Rusty Wyatt snatched top spot in the closing stages of second practice, posting a 45.366-second lap to edge Shaun Torrente by two tenths as lap times tumbled across the field on the Yellow River circuit.
The Canadian, who had languished in fourth during the opening session with a 46.590-second effort, found more than a second of improvement to dislodge Torrente, who had controlled the session for much of the hour with consistent pace.
Wyatt’s late surge pushed the Victory Team driver into second, 0.218 seconds adrift after improving by over two seconds from his opening practice time of 47.790 seconds. Stefan Arand slotted into third, just five thousandths behind Torrente, as the Sharjah Team duo demonstrated strong form.
Andersson Drops Down Order
Championship leader Jonas Andersson slipped from first to fifth, his 45.843-second lap three tenths slower than his morning benchmark. The Swede completed just 14 laps compared to Wyatt’s 23 and Arand’s session-high 28.
Erik Stark improved his time by four tenths to claim fourth, maintaining Team Abu Dhabi’s presence at the sharp end with 32 laps completed across the session.
Morin Finds Pace
Peter Morin moved up from fifth to sixth with a 46.972-second lap, showing improved pace for China CTIC Team on home waters. Ben Jelf held seventh for F1 Atlantic Team ahead of Bartek Marszalek, whilst Grant Trask dropped from third to ninth after managing only six laps.
Sami Seliö rounded out the top ten for Red Devil-SMC F1 Team, ahead of Marit Strømøy and Mansoor Al Mansoori.
Weckström Down In 16th
Alec Weckström’s difficulties persisted as the Victory Team driver managed just two laps to finish 16th, over four and a half seconds off Wyatt’s pace.
Cédric Deguisne registered his first laps of the weekend with 13th-fastest time for Maverick Racing, whilst Ferdinand Zandbergen, Alexandre Bourgeot, Alberto Comparato, Duarte Benavente and Kyle Maskall completed the order.
The final practice session begins at 15:00 local time (07:00 GMT) before Saturday morning’s qualifying session.
Free Practice 2 Results
| POS | # | DRIVER | LAPS | BEST LAP | GAP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17 | Rusty Wyatt | 23 | 45.366 | — |
| 2 | 4 | Shaun Torrente | 20 | 45.585 | +0.218 |
| 3 | 18 | Stefan Arand | 28 | 45.590 | +0.223 |
| 4 | 6 | Erik Stark | 32 | 45.636 | +0.270 |
| 5 | 1 | Jonas Andersson | 14 | 45.843 | +0.476 |
| 6 | 7 | Peter Morin | 8 | 46.972 | +1.606 |
| 7 | 9 | Ben Jelf | 17 | 47.093 | +1.726 |
| 8 | 77 | Bartek Marszalek | 23 | 47.213 | +1.846 |
| 9 | 2 | Grant Trask | 6 | 47.369 | +2.002 |
| 10 | 11 | Sami Seliö | 6 | 47.693 | +2.326 |
| 11 | 50 | Marit Strømøy | 19 | 47.895 | +2.528 |
| 12 | 5 | Mansoor Al Mansoori | 19 | 48.675 | +3.308 |
| 13 | 73 | Cédric Deguisne | 23 | 49.034 | +3.668 |
| 14 | 12 | Ferdinand Zandbergen | 9 | 49.231 | +3.864 |
| 15 | 74 | Alexandre Bourgeot | 24 | 49.493 | +4.126 |
| 16 | 3 | Alec Weckström | 2 | 50.016 | +4.649 |
| 17 | 97 | Alberto Comparato | 19 | 50.243 | +4.876 |
| 18 | 10 | Duarte Benavente | 8 | 50.429 | +5.062 |
| 19 | 22 | Kyle Maskall | 10 | 51.533 | +6.166 |
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.
