UAE boats compete strongly in the opening of the World Cup "Formula 1" In Italy
Cagliari, May 28 / WAM / The opening round of the Formula 1 World Powerboat Championship will begin tomorrow, with the Sardinian Grand Prix being held in the Italian city of Cagliari, during the period from May 29 to 31, with the participation of the UAE teams Victory, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.
The organizers announced the participation of 18 drivers representing 8 teams in the opening of the 2026 season, after an exceptional season last year in which the competition extended until the last moments, and witnessed the crowning of a different winner in each race, which leaves all possibilities open regarding the identity of the champion of the Cagliari round.
The Victory team enters the new season’s competitions holding the drivers’ and teams’ titles, after its strong performance last season, confirming its presence on the international scene.
Ahmed Al-Sumaiti, Director of the Sports Teams Department at the Dubai International Marine Sports Club, confirmed that the team’s preparations in Cagliari have been completed in preparation for three days of competition, noting that the tour program begins tomorrow, Friday, with free trials, and that the qualifying rounds and “Sprint” races will be held on Saturday, while the main race for the Grand Prix will be held on Sunday.
Al-Sumaiti explained that the team’s morale is high to continue its successes, after he was assured of the readiness of drivers Sean Torrente, the world champion, Alec Wikstrom, and Ahmed Al-Fahim, noting that Torrente and Wikstrom will participate in this tour on board the two “Victory” boats, after they were equipped according to the highest technical standards for international competition.
American Sean Torrente, the current world champion, is one of the most prominent candidates to win, especially after he announced that the current season will be his last before retirement, which gives him additional motivation to achieve his fifth world title. His teammate Alec Wikstrom also enters the competition circle, after achieving his first victory in the championship last season, and contributed to crowning “Victory” the team title.
For its part, the Sharjah team includes three boats in its expanded lineup for the new season, after the team succeeded in achieving two victories last season through Rusty White in the opening round in Indonesia, and Stefan Arand in the final Sharjah Grand Prix.
On the other hand, Swedish Jonas Andersson returns to the competition with great motivation after losing the world title in the final meters of the final race of last season, as he is running the current season under the Abu Dhabi team banner alongside his compatriot Eric Stark. The Emirati team also includes Rashid Al Qamzi, returning after his absence from last season, and who seeks to translate his great achievements in the Formula 2 category into strong results in the Formula 1 championship.
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