MEDIA INFORMATION
2025 UIM F1H2O WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
CAN FERDINAND ZANDBERGEN WIN HIS SECOND GRAND PRIX THIS SEASON?
Thursday, April 24: Dutchman Ferdinand Zandbergen burst on to the UIM F1H2O World Championship scene with the Sharjah Team after the opening Grand Prix of the 2021 season. He netted a superb fourth place on his racing debut in Portugal and, despite failing to finish the second of the two races in Figueira da Foz, the two results netted him 10th place in the Drivers’ Championship.
The Dutch food industry magnate had been introduced to the pinnacle of single-seater canopy racing through his time in the successful F4-S Trophy that ran in conjunction with rounds of the F1H2O series for several years. Ferdinand had finished as runner-up in that series back in 2016 and gained a lot of experience of the ambience of the Grand Prix scene and met many of the people involved in the sport.
His partnership with Sami Seliö in the Sharjah Team continued to thrive throughout 2022 and Zandbergen overcame the disappointment of a non-finish in France to claim fifth in the first of two races at San Nazarro in Italy. That useful result was just a foretaste of what was to come and the Dutchman stunned his rivals the following day by winning the FIM Grand Prix of Italy from pole position on only his fifth start in F1H2O.
In so doing, he finished ahead of both Thani Al-Qamzi and Shaun Torrente, before sealing another fifth-place finish in Olbia the following month. Unfortunately, two non-finishes in Sharjah put paid to any challenge for a top three finish in the Drivers’ Championship, although his progress had been rapid and he was classified in fifth at the end of the season.
The 2023 World Championship was fought out over five Grand Prix and Zandbergen overcame the disappointment of not finishing the inaugural race on Lake Toba in Indonesia by going on to earn three successive podium finishes in Zhengzhou, Mâcon and Olbia. That put him firmly in contention for a battle with Peter Morin and Erik Stark for second or third places in the Drivers’ Championship. The Dutchman’s Sharjah curse struck again, however, and a non-finish saw him end the season in fourth place.
Both Seliö and Zandbergen made the switch to the Red Devil-SMC F1 Team for the start of 2024, with the 30-year-old Warmond-based Dutchman running a BaBa under the watchful eye of radioman Roberto Moliterno. It turned out to be a disappointing and disjointed season for Ferdinand, the highlights being a couple of Sprint race podiums and fourth and fifth place in Shanghai and Zhengzhou. Coupled with non-finishes in Indonesia and Sardinia, a disqualification in Vietnam and a non-start in Sharjah, Ferdinand finished the year down in 13th place.
With the 2025 season not set to start until mid-August in Sumatra, that gives Zandbergen and his team-mate Seliö plenty of time to dial in their new Sharjah-designed boats. The Dutch veteran of 18 race starts will be hoping that number 19 marks a better change of fortune and the opportunity to challenge for his second ever Grand Prix win.Ends