Emirati dominates qualifying as he bids to increase lead in F2 world title race
Team Abu Dhabi’s Rashed Al Qemzi maintained his 100% qualifying record in the 2019 UIM F2 World Championship today by clinching pole position for the Grand Prix of Italy.
Just as he did during the previous two rounds in Lithuania and Norway, Al Qemzi dominated qualifying in Brindisi where two of the three stages were carried over from last night.
After setting fastest times in the first two qualifying phases, the Emirati driver won the ten-boat shootout with a lap of 34.47, ahead of Sweden’s Bimba Sjöholm, 35.16, and Norway’s Tobias Munthe-Kaas, 35.34.
Team Abu Dhabi’s Rashed Al Tayer set the seventh fastest time with a lap of 36.19.
Al Qemzi, the 2017 F2 world champion, leads the 2019 series by 14 points from Dutchman Ferdinand Zandbergen – fifth fastest in qualifying – ahead of the Grand Prix of Italy which roars to life at 6.30pm local time in Brindisi.
Grand Prix of Italy qualifying shootout results:
1. Rashed Al Qemzi (UAE) 34.47
2. Bimba Sjöholm (SWE) 35.16
3. Tobias Munthe-Kaas (NOR) 35.34
4. Stefan Hagin (GER) 35.75
5. Ferdinand Zandbergen (NL) 35.78
6. Daniel Segenmark (SWE) 35.81
7. Rashed Al Tayer (UAE) 36.19
8. Duarte Benavente (POR) 36.34
9. Ola Pettersson (SWE) 37.09
10. Héctor Sanz (SPA) DNS
Caption: Rashed Al Qemzi – third successive pole position