Team Abu Dhabi’s Alex Carella is well poised to challenge for victory in Friday’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after qualifying in pole position for the penultimate round of the UIM F1 H2O World Championship on Thursday.
The Italian reached the shoot-out at the end of qualifying and carded a storming second lap of 45.86 seconds in ideal racing conditions on the Abu Dhabi course to claim pole.
Finland’s double world champion Sami Selio pushed Carella all the way but could only clock 46.99 to be second fastest.
Defending champion and current series leader Phlippe Chiappe carded a best lap of 47.33 and will start the race in third, one spot ahead of Kuwait’s Yousef Al Rubayan, who clocked 47.47.
Emirati Ahmed Al Hameli qualified fifth with a lap of 48.94, while Thani Al Qamzi will start the race from 17th place in the second Team Abu Dhabi boat after he suffered engine issues at the start of his warm-up lap in the first part of qualifying.
“We broke an engine in practice this morning and then damaged the second one and decided to make just one lap to give ourselves a time before we change the engine again tonight,” Al Qamzi said.
“I still feel I can do well tomorrow. This is my home race and it’s important that I make a good result.”
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