The championship that races at speeds pushing 220 kilometres per hour has just secured its foothold in Central Asia. Before the inaugural F1H2O Grand Prix of Kyrgyzstan had even concluded on Lake Issyk-Kul, organisers and local authorities signed a Memorandum of Understanding to bring the world’s premier powerboat racing series back in 2027.
The agreement came together on race day itself, with H2O Racing CEO Raimondo di San Germano and Kyrgyz Powerboating Federation President Aibek Abylkasymov putting pen to paper. It’s a striking show of confidence. Few inaugural events generate such immediate commitment to a second edition, yet the 2026 Grand Prix in Kyrgyzstan proved impossible to ignore.
Crowds descended on the lake throughout the weekend. International visitors mingled with locals. The racing itself—those single-seat hydroplanes carving lines across Central Asian waters—drew the kind of attention that regional motorsport bodies dream about. President Sadyr Japarov of the Kyrgyz Republic attended the opening ceremony, joined by the Presidents of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. The symbolism mattered. This wasn’t just sport; it was a statement about regional cooperation and shared ambition.
“The passion shown by the fans, the commitment of the local organisers and the support of the Kyrgyz authorities made this a truly historic event,” di San Germano said. “Signing this agreement before the end of the inaugural Grand Prix is a clear demonstration of our confidence in the future of F1H2O in Kyrgyzstan.”
Beyond the racing, the organisers understood that spectacle drives attendance. Concerts dotted the shoreline. Cultural performances unfolded against the backdrop of the lake. Entertainment programming turned what could have been a weekend of sport into a proper festival. That combination—world-class hydroplane competition wrapped in local hospitality and cultural celebration—created something the region hadn’t seen before.
Abylkasymov echoed the sentiment. “Hosting the F1H2O World Championship for the first time in Kyrgyzstan and in Central Asia has been a source of great pride for our country. The success of this inaugural edition has encouraged us to continue investing in the event, and we are delighted to confirm our commitment to welcoming the championship back to Lake Issyk-Kul in 2027.”
The partnership between H2O Racing and the Kyrgyz federation now has structure. The 2027 event will occupy the same window of the calendar, allowing the region to build institutional knowledge around hosting the championship. For powerboat racing fans in New Zealand, this development matters. It signals that the UIM Formula 1 championship continues expanding beyond its traditional European strongholds, proving the sport’s global appeal and the universal draw of watching precision machines reach extraordinary speeds on water.
