Team Abu Dhabi’s star driver extends his lead in the world title race
San Nazzaro, September 03, 2023 – Rashid Al Qamzi of Team Abu Dhabi delivered a remarkable performance in the Grand Prix of Italy on Sunday, further solidifying his lead in the 2023 UIM F2 World Championship.
In pursuit of his fourth F2 world drivers’ title, the Emirati driver showcased flawless skills on the San Nazzaro’s River Po circuit, claiming a comfortable victory over Sweden’s Daniel Segenmark and maintaining his unbeaten streak this season.
Al Qamzi’s consecutive triumph expanded his championship lead to 16 points, leaving Monaco’s Giacomo Sacchi in third place on the podium.
Completing the top six were Lithuania’s Edgaras Riabko, Estonia’s Stefan Arand, and Britain’s Mette Bjerknæs. Meanwhile, Team Abu Dhabi’s Mansoor Al Mansoori finished in seventh position after starting from eighth.
Demonstrating his exceptional start as usual, Al Qamzi quickly asserted his dominance until a yellow flag interrupted the race due to Sweden’s Mathilda Wiberg colliding with a buoy.
Following the temporary halt and a pontoon restart, the outcome remained unchanged as Al Qamzi powered his way to a commanding lead ahead of Norway’s Tobias Munthe-Kaas. Unfortunately, the race was again paused when Totti Kemppainen, a rookie Finnish driver from the Sharjah Team, crashed out.
Nevertheless, these interruptions did not hinder Al Qamzi, who maintained his composure and regained control after the restart, swiftly establishing a lead of over seven seconds from Daniel Segenmark. From that point onward, the three-time world champion exhibited unparalleled skill, occasionally allowing Segenmark to close the gap before pulling away to demonstrate his authority. Ultimately, he triumphed by just under three seconds.
Al Qamzi’s performance was marked by his trademark confidence. In the previous month’s opening round in Lithuania, he emerged victorious while driving a brand new boat for the first time. Moreover, he displayed brilliance during the qualifying shoot-out, securing pole position. Today’s start-to-finish triumph positions him as the clear favorite to secure another world title for Team Abu Dhabi.
The championship’s outcome will be determined during two consecutive Grand Prix race weekends later this month in Portugal. It was in Portugal where Al Qamzi clinched his third F2 world title in 2021, triumphing with two impressive victories within a week.