Team Abu Dhabi's Mansoor Al Mansoori secured a commanding win at the Grand Prix of Portugal on Sunday, while his teammate Rashed Al Qemzi maintained his lead in the UIM F2 World Championship, aiming for a record-breaking fifth title.
Al Mansoori, starting from pole position, delivered a flawless performance in the penultimate round of the 2024 championship. Meanwhile, Al Qemzi's fourth-place finish ensures he enters the final Grand Prix at Vila Velha de Ródão with a six-point advantage over Lithuania's Edgaras Riabko. A third victory this season, following wins in Norway and Italy, would guarantee Al Qemzi the F2 crown and a place in the history books, though he remains cautious as the season approaches its climax.
Al Mansoori's pole position from the previous day's qualifying boosted his championship standing to third, just four points behind Riabko, who secured the third podium spot in Peso Da Régua. Matthew Palfreyman's second-place finish equalized his standings with Sweden's Mathilda Wiberg, setting up a fierce battle for a top-three finish in the final race.
Wiberg's title aspirations were nearly dashed by an accident in qualifying, which left her unable to race on her 21st birthday. Al Qemzi, after an eighth-place qualifying result, needed a strong start and delivered, moving up to fourth place. Al Mansoori's second F2 Grand Prix win solidifies his reputation as a formidable challenger, a status recognized by the Abu Dhabi Marine Sports Club, which has a history of producing world champions.
After succeeding Al Qemzi as F4-S world champion in 2017, Al Mansoori made top-ten finishes in the 2019 F2 series before joining Team Abu Dhabi in 2021. In 2022, he finished third overall in the championship, including a maiden Grand Prix victory in Lithuania and a runner-up finish in Poland. Last season, he placed fifth overall, with his best performance being a third-place finish in Régua. He arrived in Portugal confident after a second-place finish behind Al Qemzi in San Nazzaro, mirroring their 1-2 success in Norway.
