News

Sharjah – Sunday, 21 December 2025: Team Abu Dhabi concluded its participation in the final round of the UIM F1H2O World Championship, held on the Sharjah Corniche, after technical issues prevented its drivers from completing the race. The decisive round resulted in the American Shaun Torrente, driver of the Victory Team, being crowned World Champion for the fourth time in his career.

Team Abu Dhabi faced difficult technical conditions during the season finale, as Swedish driver Erik Stark started the race from third position on the grid before being forced to retire after the fourth lap due to a technical problem. Meanwhile, Mansoor Al Mansoori began the race from eighteenth position but exited the competition after the ninth lap, leaving the team unable to complete the final race of the season.

Under these circumstances, Shaun Torrente secured the World Championship title on points, despite retiring from the race after 14 laps following an engine failure. Torrente benefited from the fact that his closest rival, Sweden’s Jonas Andersson, was unable to achieve the required result, finishing the race in seventh place—a position that was insufficient to claim the title, as Andersson needed to finish first or second.

The race witnessed a standout performance by the Sharjah Team, with young Estonian driver Stefan Arand delivering an exceptional drive in one of his finest appearances. Arand claimed victory and led the race to the finish line, securing his first win in the World Championship ahead of Sweden’s Grant Trask, who finished second. Canadian Rusty Wyatt, Arand’s team-mate at Sharjah, took third place, confirming third position in the overall Drivers’ Championship standings.

The race was marked by a high level of excitement and unpredictability, with numerous retirements caused by technical failures and incidents, making it one of the most demanding rounds of the season. Only a limited number of boats managed to finish the race out of the 20 starters.

The winners were crowned by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, President of the UAE Marine Sports Federation and Chairman of the Board of the Abu Dhabi Marine Sports Club. The ceremony was attended by H.E. Khalid Jassim Al Midfa, Chairman of the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority, and Mr. Nicolas St Germain, General Promoter of the Formula 1 powerboat races.

The season finale crowned a campaign filled with intense competition among the world’s top drivers, as Shaun Torrente equalled the achievements of several legends of the sport by securing his fourth world title, reaffirming his status as one of the most prominent drivers in the history of Formula 1 powerboat racing. Team Abu Dhabi will now continue preparations to evaluate the season and further develop its technical performance in readiness for the upcoming campaigns.