Abu Dhabi (Aletihad)
Team Abu Dhabi's Rashed Al Qemzi says he is under no pressure to push for a big result when he returns to action in the 2024 UIM F1H2O World Championship at the Grand Prix of Zhengzhou, China, at the weekend.
The race will feature 18 boats, including those from Sharjah and Dubai, competing for top spots. For Abu Dhabi, the five-time UIM F2 world champion and reserve driver joins forces again with his cousin, veteran Emirati driver Thani Al Qemzi, following the mutual decision by the management and Alberto Comparato to part company.
"Like everyone else in the team, I wish Alberto great success in the future, and we all know that we're going to see a lot more from him in the years ahead," said Al Qemzi, who moved into the record books by clinching his latest F2 triumph last month.
"Now I have another good opportunity to show what I can do in the F1H2O World Championship and help the team, and I'm happy to be racing with Thani again. "As always, I'll be giving everything I've got, and I want to get the best result possible. But there's no extra pressure from the team, and obviously it's going to be tough. The standard is so high in this championship. There are so many great drivers pushing for the win, and for the podium."
While dominating the F2 championship in recent times with five titles in eight years, Al Qemzi has regularly stepped up to Team Abu Dhabi's F1H2O line-up when needed.
His 10 F1H2O championship appearances to date included a seventh-place finish in Zhengzhou last season when he stood in for Thani Al Qemzi and held fourth spot for half of the Grand Prix.
He was also part of the Team Abu Dhabi trio who won the 2021 UIM World Endurance Championships, sharing the driving with Mansoor Al Mansoori and Thani Al Qemzi, who makes his 157th career Grand Prix start in Zhengzhou.
The two-time championship runner up is eager to climb from his current ninth place in the standings, and wants to add to his career record of ten Grand Prix victories and 45 podium finishes.
He knows he must be at his best in Zhengzhou to challenge Sharjah Team's championship leader, Rusty Wyatt, and his two closest title rivals, Victory Team's Erik Stark and defending champion Jonas Andersson.
Having recorded his second Grand Prix victory of the season in last weekend's storm-lashed Grand Prix of Shanghai, Canadian rookie Wyatt could make it a remarkable title-winning debut season with another success on Saturday. Much will depend, however, on the outcome of Friday morning qualifying and the two points-scoring sprint races to follow in the afternoon.