FIA President Ben Sulayem welcomes Trump to Miami Grand Prix
The former US president witnessed maiden Formula 1 win for McLaren’s Lando Norris
Updated 06 May 2024
Arab News
MIAMI: Former US president Donald Trump was welcomed to the Miami Grand Prix by FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, where he saw McLaren’s Lando Norris notch up his first Formula 1 victory.
Sunday’s race saw British driver Norris take the checkered flag from three-time world champion Max Verstappen in the Red Bull Racing car. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc came third.
Trump, along with a number of famous athletes and other celebrities, delighted the audience by engaging with fans and attendees. He was also invited behind the scenes to tour the McLaren pit garage accompanied by the team’s CEO, American Zak Brown.
A spokesman for the Miami Grand Prix said the race weekend had sold out, with more than 275,000 fans in attendance to witness the high-octane atmosphere and exciting result.
Rashed Al-Qemzi ready to give ‘everything’ for Team Abu Dhabi in China
Record-breaking F2 champion says he does not feel pressure heading for tough test in Zhengzhou this weekend
Updated 16 October 2024
Arab News
ABU DHABI: Team Abu Dhabi’s Rashed Al-Qemzi says he is under no pressure to push for a big result when he returns to action in the 2024 UIM F1H2O World Championship at the Grand Prix of Zhengzhou in China at the weekend.
The five-time UIM F2 world champion has moved to F1 to join forces again with his cousin, veteran Emirati driver Thani Al-Qemzi, following the mutual decision by Team Abu Dhabi and Alberto Comparato to part company.
“Like everyone else in the team, I wish Alberto great success in the future, and we all know that we’re going to see a lot more from him in the years ahead,” said Rashed, who moved into the record books by clinching his latest F2 triumph last month.
“Now I have another good opportunity to show what I can do in the F1H2O World Championship and help the team, and I’m happy to be racing with Thani again.
“As always, I’ll be giving everything I’ve got, and I want to get the best result possible. But there’s no extra pressure from the team, and obviously it’s going to be tough.
“The standard is so high in this championship. There are so many great drivers pushing for the win, and for the podium.”
While dominating the F2 championship in recent times with five titles in eight years, Al-Qemzi has regularly stepped up to Team Abu Dhabi’s F1H2O lineup when needed.
His 10 appearances in the F1H2O championships to date include a seventh-place finish in Zhengzhou last season when he stood in for Thani and held fourth spot for half of the Grand Prix.
He was also part of the Team Abu Dhabi trio who won the 2021 UIM World Endurance Championships, sharing the driving with Mansoor Al-Mansoori and Thani, who makes his 157th career Grand Prix start in Zhengzhou.
The two-time championship runner-up is eager to climb from his current ninth place in the standings, and wants to add to his career record of 10 Grand Prix victories and 45 podium finishes.
He knows he must be at his best in Zhengzhou to challenge Sharjah Team’s championship leader, Rusty Wyatt, and his two closest title rivals, Victory Team’s Erik Stark and defending champion Jonas Andersson.
Having recorded his second Grand Prix victory of the season in last weekend’s storm-lashed Grand Prix of Shanghai, Canadian rookie Wyatt could make it a remarkable title-winning debut season with another success on Saturday.
Much will depend, however, on the outcome of Friday morning qualifying and the two points-scoring sprint races to follow in the afternoon.
Saudi Logistics Services partners with Jeddah GT Race 2024
SAL Jeddah GT Race 2024 will take place at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit on Nov. 29 and 30
SMC’s acting CEO, Mansour Almokbel said: ‘This partnership represents a significant step toward fulfilling our common goals’
Updated 10 October 2024
Arab News
JEDDAH: Saudi Motorsport Co. and Saudi Logistics Services have signed a partnership agreement, making SAL the title partner of the inaugural 2024 Jeddah GT Race, it was announced on Thursday.
According to the partnership, SAL will become the main partner for the race that will be renamed SAL Jeddah GT Race 2024 scheduled to take place at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit on Nov. 29 and 30.
The six-hour race will be the longest circuit motor race to be staged in Saudi Arabia.
The agreement reaffirms SAL’s commitment to social responsibility and its dedication to supporting the community and the national economy through various initiatives, programs, and collaborations with different entities, such as the SAL Jeddah GT Race 2024.
