The Formula 1 Powerboat World Championship (also F1) is an international motorboat racing competition for powerboats organised by the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM) and promoted by H2O Racing, hence it often being referred to as F1H2O. It is the highest class of inshore powerboat racing in the world, and as such, with it sharing the title of F1, is similar to Formula One car racing. Each race lasts approximately 45 minutes following a circuit marked out in a selected stretch of water, usually a lake, river, dock, or sheltered bay.
Qualifying periods decide the formation of the grid, and timing equipment records the performance of competitors to decide the final classification and allocation of championship points.
History
The concept of a single unified championship for inshore powerboats had been conceived three years previously in 1978 when David Parkinson, an experienced PR manager, was offered the support of Mercury Marine, one of his clients, if he could establish such a series. The concept became the Canon Trophy, sponsored by another of Parkinson's clients, Canon Inc.[3]
A steady escalation in engine development between Mercury and arch-rival OMC was already underway as the Canon Trophy was formed, and this arms race ultimately resulted in massively powerful 3.5-litre (210in3)V8 engines being used and led to the creation of the OZ class. Each manufacturer offered as many as half a dozen drivers with a free supply of these OZ class engines in a bid to succeed. The OZ engines differed from the ON class which was centred around a standard 2-litre capacity and consequently OZ machines, with their superior power, swept all before them. Matters came to a head when, in an attempt to extract an even greater advantage, Renato Molinari turned up with two engines on the back of his boat at the Italian Grand Prix. A petition was signed by 28 drivers in 1980 to outlaw the OZ boats and the Formula ON Drivers Association (FONDA) was born. Mercury withdrew their T4 engine and the split was confirmed. OZ and ON classes would have their own championships in 1981.[4]
Somewhat understandably, both championships attempted to use the title of Formula 1 to market themselves as the pinnacle of powerboat racing. For much of 1981 however it was largely irrelevant. John Player had chosen to support the OMC-powered OZ championship, giving it not only an advantage in speed and technology, but also marketing. The championship was still in its early stages with a small grid, but FONDA's ON class was not much better either and was effectively the remains of the Canon Trophy. Journalists of the period continued to use the familiar terms of ON and OZ to avoid confusion,[5] and it was only when the UIM stepped in to sort out the mess that resulted in the OZ class being awarded Formula 1 status, with the ON class given the consolation title of "World Grand Prix". Thus, with the backing of the drivers' association behind it, the FONDA World Grand Prix Series entered into a period of being overshadowed by its bigger, faster brother, the Formula 1 World Series.
By bringing together the financial support and marketing ability of John Player Special, as well as the clarity and consistency of a championship with an established event structure, one which focused on sprint races rather than a mixture that included endurance races in previous years, the category allowed for a relatively stable environment in which the top powerboat teams and drivers could compete. A fixed points system made comprehension easy for spectators, with it matching its motor racing equivalent with 9, 6, 4, 3, 2, and finally 1 point on offer for the top six finishers.
Roger Jenkins in 1981.
Safety was always looming large in the background of the F1 series. The ever-increasing speeds of the 3.5-litre V8s, as OMC continued to refine them, meant that surviving a 'big one' was becoming less and less likely. In 1984, matters reached a tragic conclusion when Tom Percival was the last of four drivers to lose their lives in the space of a matter of months.[6]Cees van der Velden pulled his three-boat Benson & Hedges-backed team from the final three races of the season,[7] and Carlsberg cancelled their partnership with Roger Jenkins, having told the 1982 champion, "another death or serious injury, and they were out".[8] OMC were able to pull together a depleted field to see out the season, but the writing was on the wall. It was the beginning of the end for Formula 1 as the OZ class.
