Sunday, August 24, 2025
6:50 PM
Doha,Qatar
*

Team Abu Dhabi resume battle for F1 H2O glory in Portugal this weekend

Team Abu Dhabi heads to the scenic Portuguese Algarve region this week, as Alex Carella attempts to continue the momentum he showed with a famous victory at the Grand Prix of France two weekends ago and Thani al-Qamzi aims to bounce back from a second successive disappointment in the UIM F1 H2O World Championship.
The Grand Prix of Portugal takes place on the Arade River in Portimao on Sunday and the team out of the Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club (ADIMSC) has the bit between its teeth after Carella’s sensational victory in Evian catapulted the Italian to the top of the Drivers’ Championship and gave Team Abu Dhabi an eight-point advantage in the Teams’ title race. Carella also leads the UIM Pole Position series by three points from two-time World Champion Philippe Chiappe.
“The win in France was very hard fought and took everything out of me,” said the Italian. “I was very tired afterwards. No one lap was easy. The conditions were difficult, with crazy waves, and I was taking risks all the time, especially when me and Shaun (Torrente) were fighting.”
Carella won the race in France last year before being deprived of the win with a post-race technicality and now leads this year’s series by 11 points from Torrente. “This year it was our weekend in France. But Shaun will be determined to get his revenge in Portugal and we have already been in contact through social media and both of us are looking forward to what promises to be another great battle.”
Torrente may have been the major challenger in Evian, but Carella knows full well that Chiappe — who holds third in the Drivers’ Championship — endured a disappointing weekend at the last round by his exacting standards and the likes of al-Qamzi, Jonas Andersson, Ahmed al-Hameli, Erik Stark and Sami Selio all suffered their own bad luck and will be out to avenge their French setbacks.
After F-4S racing was omitted from the racing programme in Evian, Rashed al-Qamzi and Mohamed al-Mehairbi return to UIM F-4S Trophy racing action in a pair of 20-minute races that precede BRM F1 Qualifying on Saturday and the main Grand Prix of Portugal on Sunday.
Al-Qamzi is currently tied for the series lead with Ferdinand Zandbergen, after both the Emirati and the Dutchman took a third place and an outright win apiece at the two races in Dubai in March. They are two points clear of Finland’s Kalle Viippo, while Al-Mehairbi suffered his own fair share of disappointment in Dubai and holds ninth place with five points.

2016 UIM F1H2O World Championship Drivers’ standings
1. Alex Carella (ITA) Abu Dhabi 35 pts
2. Shaun Torrente (USA) Victory Team 24
3. Philippe Chiappe (FRA) China CTIC 20
4. Filip Roms (FIN) Baba Racing 17
5. Jonas Andersson (SWE) Sweden 9
5. Cédric Deguisne (FRA) Maverick 9
5. Duarte Benavente (PRT) F1 Atlantic 9

2016 UIM F1 H2O Pole Position
Championship standings

1. Alex Carella (ITA) Abu Dhabi 35 pts
2. Philippe Chiappe (FRA) China CTIC 32
3. Shaun Torrente (USA) Victory 22
4. Thani al-Qamzi (ARE) Abu Dhabi 14
4. Erik Stark (SWE) Emirates Racing 14

Comments
  • There are no comments.

Add Comments

B1Details

Latest News

SPORT

Canada's youngsters set stage for new era

Saying goodbye is never easy, especially when you are saying farewell to those that have left a positive impression. That was the case earlier this month when Canada hosted Mexico in a friendly at BC Place stadium in Vancouver.

1:43 PM February 26 2017
TECHNOLOGY

A payment plan for universal education

Some 60mn primary-school-age children have no access to formal education

11:46 AM December 14 2016
CULTURE

10-man Lekhwiya leave it late to draw Rayyan 2-2

Lekhwiya’s El Arabi scores the equaliser after Tresor is sent off; Tabata, al-Harazi score for QSL champions

7:10 AM November 26 2016
ARABIA

Yemeni minister hopes 48-hour truce will be maintained

The Yemeni Minister of Tourism, Dr Mohamed Abdul Majid Qubati, yesterday expressed hope that the 48-hour ceasefire in Yemen declared by the Command of Coalition Forces on Saturday will be maintained in order to lift the siege imposed on Taz City and ease the entry of humanitarian aid to the besieged

10:30 AM November 27 2016
ARABIA

QM initiative aims to educate society on arts and heritage

Some 200 teachers from schools across the country attended Qatar Museum’s (QM) first ever Teachers Council at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) yesterday.

10:55 PM November 27 2016
ARABIA

Qatar, Indonesia to boost judicial ties

The Supreme Judiciary Council (SJC) of Qatar and the Indonesian Supreme Court (SCI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on judicial co-operation, it was announced yesterday.

10:30 AM November 28 2016
ECONOMY

Sri Lanka eyes Qatar LNG to fuel power plants in ‘clean energy shift’

Sri Lanka is keen on importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar as part of government policy to shift to clean energy, Minister of City Planning and Water Supply Rauff Hakeem has said.

10:25 AM November 12 2016
B2Details
C7Details