Jonas Andersson Secures Pole Position For Sharjah 2025 Grand Prix In F1H2O Qualifications

Jonas Andersson strengthened his F1H2O World Championship challenge at the Grand Prix of Sharjah by taking pole position and the fastest lap in the qualifications held on 20 December at Khalid Lagoon, securing a vital advantage ahead of the main race scheduled for Sunday afternoon.

The Grand Prix of Sharjah, the final round of the 2024 F1H2O World Championship, takes place on the 2,057-metre Khalid Lagoon circuit under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, and Chairman of the Sharjah Executive Council, with the event in its 24th edition organised by the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority.

By securing pole for the Sharjah round, Andersson, driving boat number "1" for Team Sweden, increased his season total to 85 points, moving into second place in the overall standings, 14 points behind championship leader Shaun Torrente, who has 99 points for Team Victory, while Alec Weckström holds third place with 78 points.

Andersson’s qualifying performance came at a crucial stage of the Grand Prix of Sharjah weekend, as the Sharjah race is the final opportunity for F1H2O World Championship contenders to add points, meaning the gap to Torrente and the position ahead of Weckström give Team Sweden a strategic starting advantage for the decisive main race.

During the qualifications on Khalid Lagoon, Andersson recorded a best lap of 47.191 seconds around the 2,057-metre course, a time that placed the Team Sweden driver at the head of the starting grid for Sunday’s "Grand Prix of Sharjah – Road to Sharjah" main race, ahead of both Team Victory entries.

Alec Weckström, driving boat number "3" for Team Victory, posted the second-fastest lap in qualifying, finishing 0.119 seconds slower than Andersson, while third place in the session went to championship leader Shaun Torrente in boat number "4" for Team Victory, who recorded a lap time of 47.558 seconds on the same Khalid Lagoon layout.

Grand Prix of Sharjah sprint races influence F1H2O World Championship points

The sprint races also played an important role at the Grand Prix of Sharjah, as additional championship points were available alongside qualifying, giving drivers a further chance to close gaps or protect positions in the F1H2O World Championship standings before the final main race.

In the first sprint race, Jonas Andersson took the win and gained 10 extra points, with Bartek Marsalek finishing second for 9 points and Stefan Arand crossing the line in third to collect 8 points, while the second sprint saw Shaun Torrente respond by winning and earning 10 points, ahead of Rusty Wyatt in second with 9 points and Grant Trask in third with 8 points added to the totals.

With qualifying and both sprint races completed at the Grand Prix of Sharjah, Andersson’s pole position, sprint victory and updated total of 85 points, along with Torrente’s 99 points and Weckström’s 78 points, leave the F1H2O World Championship finely balanced heading into Sunday’s final main race on Khalid Lagoon under Sharjah’s long-established hosting of the series.

With inputs from WAM