Al Qamzi comes second in Qatar Grand Prix

Doha : Team Abu Dhabi's Thani Al Qamzi finished a fine second overall in the Grand Prix of Qatar, round 11 of this year's UIM F1 World Championship, in Doha Bay yesterday afternoon and regained a seven-point lead in the 2009 UIM F1 Drivers' Championship.

Despite a drive-through penalty, the Emirati managed to claw his way through the back-markers and pass Phillipe Chiappe to shadow race winner Guido Cappellini to the finish. Retirements for Sami Selio and Jay Price aided Team Abu Dhabi's cause still further and Al Qamzi passed Jonas Andersson to retake the championship lead.

"This was just the result I needed," said a delighted Al Qamzi. "Putting points on the board in a difficult race was crucial and it is a great feeling to have the lead in the championship again."

Ahmad Al Hameli climbed as high as third overall in the first 20 minutes of the race before suffering a drive-through penalty and eventually retiring on unlucky lap 13.

Al Qamzi and Al Hameli began the race weekend in second and seventh positions in the UIM F1 Drivers' Championship and started the race from fifth and fourth on the grid behind pole winner Selio, Price and Cappellini. A good start into the first buoy was critical, but Al Hameli jumped the initial start and boats were called back to the pontoon for a restart, despite the fact Selio led the pack through lap one on the false start.

Selio managed to fend off Price and Cappellini through the opening lap, although both Al Hameli and Al Qamzi were forced to run a penalty lap for the starting infringement and were classified in seventh and eighth places after lap five. Selio dramatically stopped with mechanical problems on the third lap and Price took up the lead from Cappellini.

But the World Champion was sidelined on lap six, as Cappellini led from Phillipe Chiappe and a flying Al Hameli in his BaBa, who climbed to third overall after nine laps. Al Qamzi moved up to fifth overall behind Germany's Fabian Kalsow, but Cappellini extended his overall lead to 11.37s through lap 11. Al Hameli was forced to run a second drive-through penalty after lap 10 and slipped back to 12th overall and eventually retired from the race on unlucky lap 13.

In hazy and humid conditions, Al Qamzi managed to work his way past Chiappe to claim second position on lap 19 and closed the gap on the Italian leader to 17.06s. The Italian coped admirably with the pressure to secure the race win and move up to third in the title race.