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.
Qualifying 1: Sacchi leads
Sacchi laid down the benchmark early, setting the fastest lap at 43.589. Sweden’s Mathilda Wiberg impressed in second, narrowly behind, with her brother Hilmer third. Further down the order.
Meanwhile, Britain’s Matt Palfreyman crashed out on his opening lap and took no further part.
Pos
No.
Name
Country
Laps
Best Lap
Gap
1
74
Giacomo Sacchi
MON
15
43.589
–
2
7
Mathilda Wiberg
SWE
14
43.727
+0.138
3
70
Hilmer Wiberg
SWE
21
44.221
+0.632
4
96
Roope Virtanen
FIN
19
44.612
+1.023
5
45
Duarte Benavente
POR
15
44.647
+1.058
…
Full classification included Rashid P10 before spinning, Palfreyman P17 after crash, Solvang & Al Yafei DNS.
Qualifying 2: Mathilda fights back
Mathilda Wiberg struck back in Q2, topping the timesheets with a blistering 43.295. Rashid put in a strong P2, while Sacchi settled for third. Hilmer Wiberg continued his consistency in fourth, keeping both Swedish drivers firmly in contention.
Pos
No.
Name
Country
Best Lap
Gap
1
7
Mathilda Wiberg
SWE
43.295
–
2
1
Rashed Al Qemzi
UAE
43.675
+0.380
3
74
Giacomo Sacchi
MON
43.755
+0.460
4
70
Hilmer Wiberg
SWE
44.091
+0.796
5
41
Edgaras Riabko
LTU
44.093
+0.798
…
Further positions included Benavente, Morin, Virtanen, and Arand inside the top 10.
Qualifying 3: Sacchi strikes pole
In the final shootout, Sacchi stunned the paddock with a blistering 41.920 lap, securing pole position by almost a second over Mathilda Wiberg. Al Qemzi took third even after spinning out after losing his prop and shaft. Hilmer Wiberg and Riabko rounded out the top five, while Duarte Benavente failed to post a time due to engine problems.
Pos
No.
Name
Country
Q1
Q2
Q3
1
74
Giacomo Sacchi
MON
43.589
43.755
41.920
2
7
Mathilda Wiberg
SWE
43.727
43.295
42.730
3
1
Rashed Al Qemzi
UAE
45.031
43.675
43.151
4
70
Hilmer Wiberg
SWE
44.221
44.091
43.460
5
41
Edgaras Riabko
LTU
44.956
44.093
43.580
6
45
Duarte Benavente
POR
44.647
44.220
DNS
7
33
Nelson Morin
FRA
44.771
44.380
–
8
96
Roope Virtanen
FIN
44.612
44.579
–
9
18
Stefan Arand
EST
44.947
44.657
–
10
11
Peter Morin
FRA
45.160
45.356
–
Top 10 Starting Grid
Grid
No.
Name
Country
1
74
Giacomo Sacchi
MON
2
7
Mathilda Wiberg
SWE
3
1
Rashed Al Qemzi
UAE
4
70
Hilmer Wiberg
SWE
5
41
Edgaras Riabko
LTU
6
96
Roope Virtanen
FIN
7
45
Duarte Benavente
POR
8
33
Nelson Morin
FRA
9
18
Stefan Arand
EST
10
11
Peter Morin
FRA
Final Thoughts
Sacchi’s pole, Mathilda’s consistency, and Rashid’s rollercoaster qualifying have set up a thrilling grid for the main race. With the Wiberg siblings both inside the top four and Benavente fighting reliability gremlins, the race tomorrow promises fireworks.
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.
