The UIM Formula 2 World Championship will return in 2026 with five rounds across Lithuania, Italy and Portugal, following the adoption of new regulations including long lap penalties by the UIM Council in Shanghai.
The season opens in Klaipėda, Lithuania on 5-7 June before heading to Brindisi, Italy two weeks later on 26-28 June.
Mathilda Wiberg was awarded with the Smedjebacken kommun’s prestationsmedalj (achievement medal) during Monday evening’s kommunfullmäktige (municipal council) meeting, recognising her historic UIM F2 World Championship victory in September.
Kommunfullmäktige (municipal council) chair Carin Runeson presented the achievement medal to the 22-year-old Swedish driver, who became the first woman in history to win a Formula-class world championship.
Team RPM has confirmed plans to field a second boat in the 2026 UIM F2 World Championship, with team manager Alessandro Canzi revealing the news on social media.
UIM F2 will introduce long lap penalties and passed a European Championship proposal from January 2026 after the UIM Council adopted five of seven F2 rules proposals last Friday at the Shanghai General Assembly, whilst rejecting an overhaul of the penalties table and withdrawing championship structure clarifications.
The Formulae Committee’s package delivered major changes to race procedures and competition formats, with long lap implementation receiving unanimous support across three interconnected proposals introducing the strategic element to F2 racing.
Portugal secured three UIM international events for 2026 during this week’s General Assembly in Shanghai, with the Portuguese federation landing the Aquabike European Championship alongside two Formula 2 World Championship rounds including the season finale.
Paulo Ferreira, President of FPM (Federação Portuguesa de Motonautica), confirmed the successful bid package delivers major championship racing across three Portuguese venues between July and September.
Seven proposed amendments to UIM F2 rules will face a council vote on Friday 10 October 2025, with approved changes scheduled to take effect from 1 January 2026.
The package includes the introduction of long lap penalties, clarified championship rules, a penalties overhaul, European Championship proposals and technical updates to SST200 engine cowlings.
Alberto Comparato heads to China next week to compete in the F1H2O Shanghai event with a spring in his step, as his partner, Mathilda Wiberg, won the UIM F2 World Championship last weekend in Portugal, where he was a key member of her team.
For the racer who resides in Chioggia, success in that class is not new – He was the youngest driver to set pole, win a race, and ultimately take the UIM F2 World Championship title at the age of 20.
Since Sunday afternoon, the sport of powerboat racing has focused on Mathilda Wiberg’s historic UIM F2 World Championship win in Portugal.
From a 2012 rookie to F1H2O championship contender, Stefan Arand has systematically conquered every major powerboat racing category on his path to the top.
The 23-year-old Estonian isn’t just another talented driver making the jump to F1H2O – he’s a proven championship winner with titles across GT15, GT30, F4, and Offshore categories who now sits fourth in the 2025 F1H2O standings with the Sharjah Team.
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.
2025 UIM F2 World Championship Pos # Name Country Italy I Lithuania Portugal I Portugal II Points Brindisi Klaipėda Peso da Régua Vila Velha 🏆 1 7 Mathilda Wiberg SWE 2 20 12 20 54 2 70 Hilmer Wi…
Peter Morin’s 2025 UIM F2 World Championship campaign ended not with a bang, but with the failure of a component that costs less than a cup of coffee, the veteran Frenchman’s title hopes were extinguished by a blown fuse.
Starting from pole position at Vila Velha de Ródão with a mathematical chance at the championship, Morin had executed the perfect weekend to that point.
Swedish driver claims 2025 UIM F2 World Championship after brother Hilmer retires with technical failure in dramatic Vila Velha de Ródão finale Mathilda Wiberg has rewritten powerboat racing history.
The 20-year-old Swedish driver claimed victory at the Grand Prix of Portugal II to secure the 2025 UIM F2 World Championship, becoming the first woman ever to win a Formula-class world championship in powerboat racing.
Mathilda Wiberg sent a powerful message to her championship rivals by topping Sunday morning’s warm-up session at Vila Velha de Ródão, setting the fastest time of 50.
884 seconds as teams made their final preparations for this afternoon’s title-deciding UIM F2 World Championship finale.
Peter Morin served notice of his championship intentions by topping Saturday’s free practice session at Vila Velha de Ródão, setting the pace with a best lap of 49.
