RASHED FACES ANXIOUS WAIT TO START NEW F2 TITLE CHASE IN LITHUANIA

Team Abu Dhabis Rashed Al Qemzi faces an anxious wait overnight before introducing his bid for a third UIM F2 world championship title in tomorrows Grand Prix of Lithuania.

Al Qemzi looked in brilliant form as he led free practice in Kupikis, but then unluckily went out of the first of three qualifying sessions following a collison with Swede Johan sterberg.

The 2017 and 2019 F2 world champion was unhurt, but must now count on the Team Abu Dhabi technicians working flat out to repair his boat in time for the Emirati to start the opening race of the season tomorrow.

With a day that had started so brightly for the 2017 and 2019 world champion ended in disappointment, team-mate Mansoor Al Mansoori qualified in fifth place on his Team Abu Dhabi debut.

Seventh fastest in free practice, he shrugged off the shock of seeing Al Qemzis early departure from qualifying to set the second fastest time behind Norways Tobias Munthe-Kaas in the opening session.

Third quickest behind Swede Daniel Segenmark in session two, Al Mansoori will now hope to start his first Grand Prix in Team Abu Dhabi colours alongside Al Qemzi, the driver he succeeded as F4-S world champion in 2017. Al Qemzi was absolutely blameless for the crash in qualifying, and race officials were examining video footage of the incident before deciding whether sterberg was at fault.

Al Qemzi, who won in Lithuania on his way to both his world titles said Im not sure what caused the accident, but now my hope is that Ill be able to start the race tomorrow,.

A late surge in the final qualifying session saw Lithuanias Edgaras Riabko claim pole position ahead of Team Sharjahs Dutch driver Ferdinand Zandbergen and Portugals reigning world champion Duarte Benavente.

Captions:

1. Rashed Al Qemzi - was in brilliant form before his exit from qualifying

2. Mansoor Al Mansoori a good showing on his Team Abu Dhabi debut.