F1H2O has quietly dropped one of its two planned Chinese rounds from the 2026 calendar. The season, originally confirmed as seven rounds across three continents, now runs to six on H2O Racing’s own calendar page, with the previously unannounced Grand Prix of China, pencilled in for September 28-30, no longer appearing anywhere on the schedule.
What Was Promised
When H2O Racing confirmed the full 2026 calendar in April, it described the championship heading east from Kyrgyzstan for two consecutive Chinese events: an unannounced venue racing September 28-30, followed a week later by the Grand Prix of China at Shanghai’s Baoshan neighbourhood, then dated October 3-4.
2026 UIM F1H2O World Championship Calendar
| Dates | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 29-31 May | Regione Sardegna Grand Prix of Italy | Cagliari, Italy |
| 31 Jul–2 Aug | Grand Prix of Kyrgyzstan | Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan |
| 4-5 Oct | Grand Prix of China – Shanghai | Baoshan, Shanghai, China |
| 26-28 Nov | Grand Prix of Jeddah | Jeddah, Saudi Arabia |
| 11-13 Dec | Grand Prix of the Middle East | Middle East (TBA) |
| 18-20 Dec | Road to Sharjah Grand Prix of Sharjah | Khalid Lagoon, Sharjah, UAE |
2026 F1H2O World Championship Standings
See where every driver sits with the season now down to six rounds.
View Full StandingsPBN’s Calendar Corrected
PBN has updated its own 2026 championship calendar to remove the dropped round and align the Shanghai and Jeddah dates with H2O Racing’s current listings. Readers who bookmarked or screenshotted the original April calendar should treat those dates as superseded.
Why the round disappeared is not yet known. It may simply never have progressed past the placeholder stage its “TBA” venue always suggested, or it may reflect a genuine late change to the season. PBN has not established which, and will update this story if H2O Racing or UIM comment.
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.
