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Al Qamzi misses out on World challenge

DUBAI - Team Abu Dhabi’s Ahmed Al Hameli and Thani Al Qamzi finished second and sixth overall in the 20th Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi, hosted by the ADIMSC, on Friday afternoon.

But the result meant that Al Qamzi missed out on an opportunity to challenge for the 2011 UIM F1 H20 World Championship title in Sharjah next weekend. Qatar’s Alex Carella led the race from start-to-finish and his 20 points meant that Al-Qamzi was out of reach of catching the young Italian.

Al-Hameli challenged the Qatar driver throughout the 35-lap race, but was unable to pass him, although the Emirati maintains fourth in the points’ standings by taking second overall. Carella now heads his team-mate Jay Price by five points before the final race of the year next Friday on Khaled Lagoon.

Team Abu Dhabi driver Salem Al-Mansoori started his second UIM F-4S race from the rear of the eight-boat grid later than anticipated and was forced to withdraw after one lap. Matthew Palfreyman won the 12^th race of the 14-event calendar, with Sweden’s Bimba Sjoholm in second and Qatar’s Khaled Saleh Al-Shamlan taking third position.

Al-Hameli and Al-Qamzi began the 35-lap race on the 2.17km, eight-pin course from third and sixth positions, but the yellow flag was raised after Bartek Marszalek and Shaun Torrente were involved in a first lap collision. Racing resumed on lap seven and Al-Hameli snatched second place from Marit Stromoy, but Al-Qamzi slipped to seventh.

By lap 10, Al-Hameli was beginning to pressurise Carella at the front of the field and Al-Qamzi moved up to fifth position at the expense of Phillipe Chiappe, who retired on lap 15. As the race reached halfway, Al-Hameli and Al-Qamzi maintained second and fifth places, with Carella keeping his four-second lead. The Team Abu Dhabi duo retained their positions through lap 25

Pierre Lundin moved ahead of Al-Qamzi on lap 30, as Al-Hameli continued to pressurise Carella for the lead. With five laps remaining, the gap was just 2.42s and Carella seemed to lose control.