Abu Dhabi: Following post-race technical scrutineering, Team Abu Dhabi’s Rashid Al Tayer and Rashid Al Qamzi rounded off a hectic few weeks by finishing third and seventh overall in the UIM F2 Portugal Grand Prix, the final round of the UIM F2 World Championship, on the Duoro River in northern Portugal on Sunday afternoon.
Victory in the 50-lap finale to a thrilling season of European F2 racing fell to Swedish racer and recently crowned champion Pierre Lundin, who led a processional race from start to finish to reach the chequered flag a handful of seconds ahead of the Austrian Rupert Temper.
Al Tayer pressurised Britain’s Owen Jelf for long periods in an attempt to snatch the final podium position, but finished just behind the BaBa driver. But Temper was later disqualified from the overall classification by race officials late on Sunday evening for running a non-standard specification on the electrical connection to the engine and his demise lifted Jelf into second and Al Tayer into third place.
The Emirati duo had qualified in 10th and seventh positions and moved up to ninth and sixth before the off, when Portuguese veteran Duarte Benavente was forced to withdraw before the start with transmission issues.
Pre-race favourite Lundin made the perfect start from pole position and led Rupert Temper by 2.91 seconds through lap one, as the Austrian displaced Owen Jelf to take second and Al Tayer made a storming start to hold fourth place after two laps.
Lundin increased his lead to 5.41 seconds through seven laps, as Al Tayer and Al Qamzi consolidated fourth and eighth positions. There were no changes in the running order after lap 14, although Lundin’s advantage had grown to nine seconds and Al Tayer began to pressurise Jelf’s hold on third place.
As Lundin came into traffic and was forced to overtake a couple of the back markers, Temper reduced the Swede’s advantage to just 4.13 seconds through 27 laps, although everyone in the top 10 was holding station in what was developing into a processional conclusion to the F2 racing season. Edgaras Riabko became the first retirement after 27 laps and his demise lifted Steve Hoult into the top 10, although that was shortlived and the Briton slipped out of contention six laps later.
“Both our drivers have made really impressive progress this season in the F2 Championship and that was plain to see with their performances this weekend,” said Salem Al Romaithi, assistant general manager of the Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club (ADIMSC). “That race brings down the curtain on the European races we have competed in this summer and we now head back to the Middle East for several crucial races in the UAE over the next two months that will decide the outcome of several other championships in which we are in contention for honours.”
Team Abu Dhabi is sponsored by Etihad Airways and runs under the patronage of Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, advisor to the Head of State and chairman of the board of directors of the Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club (ADIMSC).
