Victory Team won the XCAT Pole Position Championship by a single point over Sharjah Team in a dramatic final qualifying session at the Dubai Grand Prix on Saturday morning.
Salem Al Adidi and Eisa Al Ali posted a time of 2:27.435 to secure pole position for Sunday’s finale, whilst simultaneously ending Sharjah Team’s season-long qualifying dominance. The 2025 UIM XCAT world champions overcame Sharjah’s eight-point advantage to win the pole position title 162-161.
Pole Position 2 Results
| Pos | Team | Driver 1 | Driver 2 | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Victory Team 7 | Salem Al Adidi | Eisa Al Ali | 2:27.435 |
| 2 | HPI Fujairah Racing Team 96 | Rosario Schiano di Cola | Joseph Schiano di Cola | 2:27.607 |
| 3 | Sharjah Team 9 | Mikhail Kitashev | Shaun Torrente | 2:28.195 |
| 4 | Team GB 8 | Scott Williams | Martin Campbell | 2:28.733 |
| 5 | Faz Marine 3 | Arif Al Zaffain | Francis Notschaele | 2:29.834 |
| 6 | Swecat 2 | Sebastian Groth | Mikael Bengtsson | 2:30.749 |
| 7 | Energima 55 | Erik Sundblad Johansen | Marit Strømøy | 2:32.715 |
| 8 | Kuwait 17 | Abdullatif Al Omani | Khalid Ali | 2:35.531 |
| DNS | Mate USA 16 | Giampaolo Montavoci | Alberto Huober | – |
One-Point Championship Victory
Victory Team entered the final qualifying session trailing Sharjah Team by eight points in the pole position championship. Their pole position earned 35 points whilst Sharjah’s third-place finish awarded 26 points, creating a one-point margin.
The mathematics worked perfectly for Victory Team. Their season total reached 162 points against Sharjah Team’s 161 points, completing a remarkable double championship.
Sharjah Team dominated qualifying throughout the season, claiming pole position in five of the first six sessions across Fujairah, Kuwait and Dubai. Their consistency built the eight-point advantage heading into the finale, but Victory Team’s late-season qualifying surge proved decisive.
Final Pole Position Championship
| Pos | Team | Driver 1 | Driver 2 | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Victory Team 7 | Salem Al Adidi | Eisa Al Ali | 162 |
| 2 | Sharjah Team 9 | Mikhail Kitashev | Shaun Torrente | 161 |
| 3 | HPI Fujairah Racing Team 96 | Rosario Schiano di Cola | Joseph Schiano di Cola | 156 |
| 4 | Faz Marine 3 | Arif Al Zaffain | Francis Notschaele | 137 |
| 5 | Team GB 8 | Scott Williams | Martin Campbell | 101 |
| 6 | Swecat 2 | Sebastian Groth | Mikael Bengtsson | 86 |
| 7 | Kuwait 17 | Abdullatif Al Omani | Khalid Ali | 74 |
| 8 | Energima Racing 55 | Erik Sundblad Johansen | Marit Strømøy | 27 |
| 9 | Mate USA 16 | Giampaolo Montavoci | Alberto Huober | 12 |
The Qualifying Battle
Victory Team and HPI Fujairah Racing Team traded fastest times throughout the session. The Schiano di Cola brothers posted 2:27.607, just 0.172 seconds behind Victory Team’s winning time.
Times improved significantly from Friday’s Pole Position 1, where Sharjah Team qualified on pole with 2:27.264 despite completing only seven laps. Saturday’s faster conditions and refined setups produced quicker lap times across the field.
Team GB improved from fifth position on Friday to fourth on Saturday with a time of 2:28.733. Scott Williams and Martin Campbell demonstrated stronger qualifying pace as they prepare for Sunday’s battle with HPI Fujairah Racing Team for second place in the overall championship standings.
Arif Al Zaffain and Francis Notschaele were fifth for Faz Marine with 2:29.834, maintaining their consistent grid positions throughout the weekend.
Energima Racing Recovery
Erik Sundblad Johansen and Marit Strømøy qualified seventh after missing Friday’s session with power steering problems. Energima Racing posted a time of 2:32.715.
Mate USA did not start qualifying due to ongoing engineering issues. Giampaolo Montavoci and Alberto Huober remain hopeful of competing in Race 2.
Race 2 Sunday
The 2025 XCAT World Championship concludes with Race 2 at 14:30 Gulf Standard Time on Sunday December 14.
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.
