Norwegian-born Mette Bjerknæs, now racing under a British license from her base in Cheltenham, England, delivered a standout performance at the 2025 UIM F2 World Championship Grand Prix of Portugal II in Vila Velha de Ródão.
Starting from a tough 13th on the grid, she battled through to finish seventh, pressuring British veteran Matt Palfreyman in the closing stages.
Her partner and JRM Racing team manager, Jamey Stallard, praised her relentless drive.
Mette born in Oslo, carries a deep racing pedigree, her father, Morten, competed in F1 powerboats, and her mother, Lene, raced V-25.
Mette’s career began in 2008 with V-25, moving to F4 in 2009 and F2 by 2010. A third-place finish in the 2011 Norwegian F2 Championship marked her arrival, followed by her UIM F2 World Championship debut that year. In 2014, she made history as the only female Class 2 World Champion with Navikart Racing, winning in Poland and taking second in Rouen.
Now with JRM Racing, the team she co-founded, Mette balances racing with her role as a qualified teacher and entrepreneur, holding degrees in Marketing, Economics, Entrepreneurship, and Travel Business.
Qualifying: A Steep Climb from P13
The Vila Velha de Ródão qualifying session was brutal, with crashes and mechanical issues shaking up the order.
Peter Morin clinched pole in Q3 with a 48.746-second lap, narrowly beating Mathilda Wiberg (SWE) by 0.015 seconds. Edgaras Riabko, Duarte Benavente, Hilmer Wiberg, and Giacomo Sacchi locked in the top six. Sacchi’s Q2 crash and Matt Palfreyman’s 51.995-second Q2 lap, landing him seventh, set a tense stage.
Mette, posting 52.543 seconds in Q1, started 13th, a daunting position on a track known for gusting winds and unpredictable water conditions.
Mette’s Masterful Recovery
The 40-lap finale saw Mathilda Wiberg etch her name in history as the first female Formula-class World Champion, capitalizing on Morin’s engine failure (blown fuse) and Hilmer Wiberg’s exit.
Wiberg finished 1.968 seconds ahead of Riabko, with Benavente 7.396 seconds back in third. Stefan Arand and Nelson Morin took fourth and fifth, while Palfreyman held sixth, 39.856 seconds off the lead.
Mette, starting 13th, methodically carved through the field, posting a best lap of 49.921 seconds to claim seventh, 42.892 seconds behind Wiberg.
Her late charge saw her close to within 3.036 seconds of Palfreyman after applying serious pressure.
Stallard was effusive: “Mette’s pace in those final laps, hunting Palfreyman, was exceptional. That’s the fight we know she’s got.”
Mette’s seventh-place finish earned her four crucial points, placing her 12th in the 2025 UIM F2 World Championship standings.
John Moore has a longstanding involvement in event organisation and powerboat racing journalism. He organised the historic Cowes–Torquay–Cowes races between 2010 and 2013 and was actively involved with British offshore racing from 2017 until 2025.
In 2017, Moore founded Powerboat Racing World, a digital platform providing global powerboat racing news, insights, and event coverage.
He is now Editor of Powerboat.News, continuing to contribute to the sport’s media landscape with in-depth reporting and analysis.