Victory Team claimed their first UIM F1H2O Team Championship as Jonas Andersson and Shaun Torrente split Saturday’s sprint race victories at the Road to Sharjah–Grand Prix of Sharjah.
Andersson stormed to a commanding win in Sprint Race 1 whilst Torrente controlled Sprint Race 2, with the combined results confirming the Dubai-based team’s maiden F1H2O title on the eve of Sunday’s championship-deciding Grand Prix.
The afternoon’s racing was overshadowed by the absence of Damon Cohen, who remained in intensive care after his frightening qualifying barrel roll left him with water in his lungs and struggling with leg movement.
Victory Team make F1H2O history
Victory Team’s championship triumph marks a watershed moment for the operation that made its F1H2O debut in 2015. The team’s previous best result was third place behind CTIC F1 Shenzhen China Team and Mad-Croc Baba Racing in 2016.
Torrente’s victory in Sprint Race 2, combined with Alec Weckström’s fifth place, sealed the teams’ title with a round to spare. The achievement adds F1H2O success to Victory Team’s already impressive offshore racing pedigree.
Torrente, who drove for Victory Team in their debut 2015 season before moving to Abu Dhabi, returned to lead the team to their historic breakthrough.
Andersson dominates Sprint Race 1
The defending champion took full advantage of pole position to claim his ninth sprint race victory from 10 starts this season. Andersson led from start to finish, passing the chequered flag 5.744 seconds clear of Bartek Marszalek.
Stefan Arand delivered an impressive performance to claim third place despite a troubled preparation that saw his boat arrive late from Saudi Arabia with delamination issues and his race tent flooded on Thursday night. The Sharjah Team driver passed Erik Stark on the opening lap to secure the final podium position.
Brent Dillard produced a heroic drive to finish fifth on his return from lumbar surgery, despite suffering back pain before the race. The China CTIC Team driver started from the rear of the grid after an engine change but carved through the field to claim valuable championship points.
Peter Morin was towed off the parade lap with a battery issue and failed to start, whilst Sami Seliö retired after eight laps with engine failure.
Andersson said after:
It’s going to be tough. We had too many problems this year, small problems. Tomorrow, is just try and go for the win and see. It is what it is. When we lost the first race in Indonesia, I was super-fast and we lost because of broken electrics. It’s difficult with a short season and then, in China, I broke the engine in qualifying, a small problem. I didn’t understand it and then we had the disqualification. Sharjah is very tough, one of the toughest races of the season for the materials. I lost two championships here, so I know. I just have to go for the win tomorrow and whatever happens, happens!
Sprint Race 1 results
Pos |
Driver |
Team |
Laps |
Gap |
Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
Jonas Andersson |
Team Sweden |
16 |
– |
10 |
2 |
Bartek Marszalek |
Strømøy Racing |
16 |
+5.744 |
9 |
3 |
Stefan Arand |
Sharjah Team |
16 |
+9.164 |
8 |
4 |
Erik Stark |
Team Abu Dhabi |
16 |
+25.928 |
7 |
5 |
Brent Dillard |
China CTIC Team |
16 |
+42.951 |
6 |
6 |
Alexandre Bourgeot |
Maverick Racing |
15 |
+1 Lap |
5 |
7 |
Marit Strømøy |
Strømøy Racing |
15 |
+1 Lap |
4 |
8 |
Mansoor Al-Mansoori |
Team Abu Dhabi |
15 |
+1 Lap |
3 |
9 |
Sami Seliö |
Red Devil-SMC F1 Team |
8 |
DNF |
0 |
10 |
Peter Morin |
China CTIC Team |
0 |
DNS |
0 |
Torrente controls Sprint Race 2
Torrente made a sensational start to snatch the lead from pole-sitter Weckström and controlled the race from the front. The championship leader extended his advantage to nearly 10 seconds by the halfway point and cruised home to a second sprint race victory.
Rusty Wyatt delivered an excellent performance to finish second with the new Sharjah-designed hull. The Canadian had persevered with the development boat through qualifying and benefited from the new propellers that have proved key to recent speed improvements.
Not enough test time for us but I am proud of this new developing boat. We had great speed. Shaun was not on full pace: he has a big weekend ahead of him but we have been focusing on the start and qualifying. As a driver, we haven’t had that speed all season.
Grant Trask secured third place ahead of Ferdinand Zandbergen, whilst Weckström could only manage fifth after a mystifying drop in pace that left him a lap down on his team-mate.
Alberto Comparato retired after just three laps when he lost a propeller blade. The Italian stopped immediately to prevent potential engine damage from the resulting vibrations. Ben Jelf failed to start with an electrical issue, likely a solenoid problem.
Torrente commented:
Dewalt and I have been working on qualifying, propellers and starts and that’s it. The boat ran great and I was lap counting, counting them down one-by-one. I am going to treat tomorrow like the rest of the year. If the win presents itself to me, I will go for the win. Jonas is really tough though. We have around 36 laps or so to do tomorrow. I need to remember, the ultimate goal is to win a fourth World Championship. If everything goes okay, we can make it happen.
Sprint Race 2 results
Pos |
Driver |
Team |
Laps |
Gap |
Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
Shaun Torrente |
Victory Team |
16 |
– |
10 |
2 |
Rusty Wyatt |
Sharjah Team |
16 |
+9.188 |
9 |
3 |
Grant Trask |
Team Sweden |
16 |
+12.112 |
8 |
4 |
Ferdinand Zandbergen |
Red Devil-SMC F1 Team |
16 |
+14.586 |
7 |
5 |
Alec Weckström |
Victory Team |
15 |
+1 Lap |
6 |
6 |
Cédric Deguisne |
Maverick Racing |
15 |
+1 Lap |
5 |
7 |
Duarte Benavente |
F1 Atlantic Team |
15 |
+1 Lap |
4 |
8 |
Alberto Comparato |
Comparato F1 |
3 |
DNF |
0 |
9 |
Ben Jelf |
F1 Atlantic Team |
0 |
DNS |
0 |
10 |
Damon Cohen |
Comparato F1 |
0 |
DNS |
0 |
Championship mathematics
Torrente heads into Sunday’s Grand Prix with a 14-point advantage over Andersson. With 20 points available for the race winner, the American needs only a fith-place finish to guarantee his fourth world title regardless of Andersson’s result.
Weckström’s fifth place in Sprint Race 2 left him 21 points behind Torrente with only 20 available, mathematically eliminating the Finn from championship contention. The title race is now a straight fight between Torrente and Andersson.
Championship Odds Analysis
With 20 points available in Sunday’s Grand Prix, the championship battle heads to its conclusion with Torrente holding a commanding position.
Shaun Torrente (1/5 favourite) – The American holds a 14-point advantage with 20 points available. He can secure his fourth world title with a fifth-place finish or better regardless of Andersson’s result.
Jonas Andersson (7/2) – The defending champion must win the Grand Prix and hope Torrente finishes sixth or lower to claim his fourth title.
Alec Weckström (eliminated) – The Finn’s mystifying lack of pace in Sprint Race 2 left him 21 points behind with only 20 available, ending his mathematical championship hopes.
The Grand Prix of Sharjah begins at 15:05 local time on Sunday.
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.
