Edgaras Riabko finished fourth at the Grand Prix of Portugal in Vila Velha de Ródão, but the 28.897 seconds he gave away to race winner Nelson Morin meant nothing. The finish was enough to make him Lithuania's first UIM F2 world champion, by a margin of four points over defending champion Mathilda Wiberg.
Survival on the Tagus
Riabko had qualified fifth, while his closest rivals hit trouble early — Wiberg suffered three mechanical problems in qualifying and started without a time, and Peter Morin lined up in twelfth.
Morin won the day, his second victory of the season, but Riabko's fourth-place finish kept the title firmly in his hands. He crossed the line ahead of Giacomo Sacchi and Tobias Munthe-Kaas, his championship lead sliced but never broken.
A crown three times denied
The title arrives after a career spent knocking on the door. Riabko had finished world championship runner-up in 2020 and 2022, and placed third in 2025. A mid-season lap penalty at Peso da Régua dropped him to sixth after he missed a turn mark, narrowing his lead to seven points with six drivers still mathematically in contention heading into the final weekend.
"Well-deserved title"
Winner Nelson Morin paid tribute afterwards. "Congratulations to the new F2 world champion Edgaras Riabko for his well-deserved title, for his consistency at the front of the pack," he said. "We'll meet again in 2027 for new water battles."
