Team Abu Dhabi’s Rashed targets third win in Portugal to revive world title bid

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

Team Abu Dhabi’s Rashed Al Qemzi will look to complete a hat-trick of victories in Portugal this weekend to revive his challenge for a third UIM F2 world championship crown.

The 2017 and 2019 champion and team-mate Mansoor Al Mansoori return to action in Ribadouro for the first of two back-to-back race weekends making up the Grand Prix of Portugal which bring this year’s series to a climax.

Qemzi, who won on his last two appearances in Portugal in 2018 and 2019, is chasing a third successive win on the Douro river ahead of the final round a week later at Vila Velha de Ródão.

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“At the moment my mind is on Ribadouro only,” said the Emirati driver. “We have the best team in the world behind us, and I have a good feeling after winning there twice. I want to use that experience to help myself and Mansoori.”

Qemzi arrives in Portugal lying fifth in the championship after he and Mansoori – both reigning world endurance champions - were knocked out of contention at the opening round in Lithuania, won by local favourite Edgaras Riabko.

The double world champion was forced to start the Grand Prix near the back of the grid after Swede Johan Österberg crashed into him during qualifying.

Mansoori lost his chance of a podium finish 24 hours later when his boat was rammed from behind by another Swede, Daniel Segenmark, putting him out of the race.

“We were both very unlucky, but these things happen in racing and that’s all behind us now,” said Al Mansoori. “Our focus is on Ribadouro and getting the best results for the team.”

Qemzi, who has a 13 point gap to make up on championship leader Riabko, beat both the Lithuanian and second-placed Dutchman Ferdinand Zandbergen on his way to victory in Portugal two years ago.

His first target at the weekend will be to grab pole position on Saturday in order to set himself up for a race win the following day.

That, regardless of Riabko’s performance, would reinforce Qemzi’s belief that he can claim another world title a week later, and 270km further south, on the Tagus river.

He already has one world major powerboat racing crown to his name this season after partnering Mansoori and Thani Al Qemzi to success in the UIM World Endurance Championships in Augustow, Poland three months ago.

It was Rashed's first taste of world championship action since he crowned a brilliant 2019 F2 season with an emphatic home victory in the Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi, the final round of the series.

The Team Abu Dhabi driver had already been installed as F2 world champion for the second time in three years prior to securing his fourth Grand Prix triumph of the year on home waters.

The victory gave him a place in the record books as the winner of the first ever UIM F2 race staged in the UAE capital.

It had been an outstanding season for Qemzi from his opening round victory in Lithuania. Other victories followed in Italy and Portugal to clinch the title with one round to spare, adding to the Nations Cup and F4-S world championships he secured before his first F2 triumph in 2017.