The 2026 UIM F4 World Championship opens in Klaipėda, Lithuania on 6-7 June, with 19 drivers from 10 nations gathering on the Baltic coast for the first round of the season. Entry to all sessions is free. The event runs alongside Round 1 of the UIM F2 World Championship, making Klaipėda one of the most significant weekends on the powerboat racing calendar this summer.
The city has hosted both championships for the fourth consecutive year. Its waterfront circuit at Pilies g. 4 in the old town sits beside the Danė River, with tight turns and unpredictable Baltic winds that reward technical precision as much as outright speed.
The Grid
Nineteen drivers represent 10 nations: UAE, Sweden, Norway, Lithuania, France, Hungary, Finland, Belgium, Latvia, and Slovakia. Lithuania has three home starters in Paulius Stainys (#41), Nida Kilinskaitė (#11), and Matas Kvizikevičius (#44), all racing in front of their home crowd. Finland enters the largest national contingent with four drivers: Noel Vänttinen (#27), Oliver Martin (#45), Wihelm Sundberg (#47), and Arthur Sundbäck (#71).
Latvia also has three starters: Laura Lakovica (#50), Ardis Slakteris (#51), and Niklavs Rimeicans (#93). The UAE fields Sultan Alfalahi (#7) and Ismat Moani (#2). Sweden contributes Adam Wrenkler (#5) and William Sjöström (#34), with single entries from Norway (William Leithe-Martinsen, #8), France (Jean Baptiste-Thomas, #13), Hungary (Attila Horváth, #22), Belgium (Berti Benjamin, #38), and Slovakia (Šimon Jung, #64).
The Boats
F4 catamarans run the Mercury 60 EFI Formula Race engine, reaching speeds of 120-135 km/h and accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in around five seconds. Each round features free practice, official qualifying, and two points-scoring races. The top ten finishers in each race score on the scale 20-15-12-9-7-5-4-3-2-1.
Programme
Racing takes place across Saturday and Sunday. One local detail worth knowing: F4 practice sessions carry a mandatory red flag of 10-15 minutes while a passenger ferry crosses the course – a reminder that Klaipėda is a working Baltic port.
| Session | Local time (EEST, UTC+3) | Your time |
|---|---|---|
| Friday 5 June – Scrutineering | ||
| Document control & scrutineering | 10:00-18:00 | 07:00-15:00 UTC |
| F2 parade run, Danė River | 17:00-17:20 | 14:00 UTC |
| Saturday 6 June | ||
| Briefing | 09:00-09:30 | 06:00 UTC |
| F4 Free Practice | 10:00-11:00 | 07:00 UTC |
| F2 Free Practice | 11:45-13:15 | 08:45 UTC |
| F4 Qualifying (Q1, Q2, Q3) | 14:00-14:45 | 11:00 UTC |
| F4 Race 1 | 16:00-16:45 | 13:00 UTC |
| F2 Qualifying (Q1, Q2, Q3) | 17:15-18:30 | 14:15 UTC |
| Sunday 7 June | ||
| Briefing | 09:00-09:30 | 06:00 UTC |
| F4 Free Practice | 10:00-11:00 | 07:00 UTC |
| F2 Warm-up | 11:45-12:30 | 08:45 UTC |
| F4 Qualifying (Q1, Q2, Q3) | 13:15-14:00 | 10:15 UTC |
| F4 Race 2 | 15:15-16:00 | 12:15 UTC |
| Parade lap | 16:45-17:00 | 13:45 UTC |
| F2 Grand Prix | 17:00-17:45 | 14:00 UTC |
| Prize giving | 18:00 | 15:00 UTC |
Times shown in EEST (UTC+3). Your time column converts automatically to your local timezone.
2026 UIM F4 World Championship – Round 1
Klaipėda, Lithuania | 6-7 June 2026
Free entry. Pilies g. 4, 91240 Klaipėda (GPS: 55.705262, 21.122797)
Race Director
Jeni Jelf, UIM Appointed F4 Race Director:
“Klaipėda is always a special stop on the F4 calendar, and this year the excitement is building even more. It’s fantastic to see new racers stepping up onto the world stage, bringing fresh energy and real determination. At the same time, our established drivers are coming in sharper than ever, ready for the fight and hungry to prove themselves. That blend of rising talent and seasoned competitors is exactly what makes F4 racing so thrilling.”
What Comes Next
The second and final round of the 2026 UIM F4 World Championship takes place at Viverone, Italy, on 8-9 August. The championship title will be decided there.
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Nikki Drummond has been instrumental in promoting powerboat racing through her reporting and her roles within the Royal Yachting Association (RYA), including serving as a Powerboat Racing Officer.
Her journalistic work spans both UK and international racing, and she currently manages media for the F1 Atlantic Team, Jelf Racing, and other competitors. Drummond’s insights and coverage have appeared in a variety of publications, significantly contributing to the visibility and growth of the sport.
