Victory Team’s Torrente stars in Shanghai GP sprint

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.

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 Weckstrom was fourth.

Torrente said: “So much fun. I pushed for the first two laps. I was comfortable. Alec (Weckstrom) 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 Selio 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, Weckstrom 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, Weckstrom, Stromoy Racing’s Marszalek, Morin, Maverick Racing’s Cedric Deguisne and Benavente.

Torrente held his line and managed to stay ahead of Stark, Weckström and Wyatt but the Canadian managed to pass Weckstrom 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. Weckstrom showed no long-term effects from his morning’s accident and finished fourth with Morin rounding off the top five.

Earlier, Team Sweden’s Jonas Andersson climbed from third at the start to secure victory for Team Sweden in the opening 18-lap Sprint race.

The young pole-sitting Estonian Stefan Arand of the Sharjah Team made the early headway and looked set to fend off the defending World Champion but hit engine trouble near the finish, ceded the win to Andersson and then had to suffer the ignominy of being passed by Andersson’s new team-mate Grant Trask.

Andersson said: “I almost had him (Arand) at the start but it is difficult to start when you are not in pole position. I wanted to be fair to him and Grant. Stefan had a bigger propeller and I wanted to fight with him. It was not possible and then, unfortunately for him, he had some mistake and we won. For sure, tomorrow we have a different set-up because this was not working. I knew Grant was good but not this good. We can be a super strong team. I have been looking for this for a long time. Maybe he beats me next time!”