2024 UIM F2 World Championship: Rashed wins in Italy to regain lead in title race
by Narayan Marar 1 Sep 22:43 PDT
Team Abu Dhabi's Rashed Al Qemzi regained the lead in the 2024 UIM F2 World Championship today with a commanding victory in the Grand Prix of Italy.
The four-time F2 world champion led from start to finish to secure his second Grand Prix success of the season ahead of team-mate Mansoor Al Mansoori in a carbon copy of their dominant one-two success in Norway last month.
Al Qemzi now has an eight-point championship lead over Sweden's Mathilda Wiberg, who took the third podium place in San Nazzaro, with Lithuania's Edgaras Riabko another point away after his fifth-place finish today.
Attempting to become the first driver to clinch the F2 title five times, the Emirati driver is in a powerful position to grab that place in the record books ahead of the back-to-back final two race weekends in Portugal later this month.
Meanwhile, Al Mansoori has given himself a chance of a place in the championship's final top three after a composed display today which lifted him into fourth place in the standings.
After edging out his Abu Dhabi team-mate to take pole position yesterday, Al Qemzi once again looked in complete control as he secured his second successive Grand Prix success in San Nazzaro.
He had to be patient, with the race being stopped on three occasions, yellow flags coming out twice when turn buoys came loose, and another time when Norway's Frode Sundsdal crashed and went out.
But the delays had no effect on Al Qemzi, who went on to finish the job in style, underlining the quality which could make him the most successful driver in the championship's history by overhauling the four titles of Sweden's Erik Stark.
He will not be allowed to relax, however, with Wiberg and Riabko both capable of a big result in Peso da Régua on September 16 to set up a tense climax to the championship in Vila Velha de Ródão a week later.