Wednesday, 30 September, LIUZHOU (China): With just 10 starts under his belt, F1H2O's newest rising star handles himself on and off the water like a seasoned veteran and oozes confidences, his single-minded aim is to win the 2015 world title.

Twenty-seven-year-old Erik Stark from Stockholm has already bagged three podiums in his short F1 powerboat career, in China last year and in Qatar and Portugal this year, and after today's extra free practice he was clear of his ambition. "I had the chance to test two boats in the session, one new BABA and my old DAC to try to decide which one to run, but we haven't checked the data yet so once I have spoken with my guys we will decide.

"It's an interesting choice. The BABA is really short and wide like a small F2 boat, really quick and good acceleration. A little bit harder to handle but muck quicker on the times. And our target tomorrow is easy, to get pole position."

Asked about his meteoric rise in the series, he said. "In the beginning I was just looking for a top-ten or maybe getting into Q3 but then in China we got on the podium and it was an amazing feeling.

"This year I am feeling more confident, the team is giving me great support and everything I need. For sure I believe we are fighting for the title this year. We are just nine points off the lead and a lot of things can happen in three races."