Team Abu Dhabi duo fight for top-10 finish at F1 H2O event in Kiev

Thani Al Qamzi and Ahmed Al Hameli finish seventh and ninth in Grand Prix of Ukraine, round two of the 2013 UIM F1 H20 World Championship.

Thani Al Qamzi was as high as third but slipped back in the field and settled for seventh, with teammate Ahmed Al Hameli ninth.
Powered by automated translation

KIEV, UKRAINE // Team Abu Dhabi's Thani Al Qamzi and Ahmed Al Hameli finished seventh and ninth in the Grand Prix of Ukraine, round two of the 2013 UIM F1 H20 World Championship, in Vyshgorod on Saturday night.

After starting the 38-lap race from fifth and 10th position, the Emirati duo were never able to trouble the leading trio in tricky conditions.

Frenchman Phillipe Chiappe managed to overtake pole-sitter Sami Selio and fended off a fierce challenge from Qatar's Shaun Torrente to reach the chequered flag to win his first ever F1 H20 race in 11 years of trying.

Torrente held on to take second and Carella edged Selio for third.

Mohammed Al Mehairbi qualified in sixth position for the F-4S race for the Eurofin Trophy and finished the race in fourth overall.

Latvian Nikita Lijcs won the race from pole position, although second-place Mike Szimura of Germany now leads the series by two points over Sweden's Niklas Friberg. Al Mehairbi is fourth in the points.

In the Grand Prix, Al Hameli needed to make a move through the traffic from the start in his bid to climb through the field from 10th place and both he and Al Qamzi climbed to ninth and fourth after two laps.

Al Qamzi moved into the final podium position behind Selio and Chiappe, who were continuing to pull clear of the rest of the field.

Team CTIC's Chiappe continued to pull away from third-placed Selio, but was becoming under pressure from Torrente, with Al Qamzi in fourth.

Al Qamzi and Al Hameli retained fourth and 10th starting lap 24, but Al Qamzi was overtaken by Carella and slipped back to fifth.

As the race progressed he slipped back down the field and had to settle for seventh.

Follow us