ABU DHABI, 22nd September, 2026 (WAM) — Team Abu Dhabi is stepping up preparations for the third round of the UIM F1H2O World Championship, scheduled to take place in Shanghai, China, from 3rd to 5th October, with the team heading into the event at the top of the Teams’ Championship standings.
The official programme begins on 3rd October with the opening of the paddock, registration and technical scrutineering, before competitive action gets underway on 4th and 5th October, with another highly competitive weekend expected among the championship’s leading teams and drivers.
Team Abu Dhabi arrives in China leading the Teams’ Championship with 61 points, just one point ahead of second-placed Victory Team on 60, while Sharjah Team and Stromoy Racing are both on 53 points, adding further importance to the Shanghai round in the battle for the championship lead.
Team Abu Dhabi will field three boats in Shanghai, with Sweden’s Jonas Andersson driving boat No. 5, compatriot Erik Stark in boat No. 6, and Emirati star Rashed Al Qemzi in boat No. 35. The team competes in the championship with the support of AD Ports Group, Team Abu Dhabi’s Official logistics partner.
Three-time world champion Andersson currently sits fourth in the Drivers’ Championship with 31 points, while Stark is tied for fifth on 30 points. Al Qemzi has 11 points, while Victory Team’s American driver Shaun Torrente leads the championship with 40 points.
Team Abu Dhabi heads into Shanghai buoyed by a strong performance in the previous round at Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan, where Andersson secured pole position and won one of the Sprint races, while Stark claimed second place in the main Grand Prix.
Those results played a major role in moving Team Abu Dhabi to the top of the Teams’ Championship standings ahead of the Chinese round.
Shanghai also carries special significance for Andersson, who returns to the venue where he won the 2025 Shanghai Grand Prix, his most recent Grand Prix victory in the championship to date.
Across his distinguished career, the Swedish driver has recorded 17 Grand Prix victories, 38 podium finishes and 18 pole positions, in addition to winning the UIM F1H2O World Championship three times.
Source: Emirates News Agency