Home victory for Arand as 2025 F1H2O World Championship ends in Sharjah

SHARJAH, United Arab Emirates, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Home favorite Stefan Arand won his first Grand Prix as the 2025 UIM F1H2O World Championship ended in Sharjah on Sunday, while China CTIC Team's Peter Morin finished fourth in the powerboat racing event.

Held at Khalid Lagoon, the season finale began with 19 drivers launching at full throttle, but the race was quickly neutralized after Stromoy Racing Team's Bartek Marszalek flipped his boat, prompting a yellow-flag stoppage. After the restart, Sweden's Jonas Andersson moved into the lead, with Victory Team's Shaun Torrente close behind as the world title battle remained finely balanced.

The turning point came on lap 15. Torrente, running second, suffered a mechanical failure and was forced to retire. Andersson later encountered a powertrain issue that reduced his pace and dropped him down the order to finish sixth.

Despite failing to finish, Torrente secured the 2025 world title with 99 points for his fourth UIM F1H2O crown.

With the leading title contenders out of the fight, the spotlight shifted to the Sharjah Team. The 23-year-old Arand crossed the line first to claim his maiden Grand Prix victory, while Team Sweden's Grant Trask finished second and Sharjah's Rusty Wyatt took third.

China CTIC Team again showed resilience in a punishing race. Morin executed a measured strategy, climbing steadily from the midfield to place fourth, while teammate Brent Dillard retired early with power issues.

The demanding conditions were reflected in a high attrition rate, with only nine of the 19 starters classified after 40 laps around the lagoon.

At the awards ceremony later that evening, Li Haojie, vice chairman of the UIM F1H2O Committee, received the F1H2O Award for 20 years of outstanding collaboration, while Yan Fei, China press officer of the UIM F1H2O World Championship, was honored with the Award for Special Contribution to Youth Promotion.

Founded in 1981 by the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM), the F1H2O World Championship is the premier Class A series in powerboat racing. ■