SHANGHAI: Team Abu Dhabi’s Thani Al-Qemzi and Alberto Comparato are ready for a tough examination in tomorrow’s Grand Prix of Shanghai, China after Sharjah Team’s Rusty Wyatt secured pole position for Round 4 of the 2024 UIM F1H2O World Championship.
Rough waters stirred by powerful winds have plagued the championship’s return to Shanghai following a 20-year absence, and Wyatt adapted best to dominate today’s single qualifying session as he looked to extend his lead in the title race.
The Canadian rookie won by an impressive 1.25 seconds from Sweden’s defending world champion Jonas Andersson, who was followed by Victory Team’s Erik Stark as the top three in the championship standings made their mark.
Veteran Emirati driver Al-Qemzi, making his 156th race start, will be looking to call on his vast experience to climb through the field after qualifying eighth, 13 years after securing one of his 10 Grand Prix victories in China.
He was forced to return to the pontoon with technical issues after completing just two qualifying laps, but returned to the circuit later, although he was unable to improve his position.
Abu Dhabi teammate Comparato also has a lot of work to do when he starts in ninth position on the new and demanding 2,153m circuit on the Huangpu River, with typhoon conditions forecast for this weekend.
With that in mind, a last-minute decision was taken to start qualifying 30 minutes early today and reduce it from the normal three phases to a single 40-minute session.
But as conditions deteriorated following the completion of qualifying, the two scheduled sprint races, both carrying championship points, were canceled, and tomorrow’s Grand Prix was switched from the afternoon to a 9 a.m. local time start.
The race could become a test of nerve if there is no reprieve from the stormy weather that greeted the teams on their arrival in Shanghai and forced the cancelation of Friday’s first free practice session because of safety concerns.
As conditions eased later, Wyatt set the fastest time ahead of Stark in the second free practice session, with Al-Qemzi recording the third-best lap ahead of Frenchman Peter Morin and Andersson, and Comparato in ninth spot.
Few are better equipped to handle the conditions, and their effect on the race schedule, than Al-Qemzi, who has seen it all in an F1H2O career that began back in 2000, and he will be determined to get the maximum out of himself, and Team Abu Dhabi 5, tomorrow.
