Mansoori claims victory in Portugal as Al Qemzi retains lead in title race
by Narayan Marar 15 Sep 10:01 PDT
Team Abu Dhabi's Mansoor Al Mansoori turning on the power in Portugal © Team Abu Dhabi
Team Abu Dhabi's Mansoor Al Mansoori recorded a convincing victory in the Grand Prix of Portugal today as team-mate Rashed Al Qemzi stayed on course for a record fifth title triumph in the UIM F2 World Championship.
Starting from pole position, Al Mansoori produced a flawless drive in the penultimate round of the 2024 championship, while fourth place ensured Al Qemzi goes into next weekend's final Grand Prix at Vila Velha de Ródão holding a six-point lead from Lithuania's Edgaras Riabko.
It means a third victory of the season to add to his wins in Norway and Italy will ensure Al Qemzi retains the F2 crown, and earns a place in the record books, although the Emirati will be taking nothing for granted as a fiercely competitive seasons heads for a grand finale.
Having upstaged his team-mate by claiming pole position 24 hours earlier, Al Mansoori climbed to third in the championship, just four points adrift of Riabko, who took the third podium spot in Peso Da Régua.
Second place for Matthew Palfreyman saw the British driver draw level in the standings with Sweden's Mathilda Wiberg, and they will both be fighting for a championship top three finish next weekend.
Wiberg's title hopes were virtually destroyed by her accident in the previous day's qualifying shoot out which damaged her boat beyond repair, leaving her to sit out the race on her 21st birthday.
If there was a race in which Al Qemzi needed a perfect start, this was it after his disappointing eighth place in qualifying, and he duly obliged to power his way up to fourth place.
A second F2 Grand Prix win for Al Mansoori underlined his status as a serious F2 challenger. That will be no surprise to anyone at Abu Dhabi Marine Sports Club, which has produced a string of world powerboat racing champions over the years, and holds him in high regard.
After succeeding Al Qemzi as F4-S world champion in 2017, Al Mansoori recorded two top ten finishes in the 2019 F2 series before joining Team Abu Dhabi for the 2021 season.
The following year he finished third overall in the championship with the help of a maiden Grand Prix victory in Lithuania following a runner up finish at the opening round in Poland.
Last season, Al Mansoori took fifth place in the championship, when his best performance was a third-place finish in Régua. He arrived in Portugal in a confident mood a few days ago after taking second place behind Al Qemzi in San Nazzaro, a repeat of their dominant 1-2 success in round two in Norway.
Leading championship positions:
1. Rashed Al Qemzi UAE 61pts
2. Edgaras Riabko LTU 55pts
3. Mansoor Al Mansoori UAE 51pts
4. Mathilda Wiberg SWE 44pts
5. Matthew Palfreyman GBR 44pts
6. Nelson Morin FRA 27pts