Zhengzhou, October 20, 2024 – The Europe Today: Sweden’s Jonas Andersson secured a commanding win at the Grand Prix of Zhengzhou, China, today, catapulting him to the top of the 2024 UIM F1H2O World Championship standings ahead of the season’s final round in Sharjah.
In a dramatic and incident-filled race, Team Abu Dhabi’s Thani Al Qemzi was among those forced out due to technical issues, while Sharjah Team’s Rusty Wyatt, who had been leading the championship, was sidelined by mechanical problems. A collision between Victory Team drivers Erik Stark and Ahmad Al Fahim further added to the chaos, eliminating both from contention.
Andersson’s victory gives him a slender three-point lead over Canadian rookie Rusty Wyatt, setting up a tense championship decider in December’s final round in Sharjah. Frenchman Peter Morin moved up to third in the standings after finishing second in Zhengzhou, while Stark’s race-ending crash saw him drop to fourth place overall.
Despite Al Qemzi’s early retirement after just two laps, Team Abu Dhabi will be aiming for a strong finish in Sharjah. Al Qemzi, who made his F1H2O debut at Khalid Lagoon in 2020, will look to add to his 45 career podium finishes.
Andersson’s control throughout the race was evident as he secured his 15th Grand Prix victory with a ten-second margin over Morin. Finland’s two-time world champion, Sami Selio, completed the podium in third place.
Wyatt, who had enjoyed an impressive debut season with victories in Indonesia, Sardinia, and Shanghai, began to falter early in the race, eventually coming to a halt after 14 laps. He will look to regroup and challenge for the drivers’ title on home waters in Sharjah.
The penultimate round of the championship got off to a dramatic start with a collision between Stark and Al Fahim, eliminating both Victory Team boats, while American Brent Dillard’s race also ended prematurely with a barrel roll on the opening lap.
Despite the setbacks, all eyes now turn to Sharjah, where Andersson will seek to defend his lead and Wyatt will aim to cap off his remarkable debut season with a championship win.
2024 UIM F1H2O World Championship Standings (After Zhengzhou):
- Jonas Andersson (SWE) – 99 points
- Rusty Wyatt (CAN) – 96 points
- Peter Morin (FRA) – 79.5 points
- Erik Stark (SWE) – 77.5 points
- Bartek Marszalek (POL) – 64 points
- Sami Selio (FIN) – 52 points
- Marit Stromoy (NOR) – 42 points
- Stefan Arand (EST) – 34.5 points
- Ferdinand Zandbergen (NED) – 30.5 points
- Thani Al Qemzi (UAE) – 27.5 points
