Arguably the most talented driver in North America, two-time national champion Shaun Torrente is going to get his first taste of international competition this season. The driver, who writes a blog for PowerboatMag.com, will team with Swedish driver Jonas Andersson at the opening race of the 2011 Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM) F1 H2O World Championship—the ninth Grand Prix of Qatar on Doha Bay—March 4-5.

“I’m really thrilled about joining Team Sweden and working with my new teammate Jonas,” Torrente said. “I’ve been working throughout the winter putting together a perfect opportunity for F1 and I think this is a great fit for both the team and myself. I’ll be racing Jonas’ hull that carried him to a pair of victories in recent years and I'm looking forward to the challenge ahead.”

The 31-year-old driver from Homestead, Fla., has 31 North American F1 career starts and has won a third of those races. Torrente will be joined by his close friend and mentor Ted Gryguc of Woodbridge, Ontario, Canada. Gryguc is a well-respected driver who raced in the Mod-VP and Champ Lights (SST-45) classes and won various championships in the 1980s and 1990s.

“Ted and I are close and we work well together and have won many races in the past three seasons,” Torrente said. “I know this is going to be a learning curve for the whole team, but it’s challenges like this that make me want to push even harder to reach the success we expect at each event.”

For more on the UIM F1 H2O series, check out www.f1h2o.com.