Engine problems thwart Team Qatar

ABU DHABI, UAE: Engine problems in the first of the two sprint races ended Khalid Abdullah Al-Kuwari’s chances of achieving a winning treble for Team Qatar at the UIM Nations Cup in Abu Dhabi yesterday.
Fresh from his superb victory in the Match Races on Tuesday, the Doha-based driver could only manage 12th place after engine problems intervened in the first of the two sprint races that was won by Team UAE’s Rashid Al Qemzi.
A new engine was fitted for the second sprint race and Al-Kuwari eventually reached the chequered flag in eighth position. Victory in the race fell to Team UAE’s Al Qemzi from Team Norway’s Stian Slattendalen and Team Italy’s Stefano Paoletti.
The victory was enough for Team UAE to pip Team Italy and Team Norway to the UIM Nations Cup win in Abu Dhabi after both the UAE and Norwegian teams had one driver fail to score in the last race and the Italian duo finished third and sixth.
“It was a weekend of highs and lows, “said Khalid bin Arhama AL-Kuwari, head of formula racing at the Qatar Marine Sports Federation (QMSF), which runs under the presidency of Sheikh Hassan bin Jabor Al Thani. 
“The high points was Khalid’s win on Tuesday and then we had the engine issues today and Mohammed’s (Al-Obaidly) accident as well yesterday.”
Team Qatar held fifth position in the UIM Nations Cup heading into Wednesday’s pair of sprint races and even a pair of outright victories and 50 points for Al-Kuwari would probably see the QMSF-backed team fall short following Mohammed Al Obaidly’s crash on Tuesday.
Team Qatar had 25 points. They were two behind a tying Team Russia and Team Norway, 10 adrift of Team UAE and 11 behind Team Italy.
Winning the first of the sprint races was crucial for Al Kuwari, but he was hampered by engine problems throughout the 26-lap race and eventually reached the chequered flag down in 12th position.
Team Qatar’s team manager Khalid bin Arhama Al-Kuwari confirmed that the engine would be replaced in time for the second race, but Team Qatar had slipped out of contention for the UIM Nations Cup.
Team UAE’s Rashid Al-Qemzi won the race by 12.90 seconds from Team Norway’s Stian Slattendalen and a fifth place for fellow Emirati Mohammed Al Mehairbi meant that Team UAE led the UIM Nations Cup by an unofficial nine points heading into the second sprint race.
Only 12 of the Nations Cup entrants had taken to the water for the morning’s free practice sessions and Al Kuwari had recorded the fourth quickest time of 46.38 seconds behind Team Italy’s Marco Gambi, Team Venezuela’s Antonio Spitaleri and Team Norway’s Stian Slattendalen.
Attention at the QMSF now switches to the vital Grand Prix of Sharjah, the final round of the 2013 UIM F1 H2O World Championship, next weekend.
The Peninsula