Jeddah Hosts First F1H2O GP as Weckström Leads Tight Title Race

The UIM F1H2O World Championship heads to Saudi Arabia for the penultimate round of the 2025 season as Jeddah prepares to host its first Grand Prix on November 27-29. The Red Sea coastal venue brings world championship powerboat racing to the kingdom for the first time after previous attempts in 2019 were cancelled due to adverse weather and 2020 plans fell victim to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Organised by Promedia with authorisation from H2O Management under the aegis of the Union Internationale Motonautique and the Saudi Water Sports and Diving Federation, the three-day event will feature 20 of the world’s elite drivers from 10 teams competing in what promises to be one of the most pivotal rounds of the campaign.

Championship Battle Intensifies

Finland’s Alec Weckström arrives in Jeddah leading the championship standings with 66 points following a breakthrough weekend at Zhengzhou where he claimed both his maiden F1H2O Grand Prix victory and his first sprint race win within 24 hours. The Victory Team driver heads the standings by seven points after controlling the 36-lap race in challenging conditions on the Yellow River.

The 24-year-old from Helsinki may have only 10 Grand Prix starts to his name since debuting in 2021, but his rapid rise from former karting prodigy to genuine title contender has been one of the stories of the season. The Finn raced against Formula One stars Max Verstappen, George Russell, Lance Stroll and Lando Norris in karting between the ages of eight and 13.

American Shaun Torrente sits just seven points behind his Victory Team colleague on 59 points. The three-time world champion delivered a mature performance to claim second at Zhengzhou and has shown flashes of brilliance in sprint formats, though mechanical issues in main races have hampered his campaign. A strong result in Saudi Arabia could reset his title challenge before the final showdown in the UAE.

Wyatt Maintains Pressure

Canadian star Rusty Wyatt continues to prove he is no one-season sensation. The outright winner on Lake Toba for a second successive year sits just eight points off the lead on 58 points for Sharjah Team. The Ontario racer claimed third at Zhengzhou and held off intense late pressure from Weckström in Sprint Race 2, posting the fastest lap at 46.576 seconds and closing to within half a second with three laps remaining.

His aggression and consistency have lifted Sharjah Team into second in the Teams’ standings heading into the Middle Eastern double-header that will conclude the season.

Andersson’s Title Defence Falters

Reigning triple world champion Jonas Andersson occupies fourth place on 50 points for Team Sweden after his championship challenge suffered a catastrophic blow at Zhengzhou. The Swede arrived in China leading the standings by three points but spun from pole position at the start of the Grand Prix in rain and rough water, dropped to ninth, then retired on lap 24 with technical issues.

The retirement marked a dramatic reversal of fortune for Andersson, who had dominated at Shanghai with victories in both the Grand Prix and Sprint Race 1. At Zhengzhou, he extended his remarkable unbeaten sprint race record to 11 consecutive victories with a commanding performance, winning by nearly 13 seconds. Since sprint races were introduced last season, Andersson has won every sprint race he has contested.

Despite his sprint dominance, Andersson arrives in Jeddah 16 points off the lead in must-win mode. The Swede leads the F1H2O Pole Position Trophy by 11 points from Torrente.

Contenders and Challengers

Australia’s Grant Trask has impressed since joining Team Sweden, claiming a podium in Shanghai, whilst Team Abu Dhabi’s Erik Stark continues to rebuild momentum after early-season technical frustrations. Both hold fifth and sixth positions in the Drivers’ Championship and are poised to fight at the front in Jeddah.

Young Estonian Stefan Arand sits seventh in the points standings after showing immense pace at times, including a remarkable pole position performance in Shanghai. Reliability woes have cost him crucial points, but should everything fall into place in Saudi Arabia, he could be a major contender for a first Grand Prix victory.

For the China CTIC Team, Peter Morin seeks more consistency whilst German rookie Stefan Hagin replaces Kyle Maskall for this round. Maskall competed in both Chinese races as a stand-in for the recovering Brent Dillard, who has now recovered from spinal surgery and is expected to return for the Sharjah finale.

Britain’s Ben Jelf will be looking for a return to early-season form after a standout maiden podium in Indonesia. The Briton said he is enthusiastic about competing in Jeddah, a location that holds special significance as he attended when his father Colin secured victory in the F2000 Championship round there 18 years ago.

The Comparato F1 Team pairing of Alberto Comparato and Damon Cohen have shown promise without the results to match, whilst Jelf’s teammate Duarte Benavente will also be looking to close out the year strongly.

Two-time world champion Sami Seliö and teammate Ferdinand Zandbergen continue to refine their new Sharjah-designed Red Devil-SMC Team hulls, whilst Strømøy Racing’s Marit Strømøy pushes ahead with the development of the four-stroke Apex V8 engine. Her Polish teammate Bartek Marszalek perseveres with the Mercury two-stroke powerplant that has propelled him to 15th in the championship, two places and three points behind Strømøy.

Maverick Racing features the French duo of Alexandre Bourgeot and Cédric Deguisne, who will look to convert glimpses of speed into tangible results.

Race Format and Technical Details

The weekend follows the established F1H2O format with practice sessions on Thursday followed by qualifying and two sprint races on Friday. Saturday’s warm-up will precede the main Grand Prix, which determines the distribution of championship points.

Race officials include Officer of the Day Assaad Rayess, UIM Sport Commissioner Ivan Mota, and Race Director Marco Pietrini. UIM Technical Commissioners Gil Manuel Pedroso and Rui Xavier will oversee technical scrutineering, whilst Protest Judge Miguel Valente will handle any disputes.

Medical support will be provided on land by Dr. Sulaiman Al-Habib Hospital, with the Osprey Rescue Team handling water-based emergency response.

Race Weekend Timetable

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.