695 seconds as the UIM F2 World Championship contenders began their final preparations for Sunday’s title-deciding finale.
Portuguese Federation President reveals the massive logistical operation behind back-to-back championship rounds and announces gala dinner for Sunday’s finale Paulo Ferreira, President of the Portuguese Motorboat Federation (FPM), has become one of the most important figures in the UIM F2 World Championship, organising back-to-back rounds that have established Portugal as a cornerstone of the international racing calendar.
Speaking exclusively to Powerboat.
This weekend (September 19-21, 2025), the UIM F2 World Championship roars into Vila Velha de Ródão, Portugal, for the season finale on the Tagus River.
Edgaras Riabko, the Lithuanian star, holds the record for the most podiums here, with four consecutive top-three finishes (2020, 2022, 2023, 2024).
Tobias Munthe-Kaas hasn’t had the best of seasons, but when he spoke to me under a hot Portuguese sun, the final race of the season could change his 2025 fortunes.
“I’m quite confident that we have done some changes that are making everything more driveable,” “In the last race we had some struggle with the power steering, we had some struggle with leakage inside the boat.
With Hilmer Wiberg leading his sister Mathilda by just five points heading into Sunday’s F2 World Championship finale at Vila Velha, their father Andreas faces the most unusual dilemma in powerboat racing history.
Powerboat News spoke to the man watching his son and daughter battle for the UIM F2 World Title We go into this weekend in the most unusual position for a father in offshore powerboat racing.
Mette Bjerknæs has publicly accepted responsibility for the collision that ended Tino Lehto’s race at Peso da Régua.
The incident occurred on lap ten when Brandt Bjerknæs, the Norwegian-born driver racing under a British licence, made contact with Lehto’s boat entering a turn.
19–21 September 2025.
Venue: Vila Velha de Ródão, Portugal.
Roope Virtanen and Matt Palfreyman have successfully appealed their disqualifications under Rule 303.
01 concerning marks of the course.
With just one race remaining in the 2025 UIM F2 World Championship, the title fight has boiled down to a razor-edge four-way battle.
After Giacomo Sacchi’s masterclass in Peso da Régua, the standings have shifted dramatically, setting up a high-stakes finale in Vila Velha on 21 September.
Peso da Régua, Portugal – 14 September 2025 The UIM F2 World Championship thundered into Portugal at the breathtaking Douro River circuit in Peso da Régua, where 19 F2 boats battled over a demanding 1,685-metre course flanked by terraced vineyards and dramatic gorges.
With a rolling start, the 45-lap race delivered edge-of-your-seat action under blazing sunshine and gusting winds that tested drivers’ precision and boat setups.
Due to windy conditions, the UIM F2 Grand Prix of Portugal (Event 1) at Peso da Régua has been delayed until 16:00 local time.
The race will commence with a rolling start and run the full 45 laps.
UIM F2 Grand Prix of Portugal I – Free Practice Report: Sunday Morning, Peso da Régua Peso da Régua, Portugal – September 14, 2025 The UIM F2 World Championship heads into the penultimate round of the 2025 season on the stunning Douro River circuit in Peso da Régua, where the tight turns and flowing waters of this Portuguese gem promise another thrilling spectacle.
With the championship battle heating up after two rounds in Brindisi and Klaipėda, today’s free practice session set the tone for the afternoon’s Grand Prix race.
Andre Solvang’s team burned the midnight oil last night and repaired his APX motor.
Fortunately, the mid-section part that broke was identical to one in the Mercury Optimax, and a spare part was quickly found.
Luis Miguel Ribeiro will take over as Race Director for the UIM F2 Peso da Régua race in Portugal today.
Owing to a family member’s illness, Portuguese UIM official Luis Miguel Ribeiro was forced to return home.
Giacomo Sacchi is riding high after securing pole position in Portugal, marking his second consecutive pole.
In an exclusive interview with Powerboat News, the racer shared his excitement and praised his team’s exceptional efforts.
Monaco’s Giacomo Sacchi delivered a sensational performance to claim pole position in the 2025 UIM F2 World Championship qualifying.
Across three intense sessions, the field saw high drama with crashes, mechanical failures, and standout speed – setting the stage for a thrilling race.
