Edgaras Riabko will start Sunday’s Grand Prix of Italy from pole position, topping Q3 at San Nazzaro to extend his run at the front of the 2026 UIM F2 World Championship.
The championship leader edged out Nelson Morin by 0.221 seconds in a tight top five that also included Mathilda Wiberg, Hilmer Wiberg and Peter Morin. Giacomo Sacchi’s session told a very different story: fastest in Q1 and still on the pace through Q2, before a dramatic drop to sixth in Q3 after completing just three laps. The DAC hull’s record at this venue is covered separately in DAC is Dominant in San Nazzaro UIM F2.
Speaking to PBN afterwards, Riabko described a session that swung with every lap:
Riabko:
This was amazing. My radio man told me many times, first, second, third, again you need one lap, again you need one lap. When I was first, they said now you must do it, one more very fast lap. I said okay. You push so much to the limit, and when you hear that, you prove yourself. I’m very happy.
Asked about the fight for the remaining top-six places, Riabko was full of praise for the battle behind him, calling it a very good fight.
Qualifying Report
| Pos | No. | Driver | Nat | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 41 | Edgaras Riabko | LTU | 48.727 | 47.706 | 46.576 |
| 2 | 33 | Nelson Morin | FRA | 48.637 | 47.675 | 46.797† |
| 3 | 1 | Mathilda Wiberg | SWE | 48.424 | 47.668 | 46.915 |
| 4 | 70 | Hilmer Wiberg | SWE | 48.804 | 47.631 | 46.936 |
| 5 | 11 | Peter Morin | FRA | 49.152 | 48.248 | 47.333† |
| 6 | 74 | Giacomo Sacchi | MON | 48.610† | 47.917† | 53.536 |
| 7 | 5 | Tulliomaria Abbate | ITA | 49.582 | 48.263 | |
| 8 | 3 | Owen Jelf | GBR | 49.320 | 48.424 | |
| 9 | 45 | Duarte Benavente | POR | 49.065 | 48.508 | |
| 10 | 85 | Luca Fornasarig | ITA | 49.916 | 49.597 | |
| 11 | 77 | Tobias Munthe-Kaas | NOR | 49.768 | 49.988† | |
| 12 | 16 | Romain Nedelec | ESP | 49.188 | 50.418 | |
| 13 | 2 | Johan Österberg | SWE | 50.099 | ||
| 14 | 14 | Ian Blacker | GBR | 50.345 | ||
| 15 | 27 | Andrè Solvang | NOR | 50.512 | ||
| 16 | 96 | Roope Virtanen | FIN | 50.568 | ||
| 17 | 9 | Mette Bjerknæs | GBR | 50.884 | ||
| 18 | 91 | Buby Bertels | BEL | 51.569 | ||
| 19 | 57 | Oleg Bocca | ITA | 54.111 |
Grid order: top 6 from Q3, positions 7-12 from Q2, 13-19 from Q1.
† UIM Rule 5.6.3. Officials can delete a driver’s current lap, and for repeat offences their fastest lap, for offences including stopping unnecessarily on the circuit, missing a mark of the course or failing to respect the outer limits of the track. The times above already reflect these deletions:
- Giacomo Sacchi (MON) – fastest lap plus laps 8 and 16 struck in Q1; lap 1 struck in Q2.
- Nelson Morin (FRA) – lap 14 struck in Q3.
- Peter Morin (FRA) – lap 1 struck in Q3.
- Tobias Munthe-Kaas (NOR) – lap 4 struck in Q2.
Sacchi’s two penalties came in the sessions where he set the pace, before a mechanical-looking Q3 in which he completed only three laps and dropped to sixth. Neither deletion affected his final grid slot, which is set by his Q3 time rather than Q1 or Q2.
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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.
