Team Abu Dhabi’s reigning world champion ready for big assault on second part of double header
Team Abu Dhabi’s Shaun Torrente is primed for a major assault on the Grand Prix of China tomorrow to move back on track for back-to-back drivers’ titles in the UIM F1H2O World Championship after a difficult day in Xiamen.
Reigning champion Torrente, who arrived in China with a three-point championship lead and was fastest in yesterday’s official practice, had to settle for fourth place in today’s Grand Prix of Xiamen as Italian four-times former world title holder Alex Carella claimed his first race win for two years.
Torrente goes into the second part of the Grand Prix double header in China tomorrow just three points behind Sweden’s Jonas Andersson in the title race, with the Team Abu Dhabi mechanics working flat out overnight to help him claim back the advantage.
Team-mate Thani Al Qemzi will be looking for a complete turnaround in fortunes after being forced out of action on the 12th of 32 laps today with engine problems.
Al Qemzi and Torrente had started the Grand Prix of Xiamen from seventh and ninth places after both failed to make the third stage of qualifying, the Emirati driver missing out after picking up a time penalty for a lap infringement.
He drops to fourth in the championship, but the vast experience of the Team Abu Dhabi drivers will tell them how quickly prospects can change in F1 powerboat racing, and both will be going all out for a ninth career Grand Prix victory tomorrow.
In the F4-S series, Team Abu Dhabi’s Mohammed Al Mehairbi put in a strong start-to-finish challenge in the first of the weekend’s two races before finishing third behind German winner Max Stilz and Britain’s Harvey Smith. Team Abu Dhabi’s Rashed Al Remeithi was placed ninth.
Grand Prix of Xiamen results
1. Alex Carella Maverick F1 Racing
2. Jonas Andersson Team Sweden
3. Marit Stromoy Emirates Racing
4. Shaun Torrente Abu Dhabi
5. Peter Morin CTIC F1 Shenzhen China
6. Greg Foster Blaze Performance
UIM F1H2O World Championship standings
1. Jonas Andersson 47pts
2. Shaun Torrente 44
3. Marit Stromoy 28
4. Thani Al Qemzi 27
5. Alex Carella 25
6. Peter Morin 9 23
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