SMC’s acting CEO, Mansour Almokbel said: “This partnership represents a significant step toward fulfilling our common goals, contributing to achieving the objectives of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 and improving the quality of life in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
Thunyan Al-Thunyan, president of logistics solutions at SAL, said: “We are thrilled to partner with Jeddah GT Race 2024 as the title sponsor, in which we collaborate to reflect SAL’s ongoing commitment toward supporting Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, while also showcasing our dedication to excellence and innovation in logistics, by contributing to the success of the motorsports races and other international mega events happening in Saudi Arabia.”
The collaboration will contribute to the advancement of motorsports in Saudi Arabia and further strengthen SAL’s strategic partnership with SMC, which plays a pivotal role in the comprehensive development of motorsports in the region.
The SAL Jeddah GT Race 2024 will feature two major global races the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS, and the exciting GT4 European Series Powered by RAFA Racing Club, which will also include the longest racing event in Saudi Arabia’s history.
Rashed Al-Qemzi steps up to powerboating F1 as Team Abu Dhabi and Comparato part company
Decision to replace young Italian driver was not easy, says team manager Cappellini
Updated 10 October 2024
Arab News
Abu Dhabi: Team Abu Dhabi and Alberto Comparato have decided to part company by mutual consent, and the Italian driver will be replaced for the remainder of the 2024 UIM F1H2O World Championship season by Emirati Rashed Al-Qemzi.
Al-Qemzi, who secured a record fifth UIM F2 world title last month, immediately steps into Abu Dhabi 6 for the Grand Prix of Zhengzhou, China, the penultimate round of the F1H2O World Championship, on Oct. 17-19.
“The decision to replace Alberto was not easy, but it was a necessary one,” said Team Abu Dhabi manager Guido Cappellini. “It came after a deep series of evaluations and considerations.
“It was a choice made for the good of the team, for powerboating in Abu Dhabi overall, and for Alberto, a young driver who had already been F2 world champion before arriving at F1 inshore.”
Cappellini, a 10-time F1H2O world champion, said the decision to part company with Comparato had been mutually agreed based on results this season, which had not matched the expectations of the team, nor the driver.
Comparato said: “When I arrived at Team Abu Dhabi, under Guido’s management, I thought that this would be the 'home' where I could realize my world championship dreams in F1.
“Unfortunately, the performances did not live up to both our expectations; I have to admit to myself, and to the team, that I don’t feel comfortable and calm enough to be able to give 100 percent of myself.
“I’m sad because I know I’m leaving a top-level team, where many other drivers aspire to go. But we think this is the most appropriate choice today.
“I want to thank Guido and all the guys for the trust they have placed in me. In the future they will be opponents on the water, but people I will always respect in the paddock.”
Cappellini said the decision to replace Comparato, a driver he rates very highly, was a particularly difficult one in view of him being the son of former team-mate and friend, Fabio Comparato.
Already a member of the Team Abu Dhabi F1H2O line-up, Rashed Al-Qemzi will now make his 11th Grand Prix start in Zhengzhou alongside his cousin, veteran Emirati driver Thani Al-Qemzi.
Rashed’s last F1H2O appearance for Team Abu Dhabi came when he replaced Comparato for the inaugural Grand Prix of Bình Định inVietnam in March after the young Italian crashed during qualifying.
Disappointment for Team Abu Dhabi pair as Sharjah’s Wyatt claims power boating win in China
Al-Qemzi and Comparato set sights on Zhengzhou after Shanghai race brought to an early finish
Updated 06 October 2024
Arab News
SHANGHAI: Sharjah Team’s Rusty Wyatt extended his lead in the 2024 UIM F1H2O World Championship with victory in the Grand Prix of Shanghai, where hazardous conditions brought the race to an early finish.
Just 11 of the scheduled 32 laps had been completed when the Grand Prix was halted for safety reasons, with Team Abu Dhabi’s Thani Al-Qemzi and defending world champion Jonas Andersson among those to suffer as the weather took its toll.
After climbing two places to sixth as he looked to fight his way through the storm, Al-Qemzi slipped to a 10th-place finish, while Andersson narrowly avoided a spectacular crash and conceded second place in the title race as conditions deteriorated.
Under pressure from fellow-Swede Erik Stark, Andersson dramatically saved himself after spinning sideways, but was unable to prevent the Victory Team driver nudging him down to third spot in the Grand Prix, and the championship.
It was a tough weekend all round for Team Abu Dhabi, with Alberto Comparato finishing 14th and, like Al-Qemzi, he will be aiming for a big lift when the penultimate round takes place in Zhengzhou in two weeks’ time.
