Rashed Al Qemzi in the fray for a fourth UIM F2 title in Italy
Rashed Al Qemzi, Team Abu Dhabi’s star driver, has set his sights firmly on becoming a four-time winner of the UIM F2 World Championship, the next 2023 outing of which takes place at the 2023 Grand Prix of Italy, being held in San Nazzaro, on September 2-3, 2023.
Al Qemzi won the UIM F2 World Championship titles in 2017, 2019, and 2021 respectively.
The 2023 UIM F2 World Championship got underway on August 14, 2023, in the Baltic Sea port of Klaipeda, Lithuania.
After the 2023 Grand Prix of Italy, the championship heads to the 2023 Grand Prix of Portugal.
Key lead
Al Qemzi’s recent opening round victory in Klaipeda gave him an immediate five-point championship lead that the Emirati national achieved in harsh race conditions, as he launched a brand new boat into action for the first time and faced a formidable line-up of challengers.
Al Qemzi is looking forward to the competition in San Nazzaro on September 2-3, including having to contend with a heated field comprising Estonia’s Stefan Arand, Monaco’s Giacomo Sacchi and Britain’s Colin Jelf.
The Team Abu Dhabi driver said: “The championship is very competitive this year, but I don’t feel any nerves. The aim is for another win, and we’ll see how it goes.
“The conditions in Lithuania were harsh, with big rollers and the weather changing, and we had to make some weight adjustments to the boat.
Vital propellors
“But in the end, it was running perfectly, and for Italy, we’ll just be concentrating on selecting the right propellers,” Al Qemzi added.
Before the free practice in San Nazzaro on September 1, Al Qemzi and team-mate Mansoor Al Mansoori will test their vessel under Guido Cappellini, Team Abu Dhabi Manager.
The experience and local knowledge of 10-time F1H2O champion Cappellini are expected to play a vital role in helping to keep Al Qemzi on course for the 2023 UIM F2 world crown and in motivating Al Mansoori to put behind him a disappointing show in Klaipeda in August 2023.
2023 UIM F2 World Championship top 10 positions (points-based) as of August 30, 2023:
1. Rashed Al Qemzi (UAE) 20
2. Stefan Arand (EST) 15
3. Giacomo Sacchi (MON) 12
4. Colin Jelf (GBR) 9
5. Samuel Lucas (AUS) 9
6. Mette Bjerknæs (GBR) 5
7. Johan Österberg (SWE) 4
8. Mathilda Wiberg (SWE) 3
9. Dainis Podžuks (LAT) 2
10. Edgaras Riabko (LTU) 1
Featured image: (L-R) Rashed Al Qemzi and Guido Cappellini.
Last Updated on 1 year by Arnold Pinto
