Andersson takes pole as Cohen hospitalised after barrel roll

Jonas Andersson claimed pole position for the Road to Sharjah–Grand Prix of Sharjah with a stunning lap of 47.191 seconds, but qualifying was overshadowed by a dramatic double barrel roll that sent Damon Cohen to hospital.

The defending champion edged Alec Weckström by 0.119 seconds in the final six-driver shootout as conditions improved on Khaled Lagoon following Friday’s unprecedented flooding. Championship leader Shaun Torrente qualified third, 0.367 seconds off pole position.

Cohen’s frightening incident occurred during the opening Q1 session. The Comparato F1 driver barrel-rolled twice at turn one on his final lap with just 12 seconds remaining on the clock. The Osprey Rescue Team was quickly at the scene and the fully conscious Australian was transferred to hospital for medical checks after complaining of back pain.

The split qualifying format saw 20 drivers reduced to 12 in Q1, then six in Q2, before the final pole position shootout in Q3. Torrente topped Q2 with 47.782 seconds to advance alongside Andersson, Weckström, Erik Stark, Bartek Marszalek and Grant Trask.

Andersson raised his game in the final session with a lap nearly a second quicker than his Q2 time. The Team Sweden driver’s 47.191 seconds gave him his 17th career pole position and put him in prime position for both sprint races and Sunday’s championship-deciding Grand Prix.

The pole also enabled Andersson to retain the F1H2O Pole Position Trophy from Torrente and Weckström, taking the trophy for a fifth time since 2019.

It was really tricky. When you have two boats, like I have, you chose one and then you realise it may not have been the right decision. We took the pole and the boat worked fantastic. We broke two of our best propellers in qualifying so the one I put on was just a chance and it worked out. Yesterday, we broke one engine and had a problem with another engine and we built one last night in the container and it seemed to work well!

Weckström delivered a crucial performance to qualify second with 47.310 seconds. The Finn’s strong pace keeps him in mathematical contention for the title, whilst Torrente’s third position maintains his championship advantage heading into Saturday afternoon’s sprint races.

Stark impresses in Q3 debut

Stark reached Q3 and rewarded Team Abu Dhabi with fourth on the grid. The Swede opted to race his older DAC with full support from his team and posted 47.610 seconds to edge Marszalek, who qualified fifth with 48.339 seconds after an impressive weekend so far.

Trask completed the Q3 runners in sixth with 49.019 seconds after fuel surge issues limited him to just two laps in the final session, preventing him from challenging for a higher grid position.

Sharjah Team duo miss Q3

Rusty Wyatt qualified seventh after reaching Q2 but missing the final cut. The Canadian posted 48.720 seconds and reported progress with the new Sharjah hull.

Stefan Arand qualified eighth with 49.050 seconds after a difficult preparation. The Sharjah Team driver had hoped for extensive pre-race testing but the boat arrived late from Saudi Arabia. Testing was compromised and the port sponson experienced delamination, adding to his challenges after Thursday’s flooding left his race tent underwater.

Midfield battles

Peter Morin qualified ninth ahead of Ferdinand Zandbergen in 10th and Alberto Comparato in 11th. Brent Dillard secured 12th despite suffering vibrations that prevented him from pushing harder, post-session checks confirmed he will have to change an engine.

Sami Seliö qualified 13th ahead of the hospitalised Cohen in 14th. Ben Jelf took 15th for F1 Atlantic Team, with Alexandre Bourgeot 16th, Marit Strømøy 17th, Cédric Deguisne 18th and Duarte Benavente 19th. Mansoor Al-Mansoori has changed his motor for this afternoon’s Sprint race.

Qualifying results

Championship implications

Andersson’s pole position gives him the ideal platform to challenge Torrente’s 14-point championship lead.

Torrente needs only a sixth-place finish in Sunday’s Grand Prix to secure his fourth world title, but Andersson’s superior qualifying pace and proven sprint race record (eight wins from nine starts this season) keeps the championship battle alive heading into Saturday afternoon’s action.

The first sprint race begins at 15:05 local time, with the second sprint following at 15:45.

John Moore

John Moore’s 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 2025, he established Powerboat News, returning to independent journalism with a focus on neutral and comprehensive coverage of the sport.