Victory Team dominated Sunday’s sprint races at Shanghai, with Alec Weckstrom and current World Champion Shaun Torrente posting commanding victories that have set them up perfectly ahead of tomorrow’s Grand Prix, the third round of the 2026 UIM Formula 1 powerboat championship season.
Weckstrom’s performance in Sprint Race 1 was a clinic in hydroplane racing. The Victory Team driver bolted from the start and had opened a decisive gap within two turns, leaving the rest of the field chasing shadows for the duration. Behind him, the race became a battle for the remaining podium spots, with Grant Trask ultimately executing a strong move on former World Champion Sami Selio with just two laps remaining to claim second place. Selio held third.
Jonas Andersson’s comeback from a last-place starting position due to a pre-race engine change proved the most engaging storyline of the race. Starting from the back, Andersson charged through the field, passing Marit Stromoy after a four-turn side-by-side battle and then closing on Team Abu Dhabi teammate Erik Stark in fourth. Stark’s mechanical failure on lap four removed that threat, but Andersson couldn’t find a way past Selio down the stretch. His attempt to overtake grew desperate in the closing stages, with his boat nearly becoming airborne as he pushed the limits of grip and speed, a narrow escape that showcased both his racecraft and the razor-thin margins at this level of competition.
Team Abu Dhabi’s day unraveled quickly. Beyond Stark’s mechanical issues, Rashed Al Qemzi’s boat also failed, leaving Andersson as their sole finisher.
Torrente’s dominance in Sprint Race 2 proved even more emphatic. The American carved through the first turn with authority and immediately built a lead of more than two seconds over Stefan Arand. Unlike some races where the gap tightens as drivers find their rhythm, Torrente simply controlled the tempo throughout, never allowing Arand to threaten seriously and crossing the line well ahead of the Swedish driver.
Rusty Wyatt showed what a strong start could accomplish, moving into fifth place by lap one despite starting at the back following his own engine change. From there, he methodically worked his way forward, sizing up Alberto Comparato in fourth. The Italian driver produced a determined defensive effort, shutting down Wyatt’s overtake attempts turn after turn. Wyatt’s patience paid off with two laps left when he found an opening on the outside of a corner and used his Sharjah Team boat’s acceleration to blast past Comparato and secure fourth place.
Stefan Hagin maintained third position throughout, never troubled.
With both sprint victories in hand, Victory Team arrives at tomorrow’s Grand Prix in a commanding position. On these tight, technical circuits where hydroplanes hit speeds approaching 220km/h, momentum from sprint success often translates to Grand Prix performance. For Weckstrom and Torrente, Sunday’s clean sweep has handed them exactly the platform they needed heading into the day’s feature race.
