Rashed into record books with World Title No.5
by Narayan Marar 23 Sep 2024 18:29 AEST
Team Abu Dhabi's Rashed Al Qemzi rounded of his record-breaking season with victory in Portugal © Narayan Marar
Team Abu Dhabi's Rashed Al Qemzi has become the most successful driver in the history of the UIM F2 World Championship after clinching the driver's title for a fifth time with a commanding victory in Portugal.
The Emirati rounded off his record-breaking season with an emphatic third Grand Prix triumph of the 2024 campaign in a repeat of his race win on the Tagus River circuit at Vila Velha de Rodao last year.
It took him into the record books ahead of Sweden's four-time F2 champion, Erik Stark, confirming an 18th world title for Team Abu Dhabi 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 see him retain the F2 crown.
If there was any doubt over the final outcome in the title race, it was quickly dispelled as Al Qemzi made a superb start, accelerating away past Monaco's pole position winner, Giacomo Sacchi, to take an immediate lead.
It was a lead that he did not look like surrendering at any stage as he 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 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 to follow up his Grand Prix victory in Portugal a week earlier.
Delighted to share the championship podium with his team-mate, 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 first came to notice by winning the Nations Cup and F4-S world titles before tackling the F2 World Championship for the first time in 2016, finishing ninth overall.
He secured his first F2 world title the following year, and the others followed in 2019, 2021 and last year when he wrapped up the championship in Portugal with one round to spare.