The 2026 UIM F2 World Championship concludes on the River Tagus at Vila Velha de Ródão from Friday 25 to Sunday 27 September, Round 5 and the season finale, run back to back with Peso da Régua the week before. The race is organised jointly by the Federação Portuguesa de Motonáutica and the Câmara Municipal de Vila Velha de Ródão.
On the Water
The course sits on the Tagus, a stretch of river bordered by the Portas de Ródão gorge, where cliffs rise on either bank of the water. The single-pilot tunnel-hull boats race a 1,577-metre circuit, with a maximum of 20 boats permitted on the water at once, starting dead-engine from the jetty as signalled by lights.
Entry List
Fourteen boats are confirmed for the season finale, after Dainis Podžuks, who suffered two engine failures at Peso da Régua, was withdrawn from the entry list.
| No. | Country | Driver |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sweden | Mathilda Wiberg |
| 2 | Sweden | Johan Österberg |
| 3 | United Kingdom | Owen Jelf |
| 7 | Norway | Frode Sundsdal |
| 11 | Sweden | Bimba Sjöholm |
| 14 | United Kingdom | Ian Blacker |
| 33 | France | Nelson Morin |
| 41 | Lithuania | Edgaras Riabko |
| 45 | Portugal | Duarte Benavente |
| 70 | Sweden | Hilmer Wiberg |
| 74 | Monaco | Giacomo Sacchi |
| 77 | Norway | Tobias Munthe-Kaas |
| 91 | Belgium | Buby Bertels |
| 111 | France | Peter Morin |
Ahead of the finale, the UIM ruled that the ECU units fitted to Tobias Munthe-Kaas and Ian Blacker’s Mercury 250 APX engines do not comply with UIM Rule 506.11, requiring both to be replaced before either driver takes part in any official practice, qualifying, or race session. Full details here.
Event Timetable
| Session | Local time (WEST, UTC+1) | Your time |
|---|---|---|
| Friday 25 September | ||
| Teams Arrival | 08:00 | |
| Administrative Scrutineering | 10:00 – 18:00 | |
| Technical Scrutineering | 11:00 – 18:00 | |
| Organising Committee Meeting | 17:30 – 18:00 | |
| Saturday 26 September | ||
| Pit Area Open | 08:00 | |
| Administrative Scrutineering | 08:00 – 09:00 | |
| Technical Scrutineering | 08:00 – 09:00 | |
| Drivers’ Meeting | 09:30 – 10:00 | |
| Free Practice | 11:15 – 12:45 | |
| Qualifying Sessions 1-2-3 | 15:00 – 17:00 | |
| Sunday 27 September | ||
| Pit Area Open | 08:00 | |
| Drivers’ Meeting | 09:30 | |
| Group Photo (drivers with racing vests and helmet) | 09:30 | |
| Warm-Up | 11:30 – 12:15 | |
| Lap Parade | 15:30 | |
| Grand Prix of Vila Velha de Ródão | 15:45 | |
| Prize Giving Ceremony | 17:00 | |
Venue and Practical Information
The race is held at the Cais Fluvial de Vila Velha de Ródão, in Castelo Branco district, central Portugal (GPS 39.65010, -7.67252). Fuel for competitors is available at Combustíveis Rodense, Estrada Nacional 18, 6030-233 Vila Velha de Ródão. The pit area is restricted to competitors, team staff and officials. Vila Velha de Ródão sits roughly midway between Lisbon and the Spanish border, with the nearest airports at Lisbon and Faro.
Local and Civic Backing
António Carmona, president of the Câmara Municipal de Vila Velha de Ródão, highlighted the event’s importance to the region, in comments carried by the Lusa news agency.
This is an important event from a tourism and economic perspective for the region, as shown by the presence of the many riders and their teams who, throughout the year, choose our municipality to train here for other competitions, as well as by the support of the local population and of those who visit us every year and already consider this stage a fixture in the municipality’s event calendar.
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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.
