BEN JELF followed in the footsteps of his grandfather, father and uncle and started powerboat racing from the age of nine. He joined the F1H2O series for the last race of the 2022 season in Sharjah and is a member of the F1 Atlantic Team.
He finished the 2023 season in 17th position in the Drivers’ Championship after picking up his first points of the season with eighth place in Sharjah. He then finished ninth in 2024 after a series of consistent Sprint races and points-scoring Grand Prix performances.
Jelf has already secured one World Championship, four European titles and 16 British Championship titles, in addition to holding four World and 10 British speed records. From the age of 11, he became Britain’s most successful junior powerboat racer and claimed the title of Britain’s youngest champion and world record holder.
In 2018, he became the youngest Brit to break the 100mph Speed Record setting the British F2 & Supercat records at 124.27mph & 124.38mph respectively and becoming the third generation of Jelf Racing to achieve a coveted K7 Gold Star.
He also competed in the German series in 2018, the French Championship in 2022 and was invited to compete in the 24Hr Rouen race in 2019.
He was asked to compete as part of Team Amaravati as the team’s F4 driver at the F1H20 Grand Prix of India and navigated in 2022 in the F1 Offshore Racing class alongside Max Walker. In 2022, as well as securing a 16th British title, he worked with his father Colin testing and developing the new Mercury 200APX engine and boat set-up.