Team Abu Dhabi face must-win situation

Al Qamzi, Carella head into Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi aiming to build on ADIMSC success story

Team Abu Dhabi are currently enjoying their most successful season to date, but Thani Al Qamzi or Alex Carella must produce a win on home waters next week if one of them is to have any chance of bringing a second world title to the UAE capital.

Heading into the Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi, the penultimate round of the 2015 UIM F1 H2O World Championship on Friday, Al Qamzi and Carella are two of seven drivers who can mathematically still snatch the F1 crown, with the final round to follow in Sharjah a week later.

The Emirati and his Italian teammate have been testing in earnest at Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club (ADIMSC) in recent weeks to give themselves the best chance of securing a win, although a home success for either may still not be enough.

Nevertheless, Al Qamzi and Carella are eager to build on the recent achievements of Class 1 stars John Tomlinson and Gary Ballough, who secured Team Abu Dhabi’s first world title last month, and Rashid Al Tayer and Faleh Al Mansouri, who last weekend finished runners up in their first season in the UIM XCAT World Series

The F1 series was reduced from eight to six rounds with the cancellation of races in Shanghai and Pattaya, and in the last race run in early October, Al Qamzi maintained his composure to seal second position on China’s Lui River.

As a result, he heads into the Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi lying sixth in the championship standings, a point ahead of Carella but 35 shy of the series leader and defending champion, Philippe Chiappe, who won in Abu Dhabi last year.

The Frenchman’s clinical win in China sees him arrive in the UAE with a 16-point advantage over the Victory Team’s Shaun Torrente.