Torrente – “First time all year I’ve got the boat where I want it”

Shaun Torrente topped both practice sessions at the inaugural F1H2O Grand Prix of Jeddah on Thursday, posting the fastest lap of the day on his opening run in Free Practice 2 whilst several championship contenders encountered difficulties at the North Obhur Waterfront circuit.

The Victory Team driver clocked 42.241 seconds in the second session after leading the opening stint with 42.453 seconds. The American finished ahead of defending champion Jonas Andersson in Free Practice 1 before Peter Morin and Sami Seliö completed the top three in the afternoon’s second hour of running.

Power failure disrupts schedule

A power failure at the Red Sea venue forced organisers to revise Thursday’s programme, reducing free practice from three sessions to two. The delayed timetable saw both one-hour stints take place in the afternoon heat with Free Practice 1 running from 13:30 to 14:30 and Free Practice 2 following at 15:00.

Strømøy Racing’s Marit Strømøy was first on to the water in the opening session with her four-stroke V8-powered DAC. Andersson claimed the early benchmark with 42.886 seconds before Torrente surpassed that mark on his eighth lap. The Swede improved to 42.494 seconds on his 26th tour but remained 0.041 seconds behind Torrente’s session-topping time.

Strømøy posted the third-quickest time of 42.996 seconds, just over half a second off the pace, ahead of Red Devil-SMC Team’s Ferdinand Zandbergen, Team Abu Dhabi’s Erik Stark and China CTIC Team’s Peter Morin.

Torrente sets the pace

The three-time world champion carried his form into Free Practice 2, clocking the fastest lap of the weekend on his opening tour. Only Seliö initially followed the American on to the circuit in the session’s opening minutes, with just five boats posting times in the first quarter hour.

First time all year I’ve really got the boat where I want it balance-wise. We’ve been working towards it. I don’t come into a team and tell them to change everything. We start with what they have and take little steps. Every race we’ve gotten better. Now we’re the strongest.

Torrente told F1H2O commentator Stephen Michael after the session that he was pleased with the circuit layout.

I love it. It’s technical but fast with a really tight hairpin. It’s cool.

The Florida-based racer sits seven points behind championship leader Alec Weckström heading into Friday’s qualifying session. Both drivers compete for Victory Team in the Teams’ Championship, where they currently lead the standings.

Me and Alec are leading the teams championship, first and second in the drivers. I just want number four [world title]. That’s why I came back. I’ve enjoyed the heck out of driving the boat.

Hagin makes debut

German driver Stefan Hagin completed his first laps in F1H2O machinery during Free Practice 2 after sitting out the opening session. The rookie posted 12 cautious tours of the circuit for China CTIC Team, recording a best time of 44.624 seconds for ninth position.

Hagin replaces Canadian Kyle Maskall, who competed in both Chinese rounds as a stand-in for Brent Dillard. The American is expected to return for the season finale in Sharjah after recovering from spinal surgery.

Mixed fortunes for championship contenders

Championship leader Weckström completed just three laps in Free Practice 1 before returning in the second session to post the fifth-quickest time of 43.530 seconds across eight laps. The Finn trails Torrente by 1.289 seconds on combined pace but holds a seven-point advantage in the standings heading into Friday’s action.

Canada’s Rusty Wyatt, who sits third in the championship on 58 points, completed three laps in the opening session before failing to take part in Free Practice 2. Andersson encountered difficulties in the second stint, managing just seven laps with a best time of 59.776 seconds after running second-quickest in the morning.

Strømøy’s strong third-place showing in Free Practice 1 with her four-stroke Mercury 360 APX engine was not repeated in the afternoon session, where the Norwegian did not record a lap time.

Overnight repairs for Comparato F1 Team

Damon Cohen completed 23 laps in Free Practice 1, finishing tenth and testing two different propellers. The Comparato F1 Team driver sat out the second session after the crew discovered a crack in the engine mid-section. The Australian posted on social media that the team would work through the night to replace the damaged component ahead of Friday’s qualifying.

His teammate Alberto Comparato did not take part in either session. Grant Trask and Bartek Marszalek also sat out Free Practice 2 after completing running in the opening stint.

Free Practice combined times

Qualifying for the Grand Prix of Jeddah takes place on Friday at 10:00 local time (AST, UTC+3), followed by two sprint races at 15:35 and 16:15. Saturday’s main Grand Prix is scheduled for 16:05.