Torrente retains F1H20 World title in dramatic style 21.12.2019: ...as Andersson wins Grand-Prix of Sharjah Team Abu Dhabi’s defending champion edges out Swede on countback after Chiappe’s last lap slide

...as Andersson wins Grand-Prix of Sharjah



Team Abu Dhabi’s defending champion edges out Swede on countback after Chiappe’s last lap slide



photo caption:Shaun Torrente – a second F1H2O world driver’s title


Team Abu Dhabi’s Shaun Torrente retained his UIM F1H2O World Championship title in the most dramatic fashion today, edging out Sweden’s Jonas Andersson on a countback after the Swede won the Grand Prix of Sharjah.



Andersson looked set to claim the F1H2O crown for the first time until a damaged trim on the last lap for three-times world champion Philippe Chiappe saw Torrente squeeze past the Frenchman to snatch second place in the dying moments of the race.



It meant Torrente and Andersson finished tied on 79 points after securing two victories each, with the American emerging as champion as he recorded one more second place finish.



There were jubilant scenes beside Khalid Lagoon as Team Abu Dhabi hailed not only a second successive driver’s title for Torrente, who plunged into the water to celebrate, but also another world team championship.



“I was pushing like crazy, but we have been through so much with that motor this week, and the team have kept it together,” said Torrente. “Every time we took the boat off the water we have had to fix something.



“We didn’t think it was going to make the race. In the last five laps it was down on power, but I just kept pushing as hard as I could, hoping. When I came down the front straight I saw his (Chiappe) motor bobble, and I could tell something was wrong. 



Added Torrente: “I thought, no way. I just couldn’t believe it. I’m glad I just made it home. I can’t thank the guys in the team enough. They worked like crazy and the least I could do was give them 150 per cent.”



“We didn’t have our best bullet this week, but we still got second place, somehow, some way. and that’s just down to this team for working so hard. They never stopped. I’m just blessed to be with them.”



Torrente paid Tribute to Andersson, saying: “Jonas had an amazing season. I feel for him. He was 40 seconds from being world champion. He did everything he could do, but so did I, and I just got lucky at the end.”



Poland’s Bartek Marszalek finished third ahead of Team Abu Dhabi’s Thani Al Qemzi who was placed fourth overall in the championship as well as the race.



Team Abu Dhabi’s Mohammed Al Mehairbi and Rashed Al Remeithi finished third and fifth respectively in the F4-S series which concluded with Britain’s Harvey Smith completing back-to-back race victories in Sharjah. German Max Stilz had wrapped up the title 48 hours earlier.




Grand Prix of Sharjah results

1. Jonas Andersson    Team Sweden           
2. Shaun Torrente    Team Abu Dhabi        + 6.24
3. Bartek Marszalek    Emirates Racing        + 8.28
4. Thani Al Qemzi    Team Abu Dhabi        + 11.76
5. Sami Selio        Sharjah Team            + 16.26   
6. Philippe Chiappe     CTIC F1 Shenzhen China    + 20.22
7. Alberto Comparato    F1 Atlantic            + L1
8. David Del Pin    Victory Team            + L1
9. Cédric Deguisne      Maverick F1 Racing              + L2



UIM F1H2O World Championship final positions


1. Shaun Torrente        79pts - champion
2. Jonas Andersson        79
3. Marit Stromoy        37
4. Thani Al Qemzi        36
5. Bartek Marszalek        26
6. Alex Carella        25



Team championship positions


1. Team Abu Dhabi        115
2. Team Sweden        89
3. Emirates Racing        63
4. CTIC F1 Shenzhen China    43
5. Maverick F1 Racing    25
6. F1 Atlantic            15




- Tony Lewis, Total Communicationd Dubai - also photo