Team Abu Dhabi trio gear up for Xiangyang showdown
xiangyang — Team Abu Dhabi’s racing trio of Thani Al Qemzi, Erik Stark and Shaun Torrente are heading for a gripping showdown on the Han River at this weekend’s Grand Prix of Xiangyang, round four of the 2018 UIM F1 H2O World Championship.
The trio operating out of the Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club (ADIMSC) clinched an historic 1-2-3 finish at the 22nd Grand Prix of France on Lac Leman in Évian-les-Baines during the summer and that has catapulted them to the top three positions in the World Championship standings, as the series heads to China and India before concluding with two races in the UAE in December.
A recent test session in Italy has further strengthened the team’s resolve and multiple world champion Giudo Cappellini, Team Abu Dhabi’s racing manager, is confident that they have found the most effective set-up for the conditions the drivers are likely to face on Xiangyang’s Han River.
Stark will line-up on the sevenpin, 2.23km race course defending a two-point championship lead over Al Qemzi, while Torrente holds third position — a further seven points behind. Team Abu Dhabi has a comfortable 26-point lead in the UIM Teams’ Championship and Stark leads the UIM F1 H2O Pole Position series by three points.
Three-time World Champion Philippe Chiappe of the CTIC F1 Shenzhen China Team holds fourth place, five points behind Torrente, and his team-mate Peter Morin is a close fifth. The remainder of the field is some way behind after the opening three rounds of the series in Portugal, England and France.