Following approved rule changes to the F1H2o qualification procedure at the UIM General Assembly, racers and fans can look forward to Q3 shoot-outs again next year.

The new rule states that the ‘top 6 boats will run individually a two lap timed trial’.

2023 UIM F1H2o Qualification Rules

Q1:

All boats may run laps at any time during the first 22 minutes of the hour.

Timing of the boats will start 2 minutes after the green flag.

At the end of the first 20 minutes, only the fastest 12 boats will remain in the water, the excluded boats will fill the final grid places.

Q2:

After a seven-minute break, the times will be reset and the 12 remaining boats will then run in a 15- minute session – again they may complete as many laps as they want at any time during that period.

At the end of the 15 minutes, the 6 slowest boats drop out and fill places 7 to 12 on the grid.

Q3:

The top 6 boats will run individually a two lap timed trial for their start position.

If a driver is deemed by the officials to have stopped unnecessarily during Q1 or Q2 on the circuit or impeded another driver during qualifying, his times is to be cancelled in the relevant session.

No refuelling allowed during timed trial.