The 2024 UIM F2 World Championship this week heads to the coastal city of Tønsberg, Norway for the second round of the competition. Eighteen of the World’s finest Powerboat racers will make the journey to the city located on the West Coast of Norway to compete for valuable points in the championship campaign and to fight for bragging rights of securing the Podium top spot in the Tønsberg Båtrace.
Tønsberg last hosted a round of the UIM F2 World Championship in 2019 when Germany’s Stefan Hagin soared home to steal the Grand Prix Win. This year 10 nationalities will be represented in the competition and all drivers are vying for the podium Top Spot.
In his return to the competition Great Britain’s Matthew Palfreyman took the lead at the opening round in Brindisi last month but there is a bundle of talent amongst the fleet, and all will be looking to stop the British racer in his tracks.
Flying the flag for Norway is Tobias Munthe-Kaas who will be hoping that he can claim the home advantage in Tønsberg. The driver from Oslo will be hoping the Norwegian crowds can help push him onto the podium and boost his championship campaign.
All eyes will be on four times World Champion Rashed Al Qemzi after only managing sixth place at the opening round in Brindisi, the reigning World Champion will need to bring his ‘A’ Game to Tønsberg if he is to claim his fifth World Crown this season.
Also fighting for podium places will be Lithuania’s Edgaras Riabko who finished the 2023 season in the silver medal position and is looking to secure the World Championship crown. Sitting pretty in second place in the championship table Edgaras will certainly have his eyes on the Podium top spot this weekend.
Rookie Racers in the form of formidable ex-F4 Drivers Jarno Vilmunen and Roope Virtanen both from Finland will join the World Championship campaign this weekend. Both have been practising hard and have adapted well to the larger boat and extra engine power and are both hoping to make an impact on the World stage in their first Grand Prix.
Action for the Tønsberg Båtrace begins at 18:30 local time on Friday evening with the Official opening ceremony followed by Match Racing for the top sixteen boats in the F2 World Championship.
Saturday will see the action unfold as the drivers navigate the Norwegian waters throughout free practice and qualification looking for the fastest lap to secure the vital Pole Position for the Grand Prix of Norway.
The Grand Prix of Norway will get under way on Sunday 5th August at 15:00 local time as the drivers battle through the multi lap race to see who will walk away with the Norwegian Crown.
We caught up with Race Organiser Frode Sundsdal ahead of the forthcoming competition and here is what he had to say
There has been a lot of hard work over the last few months to ensure this weekend is going to be a fantastic spectacle for the crowds of Tønsberg. I must thank my team, partners, and sponsors on helping us bring the F2 World Championship back to Norway.
He continued
I am extremely disappointed that I will not be racing as Tønsberg is my favourite race venue, But the race organisation must take precedence. I promise race fans I will be back in the cockpit entertaining fans very soon just watch this space but, in the meantime, We have eighteen of the World’s best powerboat racers ready to put on a show and battle throughout the Tønsberg Båtrace in the hopes of claiming the Norwegian Grand Prix Crown. The competition has only just begun for the season and there is a huge amount of talent in the fleet of racers, the competition is so close there is no way of knowing who will claim this weekend’s victory.
