Team Abu Dhabi Duo Face Battle Back Through Field After Challenging Qualifying in Brindisi
Team Abu Dhabi's Rashed Al Qemzi and Mansoor Al Mansoori are set for a tough fight in Sunday's Grand Prix of Italy after qualifying in ninth and tenth positions respectively. The challenging race circuit in the Adriatic port of Brindisi tested the duo during Saturday's competitive session.
Al Qemzi, aiming to surpass Erik Stark to become the first racer to secure five UIM F2 World Championship titles, and his teammate Al Mansoori struggled to match their previous season's pace, where they finished first and fifth in the Drivers' Championship. Both racers will now have to navigate through heavy traffic on the tricky saltwater course to aim for a podium finish.
The qualifying format featured three sessions of 20, 15, and 20 minutes. Two out of 17 drivers were eliminated in Q1, nine in Q2, and the remaining six battled for pole position. Al Qemzi initially set a time of 49.320 seconds, securing a spot in Q2 with a later run of 48.643 seconds. Sweden's Mathilda Wiberg led Q1 with a 47.286-second lap.
Al Mansoori's best lap of 49.097 seconds placed him 11th in Q1, with Lithuanian Egidijus Dagilis and Slovak Peter Žak failing to advance. In Q2, Giacomo Sacchi from Monaco led early with a 46.373-second lap. Despite their efforts, Al Qemzi and Al Mansoori finished ninth and tenth, respectively, with Sacchi topping the session.
In Q3, Sacchi, Wiberg, David Del Pin, Matthew Palfreyman, and Tullio Abbate competed for pole position. Abbate secured the top spot, followed by Sacchi and Palfreyman. Technical issues prevented Duarte Benavente from participating.
In the morning's 90-minute free practice, Sacchi recorded the fastest lap at 44.215 seconds, while Al Qemzi and Al Mansoori focused on refining their race setups, finishing fourth and 11th respectively.
Racers will have a final warm-up session at 10:00 CET on Sunday, followed by the parade lap and the Grand Prix of Italy's start at 18:30 CET, marking the opening round of the UIM F2 World Championship
