Evian, France: The thrilling UIM F1 H20 World Championship resumes on the picturesque Lac Leman in Evian-les-Bains this weekend and Team Abu Dhabi will be looking for an outright win to lift them to the top of the championship standings.

The 20th Grand Prix of France is the second round of the prestigious series and the second successive year that the French resort town will be hosting a race in the series.

Representing the team backed by the Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club (ADIMSC), Alex Carella and Thani Al Qamzi are both more than capable of snatching the outright win and enhancing their chances of wresting the world title from the clutches of Phillipe Chiappe, the current series leader and the defending world champion, who represents CTICC China Team.

Carella has unfinished business in Evian. Last year he stormed to outright victory only to be disqualified from the final results for a technical infringement. Italy’s David Del Pin was his team-mate on that occasion, but Al Qamzi’s return to the Abu Dhabi line-up has been warmly welcomed in UIM F1 circles. The Emirati retired from the opening round in Dubai in March, in an event where Chiappe led from start to finish to seal the win and Carella shadowed him to the flag in second place.

That means Carella trails Chiappe by five points in the Drivers’ Championship, with Shaun Torrente of Dubai’s Victory Team in third and Sweden’s Jonas Andersson holding fourth place. Al Qamzi needs to get on the score sheet and there is no better place to do that than in the south of France.

“Thani and I have been very busy in the last few weeks keeping our hand in with the team, carrying out some testing and making sure we are focused and ready to push in Evian,” said Carella. “Since the Dubai Grand Prix, we won our class at the 24 Hours of Rouen and I took part in an F2 race and we were both in action last weekend at a round of the World Endurance Championship in Poland. It all helps you keep the race focus and maintain the confidence.”

The timetable is set over three days, with technical scrutiny and administration taking centre stage on Friday (July 15) and free practice and F1 BRM pole position qualifying being the focus on Saturday. After further free practice on Sunday morning, the 20th Grand Prix of France will be flagged off at 15.00hrs (17.00hrs UAE time).

2016 UIM F1H2O World Championship – Drivers’ Championship standings – after round 1:

1. Philippe Chiappe (FRA) China CTIC Team 20 pts

2. Alex Carella (ITA) Team Abu Dhabi 15 pts

3. Shaun Torrente (USA) Victory Team 12 pts

4. Jonas Andersson (SWE) Team Sweden 9 pts

5. Ziwei Xiong (CHN) CTIC China Team 7 pts

6. Duarte Benavente (PRT) F1 Atlantic Team 5 pts

7. Ivan Brigada (ITA) Emirates Racing Team 4 pts

8. Francesco Cantando (ITA)Blaze Performance Team 3 pts

9. Filip Roms (FIN) Baba Racing 2 pts

10. Bartek Marszalak (POL) Blaze Performance Team 1 pt