Keen to keep the championship running however, OMC gave the F1 World Series a facelift. With Benson & Hedges vacating the series' title sponsorship, in came Champion to create the Champion Spark Plug F1 World Series, and a new Belgian promoter, Pro One, was tasked with turning the series around.[9] Prize money was significantly increased to attract drivers and a greater presence in the United States was sought. Following the trends in hydroplanes with seat belts and safety cells, boat designer Chris Hodges introduced the first iteration of his safety cell which paved the way for a revolution in boat safety[10] and Bob Spalding won the title driving for the Percival Hodges team. On the outside, it appeared as if Formula 1 was set for a new period of growth, until OMC uncovered the level of spending that Pro One had undertaken to raise the profile of the championship. Rumours suggested the promoter had spent the promotion budget for the next three years in a single season. Figures of $4–5 million were passed around.[11] OMC called time on the whole European operation at the end of 1985 and in 1986, based solely in North America, the F1 World Series was wound down before it was completely assimilated into the domestic US championship.
From 1987 to 1989, there was no official Formula 1 championship. The FONDA World Grand Prix Series continued to operate with title sponsorship from Budweiser and benefitted from F1's demise in Europe as drivers moved back over. In simple terms Mercury's two litre formula had outlasted OMC's monster 3.5-litre V8s but the reality was far more complex than that. In the United States, Formula 1 lived on, but as far as the world stage was concerned, the powerboat community once again turned to David Parkinson, who having established the Canon Trophy back in 1978, was still at the helm of the FONDA series into which it had evolved. With no other challenger unlike ten years previously, the UIM reinstated the Formula 1 category to World Championship status and in 1990 the FONDA World Grand Prix Series became the Formula 1 World Championship.
David Parkinson continued to manage and promote the championship until the end of 1993, at which point he handed over to Nicolo di San Germano, who continues to lead the series to the present day. Di San Germano has overseen a period of continued improvements in driver safety, managed the championship through multiple economic downturns and seen a shift in focus for the series away from Europe towards the Middle East and Asia, driven by a need for financial stability. The cost has been a heavy one in the eyes of many traditional fans based in Europe as calendars and grid sizes have shrunk but the attraction remains – the series will return to Portugal and France in 2015 and there is a focus on four-stroke technology to finally overhaul the decades-old two-stroke engines that have dominated the sport since the very start.
Format
Inaugurated in 1981, F1 powerboat racing is a Grand Prix style event, in which teams compete around the world each season. In the 2013 season, a total of 23 drivers and 9 teams entered at least one race, with 16 boats competing full-time. The races take place along a track of approximately 350 meters with multiple turns, over which the boats can reach 250 kilometers per hour (155mph). The races are longer than most powerboat races at approximately 45 minutes, but still shorter than many car races.
Boats
F1 powerboats at the 2004 Grand Prix of Singapore.
F1 racing uses tunnel hullcatamarans that are capable of both high speed and exceptional manoeuvrability. Overall, the boats weigh 860 pounds (390 kilogrammes), including 260 pounds (118 kilograms) of engine. They are 20 feet (6 metres) long and seven feet (2 metres) wide, keeping weight low through extensive use of carbon fiber and kevlar. The tunnel hull design creates aerodynamic lift due to a 'wing' formed by the deck and under surface of the hull. This increases lift and reduces drag, so that at speed only a few inches of the boat touch the water, leading to the high speed possible with these hulls.[12]
F1 boats are powered by a Mercury Marine[citation needed] V6 two stroke that burns 100LL Avgas at a rate of 120 liters (32 gallons) per hour, generating over 400 horsepower at 10,500 rpm. This engine can propel the boats to 100km/h (62mph) in less than two seconds and to a maximum speed of over 250km/h (155mph).[citation needed]
Safety
Although F1 boats have not changed much in appearance since the start of the event, the construction and safety has been dramatically improved from the original open-cockpit plywood boats.
The first major development was the hard composite cockpit capsule designed to break away from the rest of the boat in a crash. This also inaugurated the practice of securing the drivers to their seats with a harness. First developed by designer and racer Chris Hodges, this system was optional for a time due to the opposition of the drivers but, after it saved several drivers in major crashes, the UIM mandated it for all boats. In the early 1990s F1 boat builder Dave Burgess introduced a canopy that fully enclosed the cockpit to protect the driver from the full force of water in a nose-dive, similar to the system used in Unlimited hydroplanes a decade earlier. In the late 1990s boat builder DAC introduced an airbag situated behind the driver that prevents the cockpit from completely submerging if the boat flips.
