Friday, October 3: Three-time World Champion Shaun Torrente of the Dubai-based Victory Team took full advantage of his pole position to lead the second of the Sprint races at the UIM F1H2O Grand Prix of Shanghai, China from start-to-finish on Friday afternoon.
Ten racers lined up for the second of the Sprints on the Huangpu River and the American was never troubled. Team Abu Dhabi’s Erik Stark fended off several fierce overtaking challenges from the championship-leading Rusty Wyatt of the Sharjah Team to secure a hard-earned second place with Wyatt rounding off the podium. Torrente’s team-mate Alec Weckström was fourth.
Torrente said: “So much fun. I pushed for the first two laps. I was comfortable. Alec (Weckström) took a hard hit (in the morning’s qualifying) and got checked out in the hospital. He is fine. I haven’t had that much fun with my clothes on for a long time!”
The China CTIC Team’s Peter Morin came home in fifth and Bartek Marszalek rounded off the top six ahead of the F1 Atlantic Team’s Duarte Benavente. The Red Devil-SMC F1 Team’s Ferdinand Zandbergen and Sami Seliö both hit trouble near the end with Zandbergen losing three places in the closing laps and Seliö dropping out of a disappointing race seven laps from the end. Neither of the Red Devil boats were classified and scored no points.
Before the start, Weckström spoke about his accident in the morning’s qualifying session. The Finn said: “I was pushing hard to get into Q3. Then, for some reason, I made a mistake, caught a wave and hit my head quite hard. I didn’t know what I had for breakfast and what currency we use. But I was given the all-clear to race.”
Torrente lined up on pole for the second of the 18-lap Sprint races ahead of Stark, series leader Wyatt, Weckström, Strømøy Racing’s Marszalek, Morin, Maverick Racing’s Cédric Deguisne and Benavente.
Torrente held his line and managed to stay ahead of Stark, Weckström and Wyatt but the Canadian managed to pass Weckström and grabbed third place. By lap four, Torrente’s lead had stretched to 7.811 seconds as Stark came under more pressure from Wyatt in the battle for second. Deguisne pulled out after two laps.
Wyatt increased the pressure on Stark but the determined Swede was able to fend off the challenge through seven laps and somehow maintained his position. Torrente stormed through to take the chequered flag 5.763 seconds ahead of Stark with Wyatt forced to settle for third place. Weckström showed no long-term effects from his morning’s accident and finished fourth with Morin rounding off the top five.
