Stark produces powerboat race masterclass to win 'challenging' F1H2O Grand Prix of London

CTIC F1 Shenzhen China's Philippe Chiappe came second in the race and retains an eye on winning the championship overall. He said: "It was a very good result for me. I pushed to the maximum and we are focused on the championship. The end of the season in Sharjah is what matters."

Peter Morin, who secured his first podium finish, was delighted to finish third. He said: "It was an unbelievable weekend and everything worked well.

"This wasn't about luck because the team worked very hard to prepare for the race. I want to thank the China team for giving me confidence. I would rather take third place than push for second and risk making a mistake."

Conditions at Royal Victoria Dock were the most challenging of the season and during the 54-lap race, run on east London waters for the first time in 33 years, six of the 17 starters failed to go the distance and retired.

The event was promoted by Chinese investment company Tianrong Sports, which has previously invested in China's infrastructure, including highways, power plants, and petroleum equipment, as well as setting up a sports industry investment fund with former basketball player Yao Ming. Through this fund, they have invested in 20 sports-related events, sports technologies and e-sports and brought the F1H2O back to London this year.

The UIM F1H2O Grand Prix of London marked the 10th time that Britain has hosted a round of the championship; the nine previous rounds were staged at Holme Pierrepont (1981 and 1982); Bristol (1982 and 1990); London (1983, 1984 and 1985); and Cardiff (1993 and 1994).

Round 3 of the UIM F1H2O World Championship, the Grand Prix of France takes place in Evian from June 29 to July 1.