Team Abu Dhabi star Al Mansoori retains lead in 2022 UIM F2 World Championship

sport — Team Abu Dhabi’s Mansoor Al Mansoori produced a battling performance in the Grand Prix of Portugal today to retain the lead in 2022 UIM F2 World Championship. Image Credit: Supplied

Ribadouro: Team Abu Dhabi’s Mansoor Al Mansoori produced a battling performance in the Grand Prix of Portugal today to retain the lead in 2022 UIM F2 World Championship.

With the final round to follow in to Vila Velha de Ródão next weekend, Al Mansoori holds a two-point advantage over Team Sharjah’s Sami Selio, with Germany’s Stefan Hagin just two points further adrift.

Monaco’s Giacomo Sacchi followed up his pole position success 24 hours earlier with a fine start-to-finish victory in Ribadouro, holding off Selio by 9.7 secs to climb to fourth place in the championship standings. American Brent Dillard took the third podium place.

Having arrived in Portugal with a three-point lead over Hagin, Al Mansoori needed maximum concentration today after mechanical problems brought him to a halt in qualifying, forcing him to start in 14th place.

The Emirati shrugged off that setback with a composed drive to a seventh place finish, crucially one spot ahead of Hagin, who had also been dropped down the field by mechanical issues in qualifying.

Out of luck

Team Abu Dhabi’s Rashed Al Qemzi, aiming to repeat his victory in Ribadouro 12 months ago after narrowly missing out on pole position yesterday, ran completely out of luck when halted by engine problems after just one lap.

Portugal’s Duarte Benavente lasted just two more laps before going out, and Mette Bjerknæs became the third early casualty, also suffering engine issues to exit after 12 laps.

From Ribadouro, the F2 world championship moves 270-km south to Vila Velha de Ródão next weekend where the final round of the 2022 series take place on the Tagus river.

It was there 12 months ago that Al Qemzi completed back-to-back victories in Portugal to become F2 world champion for the third time following his triumphs in 2017 and 2019.

That was the 14th world powerboat racing crown secured by Team Abu Dhabi since Guido Cappellini took over as team manager in manager in February 2015.