The UAE's Rashed Al Qemzi created history by becoming the most successful driver in the history of the UIM F2 World Championship after clinching the drivers’ title for a fifth time with victory in Portugal.
The Team Abu Dhabi driver capped his record-breaking season with an emphatic third Grand Prix triumph of the 2024 campaign.
The result took the Emirati ahead of Sweden’s four-time F2 champion, Erik Stark, confirming an 18th world title for the Abu Dhabi outfit since Guido Cappellini arrived as team manager nine years ago.
After qualifying in second place for the sixth and final round of the championship, Al Qemzi held a six-point lead over Lithuania’s Edgaras Riabko and knew a second-place finish would be enough to retain the F2 crown.
Any doubt over the final outcome in the title race was quickly dispelled as Al Qemzi made a superb start, accelerating past Monaco’s pole position winner, Giacomo Sacchi, to take an early lead.
Al Qemzi underlined his status as one of the world’s top powerboat racing talents, winning by more than three seconds from Sacchi, with Riabko taking third spot to finish as championship runner-up.
Despite making an early exit with mechanical problems, Team Abu Dhabi’s Mansoor Al Mansoori secured third place overall in the championship following victory in Portugal a week earlier.
After sharing the championship podium with his teammate, a delighted Al Qemzi said: “I’m very happy to be world champion again, and I want to thank my team for the great support they’ve given to myself, and to Mansoor, this season.
“Compared with my other four titles, this one was very difficult. There was some tough competition, and I missed some podiums. But we worked hard to get the points we needed.”
Al Qemzi worked his way up in the world of watersports by winning the Nations Cup and F4-S world titles before entering the F2 World Championship for the first time in 2016, finishing ninth overall.
He secured his first F2 world title the following year, while more success followed in 2019, 2021 and last year when he wrapped up the championship in Portugal with one round to spare.
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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MATCH INFO
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
The biog
From: Upper Egypt
Age: 78
Family: a daughter in Egypt; a son in Dubai and his wife, Nabila
Favourite Abu Dhabi activity: walking near to Emirates Palace
Favourite building in Abu Dhabi: Emirates Palace
Scorebox
Dubai Hurricanes 31 Dubai Sports City Eagles 22
Hurricanes
Tries: Finck, Powell, Jordan, Roderick, Heathcote
Cons: Tredray 2, Powell
Eagles
Tries: O’Driscoll 2, Ives
Cons: Carey 2
Pens: Carey
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Fasset%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2019%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mohammad%20Raafi%20Hossain%2C%20Daniel%20Ahmed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%242.45%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2086%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-series%20B%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Investcorp%2C%20Liberty%20City%20Ventures%2C%20Fatima%20Gobi%20Ventures%2C%20Primal%20Capital%2C%20Wealthwell%20Ventures%2C%20FHS%20Capital%2C%20VN2%20Capital%2C%20local%20family%20offices%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company Profile
Company name: OneOrder
Started: October 2021
Founders: Tamer Amer and Karim Maurice
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Industry: technology, logistics
Investors: A15 and self-funded
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Saturday (All UAE kick-off times)
Valencia v Atletico Madrid (midnight)
Mallorca v Alaves (4pm)
Barcelona v Getafe (7pm)
Villarreal v Levante (9.30pm)
Sunday
Granada v Real Volladolid (midnight)
Sevilla v Espanyol (3pm)
Leganes v Real Betis (5pm)
Eibar v Real Sociedad (7pm)
Athletic Bilbao v Osasuna (9.30pm)
Monday
Real Madrid v Celta Vigo (midnight)
Company name: Farmin
Date started: March 2019
Founder: Dr Ali Al Hammadi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: AgriTech
Initial investment: None to date
Partners/Incubators: UAE Space Agency/Krypto Labs
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