These specific changes in safety features were also accompanied by a progression of lighter and stronger composite hulls that also reduced the hazards of racing. F1 drivers now also wear a HANS Head and Neck Restraint device similar to that worn by their Formula One automobile racing counterparts to combat head and neck injuries.
As of the 2007 season, all boats are required to have a protective crash box installed.[13] Potential future safety features include collapsible bows that would deform rather than penetrate another hull.[citation needed]
Drivers
Before obtaining a Super License to drive an F1 boat, drivers undergo a stringent medical and also an immersion test. This involves being strapped into a mock F1 cockpit. The cell is flipped over and the driver has to make his escape while being judged by safety officials.[14]
Coverage
The series is broadcast live to over twenty countries.[15]
F-4s is the support class of F1 and has been a part of the series since 2010. Every team has one F-4s boat. The class has two single races per race weekend. The boats use a Mercury 60 HP stock EPA engine and reach a top speed around 120km/h.
F-4s runs 113 kilo 4 stroke motors rev-limited to 6250 RPM on very short tunnels. The top speed in competition is 120km/h.
Season
Overall winner
2010
Oskar Samuelsson
2011
Matthew Palfreyman
2012
Jesper Forss
2013
Mike Szymura
2014
Mike Szymura
2015
Mike Szymura
2016
Rashed Al Qamzi
2017
Mansoor Al Mansoori
2018
Tom Chiappe
2019
Max Stilz
2020
No championship held
Related series
A ChampBoat at the 2006 Minneapolis race.
The USF1 Powerboat Tour[21] is a domestic US-based competition using powerboats that are very similar to those in the F1H2O World Championship. For some years the series co-existed alongside the Mercury-supported ChampBoat series which was formed in 2002 but which had ceased to exist by 2013. Terry Rinker dominated the ChampBoat series with four titles in 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2008.
Additional domestic F1 powerboat championships have been held in Australia,[22] Argentina[23] and South Africa.[24]
Hydroplane racing is a sport involving racing hydroplanes on lakes, rivers, and bays. It is a popular spectator sport in several countries.
The UIM Class 1 World Powerboat Championship is an international motorboat racing competition for powerboats organized by the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM). It is the premier class of offshore powerboat racing in the world.
Guido Cappellini is an Italian motorboat racer and the most successful driver of all time in the F1 Powerboat World Championship, with ten world titles. He has also raced in other classes of boat racing, notably the Class 1 offshore championship, since his retirement from Formula 1 at the end of 2009.
The 2011 UIM F1 H2O World Championship was the 28th season of Formula 1 Powerboat racing. The calendar consisted of seven races, beginning in Doha, Qatar on 5 March 2011, and ending in Sharjah, UAE on 16 December 2011. Italian Alex Carella won the Drivers' World Championship, driving for the Qatar Team.
The 2012 UIM F1 H2O World Championship was the 29th season of Formula 1 Powerboat racing. Whilst a provisional calendar consisted of a total of nine rounds, following cancellations, an amended programme of six races, beginning in Doha, Qatar, on 10 March 2012, and ending in Sharjah, UAE, on 7 December 2012 was published by the UIM. At the penultimate race of the year in Abu Dhabi, reigning champion Alex Carella successfully defended his 2011 drivers' title, the Italian becoming a double world champion for the Qatar Team.
The 2010 UIM F1 H2O World Championship was the 27th season of Formula 1 Powerboat racing, and the 30th anniversary year since the series' foundation in 1981. The calendar consisted of eight races, beginning in Portimão, Portugal on 9 May 2010, and ending in Sharjah, UAE on 10 December 2010. Sami Seliö finished the season as drivers' champion driving for Team Mad Croc, clinching his second title with his first having been in 2007.
The 2009 UIM F1 H2O World Championship was the 26th season of Formula 1 Powerboat racing. The calendar consisted of sixteen races, two per event, beginning in Portimão, Portugal on 4 April 2009, and ending in Sharjah, UAE on 11 December 2009. The format of two races per weekend was a new feature for 2009, introduced by series promoter Nicolo di San Germano at the official pre-season meeting in March. Guido Cappellini, driving for Zepter Team, was drivers' champion, securing an unprecedented tenth championship crown before retiring at the end of the year.
