Al Tayer, Al Mansoori set the pace for Shanghai Grand Prix
Team Abu Dhabi’s Rashed Al Tayer and Majed Al Mansoori secured their first ever pole position in the UIM XCAT World Championship today at the start of a tense three days of racing in China.
Al Tayer and Al Mansoori in Abu Dhabi 5 set the fastest qualifying time for the Shanghai Grand Prix when they clocked 2:13.692 on their fifth of ten laps.
They topped the standings comfortably from Tom Barry-Cotter and Ross Willaton in Maritimo (2:14.768) and the Dubai Police pairing of Arif Al Zaffain and Nadir Bin Hendi (2:15.500).
Team Abu Dhabi’s reigning XCAT world champions and current series leaders, Shaun Torrente and Faleh Al Mansoori in Abu Dhabi 4, set the fourth fastest time. They were starting the first of the weekend’s three Grand Prix races later in a confident mood, however, having won the opening round of the season in Italy after finishing third in qualifying.
Shanghai Grand Prix qualifying times
1. Abu Dhabi 5 (UAE) Rashed Al Tayer / Majed Al Mansoori 2:13.692
2. Maritimo (AUS) Tom Barry-Cotter / Ross Willaton 2:14.768
3. Dubai Police (UAE) Arif Al Zaffain / Nadir Bin Hendi 2:15.500
4. Abu Dhabi 4 (UAE) Shaun Torrente / Faleh Al Mansoori 2:15.793
5. HPI Racing Team (IT) Rosario Schiano Di Cola / Guiseppe Schiano Di Cola 2:17.664
6. Swecat Racing (SWE) Erik Stark / Sebastian Groth 2: 18.537
7. 222 Offshore (IT/AUS) Giovanni Carpitella / Darren Nicholson 2:18.607
8. Kuwait (KWT) Abdullatif Al Omani / Moustafa Al Dashti 2:19.834
9. New Star Racing (RU) Mikhail Kitashev / Dimitry Vandyshev 2:20.397
10. De Mitri (IT) Roberto Lo Piano / Marco Di Cosmo 2:20.700