SAN NAZZARO, Italy, (Pakistan Point News - 02nd Sep, 2023) Team Abu Dhabi's Rashed Al Qemzi topped the first session of the Grand Prix of Italy today.
The three-time F2 world champion dominated the six-boat qualifying shoot-out at San Nazzaro, demonstrating his ambition to win a fourth drivers title.
The Grand Prix of San Nazzaro got underway today on the River Po as 17 competitors battled it out in Free Practice and Qualifying to determine who would secure pole position for tomorrow's race.
In free practice just one second separated the top 8 boats and it was Monégasque driver Giacomo Sacchi that went fastest during the 90minute session. Team Abu Dhabi’s Rashed Al Qemzi was second fastest and Sweden’s Daniel Segenmark was third quickest.
Italy's Tullio Abbate eager to get restarted following a yellow flag barrel rolled out of the session leaving his team with a battle against the clock to make qualifying.
As the temperature rose so did the action on water as they headed into the first qualifying session.
Seventeen boats took to the water for 20 minutes of Q1 and it was rookie F2 Racer Stefan Arand that was topping the session. Norway’s Tobias Munthe-Kaas was second fastest and Rashed Al Qemzi 3rd.
Lithuania’s Egidijus Dagilis seemed to suffer problems along with Finland’s Totti Kemppainen and both never made the cut as the top 15 progressed into Q2.
15 minutes of intense action ensued in the beating Italian sun as Johan Osterberg hit a piece of floating debris that cut short his qualifying campaign.
Giacomo Sacchi once more topped the leader board but Lithuania's Edgaras Riabko was hot on his wake and Tobias Munthe-Kaas right behind him.
Joining then in the Q3 session was Rashed Al Qemzi, Daniel Segenmark and Stefan Arand.
With less boats on the water the lap times began to drop. Stefan Arand was forced to retire from the session with fuel problems after just 3 laps. Biding his time on his 14th lap Rashed Al Qemzi got a flying lap and set he fastest time of the day with a time of 42.070 seconds and within secured himself pole position for the Grand Prix of San Nazzaro.
Tobias Munthe-Kaas will start in second on the grid, Giacomo Sacchi takes the third place with Daniel Segenmark in fourth and Edgaras Riabko in fifth.
