Team Abu Dhabi duo aim to boost double world title bid in Italy GP
The 2022 UIM F1H2O World Championship reaches a critical stage in Italy at the weekend, with Team Abu Dhabi’s Shaun Torrente and Thani Al Qemzi looking to tighten their grip on the title race in a Grand Prix double header.
It is just over three months since the team enjoyed a perfect start to the 2022 campaign, when Torrente won the Grand Prix of France from team-mate Qemzi on the Saone River circuit in Macon.
Two-times world champion Torrente can’t wait to resume his bid for a third F1H2O driver’s title, and relishes having Qemzi as his closest challenger, and at the same time his partner in pursuit of a fith team championship triumph.
“It seems like a different season from when we were in Macon, but hopefully we can carry some of that momentum forward,” he said, ahead of Saturday’s Grand Prix of Regione Emilia Romagna in San Nazzaro, followed 24 hours later by the Grand Prix of Italy.
“The main focus in our preparation is always on the way the boat handles. Then it’s all about speed and qualifying, making sure the engine package is right, that the improvements made to the boat are good, and that we get reacquainted really well with each other again.
“The main thing that makes us hard to beat is that Thani and myself complement each other well, and it’s the same throughout the team. Everybody knows their job, and does their job well.”
Torrente says that adding to his successive world title wins in 2018 and 2019 would be “incredible”. But he would be the first to congratulate Qemzi should the Emirati overtake him in Italy, or at December’s final round in Sharjah, to land his first individual F1H2O crown.
The two Team Abu Dhabi drivers are determined to make amends for last season’s final round disappointment in Portugal, when Sweden’s Jonas Andersson edged out Qemzi by a single point, with Torrente just two more points away in third.
Andersson will be aiming to boost his hopes of a successful title defence ater a fith place finish in France, while Sharjah Team’s Sami Selio hopes for a big change in fortunes ater a major setback in Macon.
The Finnish driver was leading from pole position in the opening round before mechanical problems put him out of the race.
Selio must also put behind him the frustration of being disqualified from last Sunday’s UIM F2 World Championship decider in Portugal, where Team Abu Dhabi’s Mansoor Mansoori was installed as world champion.
The 2007 and 2010 UIM F1 H2O world champion has more pole position wins in the series than any other driver ater topping qualifying for the 26th time in France.
Selio has been using the F2 World Championship to keep himself sharp and ready for a big challenge in Italy at the weekend, where two big finishes could see him arrive in Sharjah in December challenging for the F1 H2O title again.
The influence of Team Abu Dhabi manager Guido Cappellini will be a significant factor in
San Nazzaro, where the Italian ten-times F1 H2O champion has laid on new test facilities for Torrente and Qemzi.
Cappellini has already guided the team to 15 world titles in seven seasons, and is eager to deliver two more this season to Abu Dhabi Marine Sports Club.
Earlier, Team Abu Dhabi’s Mansoori was crowned F2 world champion ater a dramatic turn of events.
Norway’s Tobias Munthe-kaas, Germany’s Stefan Hagin and Finland’s Selio were each disqualified from the final round of the 2022 series for engine infringements following postrace technical checks.
This followed the earlier one lap penalty imposed on Edgaras Riabko for a start infringement, which dropped the Lithuanian from second place to tenth.
The decisions saw American Brent Dillard replacing Munthe-kaas as race winner, while Mansoori climbed from sixth to second position to take the F2 crown, with an 18-point winning margin from Sharjah Team driver Selio.
Hagin, who had provisionally been acclaimed as world champion, finished third in the standings, another point away.
Al Mansoori, who joined Team Abu Dhabi last year, succeeds team-mate Rashed Al Qemzi who secured his third F2 world title with victory in Portugal 12 months ago.
It means Guido Cappellini has now delivered 15 powerboat world championships to Abu Dhabi Marine Sport Club since taking charge as Team Abu Dhabi manager in February 2015.
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