Andersson Secures Third F1H2O World Title With Victory In Sharjah Finale
For the third time in four years, Team Vietnam’s Jonas Andersson of Sweden was crowned the Union Internationale Motonautique F1H2O world champion after winning a pulsating Road to Sharjah – Grand Prix of Sharjah on Sunday afternoon in front of thousands of spectators lining the shores of the Arabian Gulf in the United Arab Emirates.
Team Vietnam’s Jonas Andersson ran a strong race in Sharjah, UAE, to claim his third F1H2O word title on Sunday. Photos courtesy Simon Palfrader/F1H2O
The 50-year-old driver took full advantage of his pole position and won the yellow-flag-interrupted race by nearly six seconds to secure his 26th career Grand Prix victory and the first back-to-back world title since retired driver Shaun Torrente did it with Team Abu Dhabi in 2018-2019. Andersson’s fourth victory in five years in Sharjah also confirmed the UIM F1H2O Teams’ Championship for Team Vietnam.
“This is the best place to race in the world, for sure,” Andersson said in an F1H2O press release following the race. “This is my lucky place. It was my first podium when I started in 2006. The place is incredible, the crowd, the people. It’s a fantastic race. Even the pole position, Erik and Rusty and other people are super-fast.
“I felt it already at the last race in China that we had the speed,” he continued. “I was fast every time in the water and the setup was perfect. We had a new boat for this season and it was fantastic. It’s not perfect everywhere but, in Sharjah, it was perfect.”
Andersson (center) shared the world championship podium with second-place-overall finisher Rusty Wyatt (left) and third-place-finisher Erik Stark.
Andersson’s friend and rival, Erik Stark, challenged hard from the start but was no match for his triumphant fellow Swede, although the Victory Team driver was able to fend off a fierce challenge from title contender Rusty Wyatt of the host Sharjah Team on his final race with the Dubai-based operation.
“With a hunting Rusty behind you, it was a really tough race,” Stark said. “I had two really good moments with Rusty. He overtook me once and I took it back. It was a good race for us. We secured third position in the world championship. That was a really exciting end to my season and my time with the Victory Team.”
Wyatt, who opted for a large propeller, delivered a stunning start. The Canadian rookie needed to finish at least second to have any chance of ruining Andersson’s day and he moved up six places on the opening lap before the yellow flag was raised when the F1 Atlantic Team’s Ben Jelf speared a turn buoy.
Erik Stark took second place in his final race with Victory Team. Photo courtesy Arek Rejs/F1H2O
From the restart, Wyatt managed to pass Stark, albeit temporarily, until the race was stopped again when Stark’s teammate, Ahmad Al-Fahim, barrel-rolled out of fourth place.
“I never gave up,” said Wyatt, who exceeded expectations in his first season overseas. “We managed to get up to second for a second and then we went back to third. It was a battle, for sure. We have unfinished business.”
When Strømøy Racing’s Bartek Marszalek of Poland pulled off the course and lost out on a potential fourth place after 24 laps, American driver Brent Dillard of the China CTIC Team looked to have earned a season-best fourth position until he was handed a one-lap penalty by race officials for destroying a turn buoy. That penalty moved the second-year driver down to eighth.
Team Abu Dhabi’s Thani Al-Qamzi hasn’t won a Grand Prix since his victory in Olbia in 2022 and the Emirati came home in fourth place on Khalid Lagoon with Dillard’s teammate Peter Morin finishing fifth but missing out on third in the Drivers’ Championship to Stark.
Team Abu Dhabi’s Thani Al-Qamzi finished fourth in the Grand Prix of Sharjah.
The Red Devil SMC F1 Team’s Sami Seliö gave the new Sharjah Marine-designed boat a debut finish in sixth and Marit Strømøy continued the development of the four-stroke V8 engine with seventh place.
Behind Dillard, Maverick Racing’s Cédric Deguisne and Team Vietnam’s Kalle Viippo rounded off the top 10. Team Abu Dhabi’s Rashed Al-Qemzi was pushed back to 14th after he also incurred a one-lap time penalty for passing from the wrong direction on the race course. Deguisne’s teammate Alexandre Bourgeot, Filip Roms of the Sharjah Team and the F1 Atlantic Tean’s Duarte Benavente reached the finish in 11th, 12th and 13th.
Related stories
Tense F1H2O Finale Set After Andersson Wins New Development Grand Prix of Zhengzhou-China
Wyatt Extends F1H2O World Championship Lead With Weather-Shortened Victory In Shanghai
Andersson Seals Second F1H2O World Title With Victory In Sardinia
Race In Peace: Emirati F1H2O Driver Al Hameli Is Remembered
Victory Team’s Stark Takes Start-To-Finish Win In First Vietnam F1H2O Race
F1H2O Rookie Wyatt Nails Last-Gasp Victory To Open Season In Indonesia
F1H2O Opens 2024 Season This Week In Indonesia With Historic 300th Race
The post Andersson Secures Third F1H2O World Title With Victory In Sharjah Finale appeared first on Speed on the Water.
