Abu Dhabi: Team Abu Dhabi’s Rashid Al Qamzi will be gleefully looking at the opportunity of clinching a second world crown as two teams from the UAE embark at the UIM F2 World Championship that will continue with the Grand Prix of Portugal in Ribadouro this weekend.
Al Qamzi is the UAE’s hope as Team Abu Dhabi and Victory Team launch their bid for glory at the world championship.
A world champion in 2017, Al Qamzi heads into the penultimate round of the competition with a commanding 30-point advantage over the Dutchman Ferdinand Zandbergen (25 points) on the back of wins in Lithuania and Italy and a second place in Norway.
“I have a big lead and I’m relaxed, but I will push hard again because I want to win,” Al Qamzi said.
With a final round to follow in Abu Dhabi on December 5-7, Zandbergen, Portugal’s Duarte Benavente (23 points), German Stefan Hagin (20) and Swedish pair Ola Pettersson (22) and Daniel Segenmark (20) each have a mathematical chance of overhauling Al Qamzi.
But the Emirati driver, whose dominance of the series so far has been underlined by three successive pole positions, will be looking to secure his second F2 world crown in three years with a podium finish on the Douro River in Ribadouro on Sunday.
The F2 boats take to the waters at 11.15am local time on Saturday for a two-hour free practice session ahead of qualifying getting under way at 3pm. The Grand Prix of Portugal is scheduled to start at 3.45pm on Sunday.
Standings
UIM F2 World Championship
1. Rashid Al Qamzi (UAE) 55 pts
2. Ferdinand Zandbergen (Netherlands) 25
3. Duarte Benavente (Portugal) 23
4. Ola Pettersson (Sweden) 22
5. Stefan Hagin (Germany) 20
6. Daniel Segenmark (Sweden) 20
7. Bimba Sjoholm (Sweden) 12
8. Tobias Munthe-Kaas (Norway) 11
9. Brent Dillard (US) 9
10. Owen Jelf (Great Britain) 9