The 2013 UIM F1 H2O World Championship was the 30th season of Formula 1 Powerboat racing. For the first time in the championship's history, there was an event held in South America, with the first race of the year taking place in Brasilia on 1 and 2 June. In addition, the series' 250th race since it began in 1981 took place on 2 October at the Grand Prix of China in Liuzhou.
The 2014 UIM F1 H2O World Championship was the 31st season of Formula 1 Powerboat racing. Alex Carella, driving for the Qatar Team, entered the season as defending triple world champion having successfully defended his world championship for the second year in a row in 2013.
The Formula-4s Powerboat World Championship is an international inshore powerboat racing competition for powerboats organised by the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM), hence it often being referred to as F4s. “S” letter refers to abbreviation from four-stroke, which means that four-stroke boat engines are being used in this class.
The 2007 UIM F1 World Championship was the 24th season of Formula 1 Powerboat racing. The calendar consisted of eight events, beginning in Portimao, Portugal on 13 May 2007, and ending in Sharjah, UAE on 14 December 2007. Sami Seliö, driving for F1 Team Energy, secured his maiden drivers' title, the first driver outside of Italy, the US and the UK to do so.
The 2015 UIM F1 H2O World Championship was the 32nd season of Formula 1 Powerboat racing. The season consisted of six races, beginning in Doha, Qatar, on 14 March 2015, and ending in Sharjah, UAE, on 18 December 2015.
The 1981 John Player Special Formula 1 World Series was the inaugural season of Formula 1 Powerboat racing. Representing the 'OZ' racing class of the period, the championship was formed as a consequence of a difference of opinion between the leading figures in powerboat racing at the time, and was heavily supported by both John Player and engine manufacturer Outboard Marine Corporation, whose Johnson and Evinrude branded engines were used by the entire field. Whilst the series was designed to showcase the firm's huge 3.5 litre V8 engines, the very first race saw all boats using smaller V6 units and only six drivers would be given the V8 engines for the remainder of the year.
Inshore powerboat racing is a form of water-based motorsport using powerboats in sheltered or inland stretches of water, including lakes, rivers, docks and sheltered bays. It is often referred to as circuit powerboat racing because of the frequency of inshore races to use the format of a circuit loop, around which boats race for a number of pre-determined laps.
The 2016 UIM F1 H2O World Championship was the 33rd season of Formula 1 Powerboat racing. The season consisted of seven races, beginning in Dubai, UAE on 4 March 2016, and ending in Sharjah, UAE on 16 December 2016, although initial plans indicated a ten race calendar.
The 2006 UIM F1 World Championship was the 23rd season of Formula 1 Powerboat racing. The calendar consisted of six events, beginning in Doha, Qatar on 15 April 2006, and ending in Sharjah, UAE on 15 December 2006. Scott Gillman, driving for the Emirates F1 Team, clinched his fourth and ultimately last F1 championship which remains the second highest total in the sport's history.
The 2005 UIM F1 World Championship was the 22nd season of Formula 1 Powerboat racing. The calendar consisted of six events, beginning in Portimão, Portugal on 22 May 2005, and ending in Sharjah, UAE on 16 December 2005. Guido Cappellini, driving for the Tamoil F1 Team, clinched his ninth world title, re-taking the championship from defending champion Scott Gillman.
The 2017 UIM F1 H2O World Championship was the 34th season of Formula 1 Powerboat racing. An initial seven race calendar was released at the end of January, with the championship scheduled to begin in Portimão, Portugal on 23 April and conclude in Sharjah, UAE on 15 December.
Erik Stark is a Swedish powerboat racing driver who races in the F1H2O World Championship and in the XCAT World Championship for the United Arab Emirates-owned Victory Team. On the first round of 2021 UIM-F1H2O World Championship, Grand Prix of Europe, Stark raced with Gillman Racing Team.
The 2021 UIM F1 H2O World Championship was the 37th season of Formula 1 Powerboat racing. Jonas Andersson won the championship.
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Jonas Andersson (2023)
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