026 | ||
| GT30 Drivers Briefing | 08:00 – 08:30 | 08:00 – 08:30 |
| GT30 Free Practice | 09:00 – 09:30 | 09:00 – 09:30 |
| F2 Drivers Briefing | 09:30 – 10:00 | 09:30 – 10:00 |
| GT30 Race 1 | 10:00 – 10:30 | 10:00 – 10:30 |
| F2 Warm-up | 11:00 – 12:00 | 11:00 – 12:00 |
| GT30 Race 2 | 16:00 – 17:15 | 16:00 – 17:15 |
| F2 Parade Lap | 18:00 – 18:15 | 18:00 – 18:15 |
| F2 Grand Prix of Italy | 18:30 – 19:30 | 18:30 – 19:30 |
| Prize-giving ceremony | 20:00 | 20:00 |
Times shown in Central European Summer Time (CEST, UTC+2). Your time column updates automatically.
Venue and Getting There
The event is held at the Circolo Nautico Porta d’Oriente, Via Luigi Rizzo 8, Brindisi. The inner port is within easy walking distance of the town centre. Brindisi is served by Brindisi Airport (BDS), approximately 6 km from the city centre, with connections to several Italian and European cities. The city is also on the main Adriatic rail line.
Fuel for competing boats must be E95 petrol, available from a designated Q8 station at Via Umberto Maddalena 3, Brindisi, open Saturday and Sunday morning only.
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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.
