Kaunas, Lithuania: Team Abu Dhabi begins its challenge in this year’s UIM F2 World Championship at the Lithuanian Grand Prix on Kaunas Reservoir this weekend.
Rashed Al Qemzi and Mohammad Al Mehairbi will race two DAC boats against some of Europe’s most talented drivers in the first round of a popular racing series that will also take teams to Antwerp in Belgium, Tonsberg in Norway, back to Zarasai in Lithuania, Campione d’Italia and Ribadoura in Portugal. Rashed Al Remeithi also travels with the team as a reserve driver.
It’s been over a month since the team operating out of the Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club (ADIMSC) was in action at the 24 Hours of Rouen endurance race in northern France, but officials and crew members have carried out all their pre-race preparations.
Al Qemzi and Al Mehairbi are confident they can build upon the experience they gained in a maiden season of Formula Two racing in 2016. They left for Milan yesterday and will carry out further training before heading off to Lithuania for the weekend.
In 2016, Al Qemzi took part in five of the seven rounds of the series and finished ninth in the points’ standings, his best result being a fine second place at Maçon in France. Sweden’s Pierre Lundin dominated last year’s championship, eventually claimed four victories and won the title by 40 points from fellow countryman Erik Edin. Austrian Rupert Temper was third.
“Rouen this year failed to deliver the result we had anticipated, but one of our boats recovered well after earlier delays to finish fourth in its class and I am confident that we can surprise this year in F2,” said Salem Al Remeithi, general manager of the Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club (ADIMSC).
“The field for these races is very strong and it’s great experience for our drivers to be racing at new venues against some of the best in the business.”
