Alaric Gomes, Senior Reporter at the Gulf News is reporting that Dubai’s Victory Team are confident they can add the UIM F1H2o World Championship to their incredible trophy cabinet.

Last season, American Shaun Torrente and Class One multiple world champion Nader Bin Hendi were the Victory Team driver pairing using Moore hulls. Torrente won the final race of the season in Sharjah and took the Silver Medal overall, while French driver Philippe Chiappe added a third World title in a row.

This season a re-branded Victory Team have decided to consolidate and aim for a maiden UIM F1H2o World Crown with drivers Torrente and Ahmed Al Hameli with 4 time F1 World Champion Scott Gillman at the helm.

Huraiz Bin Huraiz, incoming chairman of the board of directors at Victory Team, told Gomes at the Gulf News;

It is our philosophy at Victory Team to always be at the top in everything we do, and our ambitions in the F1 will always be to be world champions by the end of the season.
Our instructions to the team are simple. We want them to continue pushing the Dubai and Victory Team brand across the world, but at the same time we want that they win big as well.

Bin Huraiz was recently appointed to head the board of directors at the Jebel Ali-based Victory Team along with Mohammad Al Mutwaiwe’e, Nasser Shaali, Ganem Khamis Al Merri and former Class One driver Ali Al Qama.

Given their pedigree, both Torrente and Al Hameli will be seen as genuine contenders for the world title with the American competing in his Moore Formula boat, while the Emirati races a Baba hull;

As an international team, there are not many titles that we have not won so far.
The F1 crown is one of the few that Victory Team has not won, and we felt that as a team we need to put up a genuine challenge and venture into unchartered territory starting this season.
Our first big challenge will come at the first round itself and we are keen to ensure we come home with maximum points
We are in this venture for the long haul and we want to ensure our success on the water is translated into bigger things for the team and for Dubai in the long run.

Powerboat Racing World will be in Portimao next week to cover the Grand Prix of Portugal, the first round of the 2017 UIM F1H2o World Championship.

Friday April 21st

14:00 – 16:00 F1 Extra Free Practice

Saturday April 22nd

10:00 – 11:00 Free Practice F1
13:00 – 14:00 F1 BRM Qualifications

Sunday April 23rd

10:30 – 11:30 F1 Free Practice Lunch 11:30 – 13:00
13:20 Parade Lap
13:30 – 14:30 F1 Grand Prix

*All times BST