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Team Abu Dhabi Revs Up Title Challenge In Testing Portugal Opener |
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Emirati Duo, Al Hameli & Al Qamzi, Snatch Double Podium FinishTeam Abu Dhabi’s UIM Powerboat World F1 Championship star, Ahmed Al Hameli, put in a storming display to win the series’ opening round in Portugal, as team-mate, Thani Al Qamzi, clinched third place – catapulting the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA)-backed outfit to the top of the leaderboard. Team Abu Dhabi’s double podium finish was made the more impressive given that out of 17 starting drivers, only eight battled through to finish the 42-lap race in the picturesque town of Portimao. Al Hameli now sits on 20 points atop the leaderboard, five ahead of second placed Francesco Cantando of Italy, and eight in front of Al Qamzi. “It was great to be racing in a new boat, which has given us the motivation to succeed. It was a tough race and the conditions were even tougher. I was in a strong frame of mind before the race and I pushed myself hard to get past Francesco, one of the sport’s best drivers. In the opening, the racing was very tight but I managed to take the advantage and kept it to the end,” said Al Hameli, who also clocked up the fastest lap of the day, putting him in pole position for the series’ Slam Trophy competition. “This is our best ever start to the season and it is great to get so many points early on. The race to the title is going to be difficult so we are now solely concentrating on the next round and how best to approach that.” With Al Qamzi - who narrowly missed out on his first World Championship title in 2009 - also finishing on the podium, the Abu Dhabi outfit has opened up a commanding lead in the overall team standings. They currently sit 17 points ahead of second placed Singha F1 Racing, and 18 ahead of Qatar Team. “It is really great to be on the podium with Al Hameli and to be so far ahead in the team standings is extremely encouraging. I think if it had not have been for an engine fault, I could have finished even higher, as I still managed to go from 13th place all the way up to third,” said Al Qamzi. The Emirati duo’s success caps a remarkable weekend of motorsport for the UAE capital, which saw Team Abu Dhabi – the land, sea and air racing fraternity backed by ADTA – win three separate events across three different continents. Al Hameli joins BP-Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team’s Jari-Matti Latvala, who clinched the New Zealand Rally, and Hannes Arch, the Team Abu Dhabi Red Bull Air Race pilot, who won in Brazil. “Our Team Abu Dhabi initiative has truly come to the fore this weekend. What is extremely promising is that we are seeing our grass roots development initiatives bearing fruit with our Emirati home-grown stars truly coming into their own,” said Ahmed Hussein, Deputy Director General, ADTA. |
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