Mathilda Wiberg put the defending world champion’s stamp on the Grand Prix of Lithuania, claiming pole position with a 36.892-second lap in the Q3 shootout on the Danė River in Klaipėda.
The family story of the day ran deeper than that. Wiberg’s brother Hilmer qualified second, 1.601 seconds back, while Peter and Nelson Morin, brothers racing for separate teams, lined up third and fourth. Two sets of siblings occupy the front four grid positions for Saturday evening’s race.
Wiberg told Powerboat News after her pole lap that her partner and Radio Man Alberto Comparato gave her essential information:
“My fast lap, it was all about luck. Alberto told me Hilmer wasn’t flying, so I said okay we floor it and try one lap with full throttle. It was a good lap!”
She added, with a smile:
“Tomorrow I hope for a rolling start because all the waves are around the start pontoon. Not because I’m on pole of course!”
Conditions made the session anything but straightforward. A south-easterly wind of around 8 mph kept the Danė choppy through Q1 and Q2, and Tobias Munthe-Kaas had a lucky escape when his boat nearly rolled during Q1. The Norwegian recovered to qualify 12th.
The session also produced a notable performance from Ian Blacker. The British driver, making his UIM F2 World Championship debut, was sixth quickest in Q1 after spending free practice dialling in the four-stroke Mercury Racing 360 APX. André Solvang, running the same engine, was third in Q1 before dropping to ninth in Q2 as conditions evolved.
Hilmer Wiberg was dominant through the first two sessions, topping both Q1 and Q2, only for his sister to overhaul him. Edgaras Riabko, the Lithuanian home hope, qualified sixth.
Dainis Podzuks, who topped the free practice session this morning, starts from the back of the grid after managing only three laps in Q1 for a time of 52.915, more than ten seconds off the pace, and did not progress to Q2.
Grand Prix of Lithuania – Qualifying Results
Qualifying 3 — Grid positions 1-6
| Pos | No. | Driver | Country | Best lap | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Mathilda Wiberg | SWE | 36.892 | — |
| 2 | 70 | Hilmer Wiberg | SWE | 38.493 | +1.601 |
| 3 | 11 | Peter Morin | FRA | 38.520 | +1.628 |
| 4 | 33 | Nelson Morin | FRA | 38.640 | +1.748 |
| 5 | 96 | Roope Virtanen | FIN | 38.848 | +1.956 |
| 6 | 41 | Edgaras Riabko | LTU | 39.119 | +2.227 |
Qualifying 2 — Grid positions 7-12
| Pos | No. | Driver | Country | Best lap | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 4 | Jarno Vilmunen | FIN | 40.801 | +0.890 |
| 8 | 74 | Giacomo Sacchi | MON | 41.808 | +1.897 |
| 9 | 27 | André Solvang | NOR | 41.931 | +2.020 |
| 10 | 14 | Ian Blacker | GBR | 42.237 | +2.326 |
| 11 | 51 | Nils Slakteris | LAT | 42.568 | +2.657 |
| 12 | 77 | Tobias Munthe-Kaas | NOR | 42.756 | +2.845 |
Qualifying 1 — Grid positions 13-16
| Pos | No. | Driver | Country | Best lap | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | 9 | Mette Bjerknæs | GBR | 43.768 | +1.481 |
| 14 | 45 | Duarte Benavente | POR | 44.037 | +1.750 |
| 15 | 2 | Johan Österberg | SWE | 44.083 | +1.796 |
| 16 | 15 | Dainis Podzuks | LAT | 52.915 | +10.628 |
Grid positions 13-16 set by Q1 result. Gaps shown are within each session.
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.
