Sharjah: Marit Stromoy’s first-ever historic win at the Sharjah Grand Prix — the sixth and final round of the UIM H20 World Championships at the Khalid Lagoon — permanently altered a host of things at the top of the F1 leader board.

Until her devastating run in near-perfect conditions in Sharjah on Friday, it looked like a battle between the four top boys in the competition — two-time world champion Philippe Chiappe (China CTIC Team), Alex Carella (Team Abu Dhabi), Shaun Torrente (Victory Team) and Team EMIC’s Erik Stark, following his domination in the Pole Position run on Thursday.

But it was the 39 year old from Norway, holding off three-time world champion Carella and Torrente, who put down her name as the first-ever woman champion in the 32-year history of UIM F1 H20 World Championship. It was an amazing run from an equally amazing person, who started off from fourth at the sixth and final race on the 2015 season.

Coming into her 61st F1 race start, Stromoy’s best performance was a pole position at the Portimao Grand Prix in Portugal in 2011. The resident of Oslo had never stood on a podium until her exciting race in Sharjah.

The biggest impact of Stromoy’s win — and the 20 points that go along with it — was that she managed to hoist herself from 10th place into fourth place overall with 38 points to her name. The overall team honours though went to Team Abu Dhabi as the side finished the season with 88 points, thanks to the addition of 15 points from Carella’s second place finish, as world champion Chiappe retired with a broken propeller on the 13th lap of the 43-lap race.

Stromoy’s win also ensured that her Team EMIC finished with a third place on the podium with 56 points after starting off in sixth before the Sharjah race.

“There is a lot of hard work that has gone into this one moment. Right now I want to think of all the good things and cherish this moment,” Stromoy told Gulf News.

“I’ve never experienced such a wonderful moment in my 26 years of powerboat racing, but I am very positive that there will be many more such moments in the near future. I can barely wait for the new season to take off,” she added.

UIM Promoter Nicola di San Germano was left reflecting on one of the most memorable finishes in the three decade lifespan of F1 racing. “This is history. A few years later we will all be looking to this day as something that rewrote the history books of F1 powerboat racing. Sharjah always delivers something memorable, and this year we have this very special moment to live with,” San Germano said.

F1 H2O World Championship drivers’ standings after final round in Sharjah

1. Philippe Chiappe (France) China CTC Team (70 pts); 2. Alex Carella (Italy) Team Abu Dhabi (54); 3. Shaun Torrente (US) Victory Team (51); 4. Marit Stromoy (Norway) Team Nautica (38); 5. Yousuf Al Rubayan (Kuwait) F1 GC Atlantic Team (38); 6. Erik Stark (Sweden) Team Nautica (36); 7. Sami Selio (Finland) Mad-Croc Baba Racing Team (35); 8. Jonas Andersson (Sweden) Team Sweden (34); 9. Thani Al Qamzi (UAE) Team Abu Dhabi (32); 10. Filip Roms (Finland) Mad-Croc Baba Racing Team (19).

2015 UIM F1 H2O Teams’ Championship after the final round held in Sharjah over the weekend

1. Team Abu Dhabi (88 pts); 2. CTIC China Team (71); 3. Team EMIC (56); 4. Mad-Croc Baba Racing Team (54); 5. F1 GC Atlantic Team (47); 6. Team Sweden (44); 7. Emirates Team (36); 8. Victory Team (33); Motorglass F1 Team (9); 10. Maverick Racing (3).

-Ends