MEDIA INFORMATION
2025 UIM F1H2O WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
TORRENTE CRUISES TO START-TO-FINISH SPRINT RACE ONE WIN IN JEDDAH
Friday, November 28: The Victory Team’s Shaun Torrente led from lights out to the chequered flag to record a comfortable 4.282-second win in the first of two 20-lap Sprint races on the 1.794km circuit at the UIM F1H2O Grand Prix of Jeddah on Friday afternoon.
The American picked up 10 valuable World Championship points to keep his title ambitions firmly alive before the Grand Prix on Saturday afternoon. The China CTIC Team’s Peter Morin and Strømøy Racing’s Bartek Marszalek rounded off the podium places, the Pole delivering another strong performance after niggling mid-season electrical issues had been resolved by his team technicians.
A delighted Torrente said: “It was awesome. I was also trying to save it for the race (Grand Prix). The guys have been busting their butts on the engines and we have been clean all weekend. The starts are so much better. I am just the dummy hitting the button. It’s the Victory Team – nothing less than victory!”
Canada’s Rusty Wyatt brought his Sharjah Team boat to the finish in fourth, ahead of the fifth-placed double World Champion Sami Seliö, Marit Strømøy in the four-stroke V8-engined DAC and Team Sweden’s Grant Trask.
Torrente took the start pontoon on pole for Sprint race one ahead of Morin, Marszalek, Wyatt, Seliö, Strømøy, Damon Cohen, Maverick Racing’s Cédric Deguisne and Alexandre Bourgeot and Trask. The Australian slipped to the rear of the starting line-up after a post-qualifying engine change.
In a swirling wind and scorching afternoon heat, Torrente made a strong start and began to pull away from Morin, Wyatt, Marszalek and Seliö. Marszalek managed to pass Wyatt and snatch third place but Torrente increased his lead over Morin to nearly three seconds through lap two and up to 3.7 seconds heading into lap five. Cédric Deguisne withdrew after one lap.
Behind the Florida driver, the remaining eight racers retained their positions into lap seven as the Victory Team driver continued to stretch his lead. By half-distance, the three-time world champion led the race by over six seconds from Morin with Marszalek, Wyatt and Seliö running ahead of Strømøy and Trask. Bourgeot fell by the wayside after five laps and Cohen was sidelined on lap nine.
Torrente held on to confirm a comfortable win and 10 precious World Championship points with Morin, Marszalek, Wyatt, Seliö, Strømøy and Trask rounding off the finishers.
2025 Grand Prix of Jeddah – Sprint race 1 result:
- Shaun Torrente (USA) Victory Team 20 laps
- Peter Morin (FRA) China CTIC Team @4.282sec
- Bartek Marszalek (POL) Strømøy Racing @11.955sec
- Rusty Wyatt (CAN) Sharjah Team @22.867sec
- Sami Seliö (FIN) Red Devil-SMC F1 Team @28.620sec
- Marit Strømøy (NOR) Strømøy Racing @35.985sec
- Grant Trask (AUS) Team Sweden @42.337sec
Damon Cohen (AUS) Comparato F1 Team DNF
Alexandre Bourgeot (FRA) Maverick Racing DNF
Cédric Deguisne (FRA) Maverick Racing DNF
Ends