Championship rookie Wyatt was the driver who coped best throughout as the weather first ruled out the first free practice session, and yesterday forced the cancellation of the two sprint races.
He was fastest in the second practice session before clinching pole position and built a comfortable lead from the Grand Prix start, eventually finishing with a 7.2-second advantage over Stark, and now leads him by 17.5 points in the championship.
Twice a Grand Prix winner in China, veteran Emirati driver Al Qemzi will seldom have raced in more challenging conditions during an F1H2O career stretching back to 2000.
He will now look forward to his 157th race start in Zhengzhou with the intention of adding to a Grand Prix record that includes 10 race victories and 45 podium finishes.
With the threat of a typhoon ever present in Shanghai, his Abu Dhabi team-mate Comparato had joined race and team officials to carry out a safety check on the circuit in a rescue boat, before the decision was taken to cancel Saturday’s sprint races.
“It was very bad,” he said. “It was even tricky with the rescue boat, For me, it was too dangerous.”
2024 UIM F1H2O World Championship standings
Rusty Wyatt (CAN) 87pts
Erik Stark (SWE) 69.5
Jonas Andersson (SWE) 69
Peter Morin (FRA) 54.5
Bartek Marszalek (POL) 48
Stefan Arand (EST) 34.5
Marit Stromoy (NOR) 32
Sami Selio (FIN) 31
Thani Al Qemzi (UAE) 27.5
Ben Jelf (GB) 26.5
Formula E puts women in the driving seat at Valencia’s pre-season session
Electric car series announces first for an FIA Championship, holding a dedicated test session for female drivers in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship
22 drivers competing in the series set to use the latest GEN3 Evo race car
Updated 02 October 2024
Arab News
LONDON: Formula E has announced that the first all-women test session of an FIA Championship will take place on Nov. 7 at Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia, as part of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship’s pre-season testing schedule.
The first-of-its-kind test in the all-electric championship gives elite women racing drivers the opportunity to drive the Season 11 (2024-25) GEN3 Evo car, which is capable of 0-60 mph in just 1.82 seconds — 30 percent faster than a current Formula 1 car. The vehicle will also be tested during the same week by the 11 race teams and 22 drivers currently competing in the series.
Each of the race teams in the championship will be required to field at least one woman driver for the half-day test, but encouraged to field two, who will drive in current-season cars.
With all the women on the track at the same time, the session will create a tangible platform for a wide pool of elite drivers who would not otherwise get an opportunity to drive machinery at this level.
The test will aim to provide the women not only with a destination, but also a pathway to develop their careers and skills using current technology.
The drivers will take part in multiple media opportunities at the Valencia track, including press conferences, briefings and interviews, while content will be captured for broadcast and social media on behalf of Formula E and its respective teams.
Formula E is proactively launching this initiative as part of a broader long-term strategy to remove barriers and expand opportunities for women within the all-electric championship. (Supplied)
This is to raise the drivers’ profile within elite motorsport and the wider sports industry, along with encouraging those involved at grassroots level and aspiring to work in motorsport. The full lineup of women drivers participating in the test will be announced in the coming weeks by each Formula E team.
Despite motorsport being one of the few sports in which men and women can compete together, it remains predominantly male, with only 3 percent of current top-tier racing licenses worldwide held by women.
Formula E is proactively launching this initiative as part of a broader long-term strategy to remove barriers and expand opportunities for women within the all-electric championship. It is not just about creating a one-off opportunity; it is about analyzing and actively dismantling the structural inequalities that have limited women’s participation and progress.
Jeff Dodds, CEO at Formula E, said: “We know there isn’t a simple solution for greater diversity in motorsport. If we’re going to truly give women equality, opportunity and visibility in our series, however, conditions for all need to be the same to aid their development and test themselves against those already on the starting grid.
“Unlike other series where women drivers have to use old or restricted machinery, they’ll be using the state-of-the-art GEN3 Evo car that accelerates 30 percent faster than an F1 car, just as our championship drivers do.
“We also recognize that one test will not solve the longstanding issue, but we have to start somewhere, knowing there is a long way to go and making sure we’re making proactive, consistent steps that continue to make forward progress.
“As a motorsport with an almost-equal split of male and female fans, as well as within Formula E including my exec and director teams, we believe it’s only right that our drivers and wider ecosystem is representative of those that follow and support the sport.”
