UIM F1 H2O World Championship: Team Abu Dhabi’s Alex Carella taken to hospital after crashing at Grand Prix of Harbin

Team Abu Dhabi’s Alex Carella was involved in a high-speed crash on Lap 24 of Sunday’s Grand Prix of Harbin and was unable to extend his lead in the UIM F1 H2O World Championship at the Hulan Estuary Wetland Park course in north-eastern China.

The Italian collided with Baba Racing’s Filip Roms while both drivers were duelling for second position in the 60-lap race, and their demise opened the door for pole-position winner Sami Selio of Finland to take his first win of the season. Carella was taken to a local hospital for checks and medical attention.

Team Abu Dhabi did not provide an update on Carella’s medical condition, although it is not thought to be serious.

Team Sweden’s Jonas Andersson maintained second place after the restart and held it to the finish, while world champion Philippe Chiappe rounded off the podium and moved 10 points ahead of Carella in the UIM F1 H2O Drivers’ Championship standings.

Shaun Torrente of Dubai’s Victory Team reached the chequered flag in fourth place to move into second position and three points in front of Carella in the rankings, as Team Abu Dhabi slipped behind Baba Racing and Victory Team and into fourth in the UIM Teams’ Championship that is led by the CTIC China Team.

Thani Al Qamzi ran a subdued race in the second of the Team Abu Dhabi DACs, finishing 10th, although he was later disqualified for not running in his designated lane at the start of the race.

Team Abu Dhabi’s Rashed Al Qamzi and Mohammed Al-Mehairbi finished the second of the weekend’s UIM F4-S races in third and sixth place and that was sufficient for Al Qamzi to leave Harbin with an impressive lead of 25 points in the championship standings. Team Sweden’s Magnus Sederholm avenged his defeat in the first of the Harbin races to the F1 Atlantic Team’s Jeremy Brisset to claim his first maximum points haul in Race 2.

“Rashed put in another impressive and consistent performance that places him in a really strong position in the UIM F4-S championship with six races to go in China and the UAE,” said Salem Al Romaithi, assistant general manager of the Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club (ADIMSC). “It was a disappointing setback for Alex, but that is racing and these things can and do happen. We will regroup now and focus on the last three rounds of the championship.”

RESULTS:

2016 Grand Prix of Harbin:

1. Sami Selio (FIN) Baba Racing – 60 laps

2. Jonas Andersson (SWE) Team Sweden – +1.12sec

3. Philippe Chiappe (FRA) China CTIC Team – +1.64sec

4. Shaun Torrente (USA) Victory Team – +2.36sec

5. Erik Stark (SWE) Emirates Racing Team – +4.56sec

6. Marit Stromoy (NOR) EMIC Racing Team – +7.95sec

7. Duarte Benavente (PRT) F1 Atlantic Team – +8.97sec

8. Bartek Marszalak (POL) Blaze Performance Team – +14.98sec

9. Ziwei Xiong (CHN) CTIC China Team – L1

10. Mike Szymura (GER) EMIC Racing Team – L2