Shaun Torrente claimed an emotional pole position for the inaugural F1H2O Grand Prix of Jeddah on Friday morning, holding off defending champion Jonas Andersson in a thrilling qualifying session that ended with the Swede crashing out in the final seconds at the North Obhur Waterfront.
The Victory Team driver’s lap of 41.444 seconds secured his 12th career pole and his first since the summer of 2023, reducing Andersson’s lead in the F1H2O Pole Position Trophy to six points. The American’s strategy of posting quick laps early in each session paid dividends across the three knockout qualifying rounds.
It felt so good yesterday. We tested in Dubai. The guys keep working and I’m thankful that I get to do this this weekend. I thought this part of my life was over but it’s really cool to be able to do this again. Number four is still alive and we are getting stronger every race.
Andersson crashes chasing pole
Andersson pushed his boat to the limit in his bid to secure pole position, posting a last-gasp lap of 41.647 seconds to claim second on the grid. The Swede gained lift and barrel rolled out of qualifying with the clock already at zero.
Andersson was uninjured in the accident and there was limited damage to his boat, but he now faces a race against time to be ready for the afternoon’s first sprint race at 15:35 local time. The three-time world champion has won all 11 sprint races since the format was introduced last season.
Red Devil-SMC Team’s Ferdinand Zandbergen delivered his best performance of the season in the new Sharjah-designed hull to claim third position with a lap of 41.903 seconds. China CTIC Team’s Peter Morin and Strømøy Racing’s Bartek Marszalek produced their quickest qualifying sessions of the campaign to secure fourth and fifth positions.
Torrente’s championship-leading teammate Alec Weckström will start the Saudi race from sixth position after posting 42.419 seconds in the final session.
Q1: Eight face elimination
Peter Morin set the early target time of 44.975 seconds before Ferdinand Zandbergen moved to the top of the leaderboard with 43.686 seconds in the opening 20-minute session. Eight of the 20 drivers would be eliminated.
Rusty Wyatt secured his place in Q2 with a table-topping lap of 43.476 seconds before Erik Stark and Alec Weckström moved ahead of the Canadian. Jonas Andersson stormed to provisional pole with 43.680 seconds to book his place in the second session alongside teammate Grant Trask.
Stark eventually topped Q1 with 42.510 seconds ahead of Torrente and Trask. However, Trask was towed back to the pontoon at the end of the session with engine and fuel tank problems and could not take part in Q2.
Eliminated drivers included Stefan Hagin, Marit Strømøy, Ben Jelf, Damon Cohen, Mansoor Al-Mansoori, Duarte Benavente, Cédric Deguisne and Alexandre Bourgeot.
Q2: Five more eliminated
Five of the surviving 11 drivers would fall by the wayside in the second 15-minute session. Torrente and Zandbergen were first out with the American posting 42.488 seconds before Andersson responded with 42.570 seconds.
Peter Morin hit the front with 42.129 seconds only for Weckström to go quicker with 42.120 seconds. The bottom six drivers jostled for survival with Stark, Wyatt, Sami Seliö, Stefan Arand and Alberto Comparato eliminated.
Torrente topped the session with 41.692 seconds ahead of Bartek Marszalek and Peter Morin to advance to the final shootout.
Stefan Arand said his seventh-place finish was compromised by technical issues during Thursday’s free practice sessions.
In today’s qualification, yesterday’s free practice sessions that failed for technical reasons played a role. As is known, you can’t go into qualifying looking for setup and propeller choice. Those should have been clarified yesterday. If you take all circumstances into account, we are more or less satisfied with the overall picture. Sprints and the main race are ahead and we will give our best!
Q3: Torrente dominates final session
Torrente, Marszalek, Morin, Andersson, Weckström and Zandbergen lined up for the final 10-minute session for pole position, with three drivers reaching Q3 for the first time this season.
Torrente laid down the gauntlet with an opening lap of 41.684 seconds. Andersson lifted himself into second place with 41.745 seconds before Torrente responded with 41.444 seconds to secure pole position.
Weckström pulled off the course with less than three minutes remaining as Andersson made his final charge. The Swede improved to 41.647 seconds and then crashed out in the dying seconds of the session.
I really liked the course. I was just hanging it out, especially this morning with no wind. Jonas was pushing so hard and I knew he was going to give everything he had. I was only up by a few tenths. Thankful and blessed that we have pole and now we have to do the job tomorrow.
Qualifying results
Pos |
Driver |
Team |
Q1 |
Q2 |
Q3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
Shaun Torrente |
Victory Team |
42.973 |
41.692 |
41.444 |
2 |
Jonas Andersson |
Team Sweden |
43.470 |
42.051 |
41.647 |
3 |
Ferdinand Zandbergen |
Red Devil-SMC Team |
43.686 |
42.157 |
41.903 |
4 |
Peter Morin |
China CTIC Team |
43.711 |
41.969 |
42.054 |
5 |
Bartek Marszalek |
Strømøy Racing |
43.755 |
41.969 |
42.091 |
6 |
Alec Weckström |
Victory Team |
43.440 |
42.120 |
42.419 |
7 |
Stefan Arand |
Sharjah Team |
43.717 |
42.202 |
— |
8 |
Rusty Wyatt |
Sharjah Team |
43.476 |
42.533 |
— |
9 |
Sami Seliö |
Red Devil-SMC Team |
43.936 |
42.546 |
— |
10 |
Alberto Comparato |
Comparato F1 Team |
43.927 |
42.563 |
— |
11 |
Erik Stark |
Team Abu Dhabi |
42.510 |
42.944 |
— |
12 |
Grant Trask |
Team Sweden |
43.365 |
— |
— |
13 |
Marit Strømøy |
Strømøy Racing |
44.093 |
— |
— |
14 |
Ben Jelf |
F1 Atlantic Team |
44.124 |
— |
— |
15 |
Stefan Hagin |
China CTIC Team |
44.714 |
— |
— |
16 |
Damon Cohen |
Comparato F1 Team |
44.790 |
— |
— |
17 |
Alexandre Bourgeot |
Maverick Racing |
45.143 |
— |
— |
18 |
Mansoor Al-Mansoori |
Team Abu Dhabi |
45.601 |
— |
— |
19 |
Duarte Benavente |
F1 Atlantic Team |
46.320 |
— |
— |
20 |
Cédric Deguisne |
Maverick Racing |
48.120 |
— |
— |
Championship implications
Torrente sits seven points behind championship leader Weckström heading into Friday afternoon’s two sprint races. The American’s dominant weekend form contrasts with Weckström’s struggles, with the Finn qualifying sixth after pulling off late in the final session.
Third-placed Rusty Wyatt will start Sprint Race 1 from eighth position after being eliminated in Q2. The Canadian trails Weckström by eight points in the championship standings.
Sprint Race 1 begins at 15:35 local time (AST, UTC+3), followed by Sprint Race 2 at 16:15. Saturday’s main Grand Prix is scheduled for 16:05.
Session |
Local time (AST, UTC+3) |
Your time |
|---|---|---|
Sprint Race 1 |
15:35 |
15:35 |
Sprint Race 2 |
16:15 |
16:15 |
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.
