DOHA: Team Abu Dhabi’s Alex Carella and team rookie David Del Pin will have to wait until today morning to take part in the time trials to qualify for the afternoon’s Grand Prix of Qatar on Doha Bay.
Blustery conditions and hazardous waves were blowing in from the Gulf throughout yesterday and race officials deemed it unwise to let competitors out on to the water for qualifying.
Sixteen of the fastest racers on the planet will line up at the start of the opening round of the 2015 UIM F1 H2O World Championship and Del Pin, from Mariano Lagunare in Italy, replaced established Team Abu Dhabi star Thani Al-Qamzi at the last minute in Qatar after the Emirati withdrew for personal reasons.
The team’s 24-year-old third driver was the 2008, 2010 and 2012 F-1000 World Champion and formerly drove for the Team 800 Doctor operation in F4.
“It’s obviously disappointing not to be able to qualify and spend more time at race speed in the boat today, but we had a good chance to drive the boat in the morning’s free practice and I was quite happy with my performance,” said three-time World Champion Carella.
The two Italians settled in quickly with their new team and both Carella and Del Pin were posting competitive times in the delayed practice session in blustery conditions on Doha Bay.
All 16 boats took to the water and Team Qatar’s Shaun Torrente posted the quickest lap of the session with a time of 46.77 seconds.
Carella and Del Pin carded best laps of 48.78 seconds and 49.35 seconds and were classified in second and third.
Rashed Al-Remeithi replaced Rashed Al-Qemzi in the Team Abu Dhabi F-4S Trophy boat, but race officials were forced to cancel both the morning’s F-4S time trials and the afternoon’s opening race because of the wind.
The Qatar Team’s Mohammed Al-Obaidly had been quickest in practice in a session that was cut short when Italian rookie Elisa Leidi flipped her boat.
Team Abu Dhabi is supported by Etihad Airways as the official carrier and sponsor and runs under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan Bin Khalifa Al-Nahyan, advisor to the Head of State and chairman of the board of directors of the Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club (ADIMSC).
After the time trials have been rescheduled for yesterday morning, the second F-4S race is scheduled for 2pm today afternoon and the 2015 Grand Prix of Qatar is pencilled in for 3.45pm.
THE PENINSULA
