Team Abu Dhabi’s Rashed Al Qemzi saw his lead slip in the 2024 UIM F2 World Championship, yet he remains a strong contender for a record-breaking fifth driver’s title after Sweden’s Mathilda Wiberg claimed victory in the Grand Prix of Lithuania.
Al Qemzi’s third-place finish in the championship’s third round allowed Lithuania’s Edgaras Riabko to take a slim two-point lead over him, with Al Qemzi placing fourth in a tense race in Klaipėda. However, with three more rounds scheduled for next month in Italy and Portugal, both familiar and favored tracks for the Emirati driver, he is well-positioned to defend his F2 world title, despite a subpar qualifying performance on Friday.
Meanwhile, Al Qemzi’s teammate, Mansoor Al Mansoori, made significant progress, advancing from 17th to ninth place, securing points in the championship. Wiberg’s maiden F2 Grand Prix win was facilitated by misfortunes that befell the first-round winner, Britain’s Matthew Palfreyman, and Finland’s Jarno Vilmunen. Palfreyman, who had dominated the race from the pole position, was forced out midway due to a snapped timing belt, while Vilmunen ran out of fuel two laps shy of the finish, paving the way for Wiberg’s victory ahead of Frenchman Nelson Morin.
Post-race, Monaco’s Giacomo Sacchi, initially fourth, received a one-lap penalty for a race violation. Team Abu Dhabi anticipates improved results in two weeks at the fourth round in San Nazzaro, their customary European training ground managed by Guido Cappellini. The consecutive Grand Prix weekends concluding the series in Portugal next month are particularly advantageous for Al Qemzi, aiming to augment his four F2 world titles. Notably, he has five career wins in Portugal, including a pole-to-finish victory in last year’s final round at Peso da Régua, after securing the world title a week prior with a second-place finish at Vila Velha de Ródão.
