2009 UIM F1 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Grand Prix of Sharjah, UAE Race 2, December 11

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•  TEAM ABU DHABI’S AL-QAMZI SEALS SECOND IN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WITH RUNNER-UP SPOT IN SHARJAH


•  Guido Cappellini wins 10^th world title: Selio takes Sharjah GP win Ahmed Al-Hameli forced out after spectacular first corner crash Team Abu Dhabi duo qualify third and fifth; Selio claims Pole title

 
Team Abu Dhabi’s Thani Al-Qamzi managed to finish second overall behind Sami Selio in Friday’s Grand Prix of Sharjah, round 16 of the UIM F1 World Championship. But Italian Guido Cappellini finished third overall and that was sufficient for the Italian to secure his record-breaking 10^th world title and his first since 2005.
 
Team Abu Dhabi’s consolation was second position in the UIM F1 Drivers’ Championship for Al-Qamzi and the UIM F1 Teams’ Championship for the Emirates team.
 
There was disappointment for Ahmed Al-Hameli, who finished the season in seventh position in the points’ standings. He qualified third for the final race of the year, but spectacularly flipped out of the race heading into the first turn on lap one. Qatar’s Jay Price was the third title contender heading into the start, but he also rolled his DAC at the first corner and the damage cost him his rear cowling and the engine ingested salt water soon afterwards.
 
 “I tried hard to keep my line coming into the corner and then I suddenly flipped over,” said a disappointed Al-Hameli. “We had a strategy for the race. I was trying to push hard, but it was not meant to be.”
 
The new UIM F1 Teams’ champions, Team Abu Dhabi, run under the auspices of the ADIMSC and the management of Salem Al-Rumaithi and Scott Gillman, with full support from the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA), His Excellency Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al-Nahyan and His Royal Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan.
 
The race
 
Starting from third and fifth positions, it was crucial that Al-Hameli and Al-Qamzi made a good start, although the Team Abu Dhabi duo had the advantage of their arch-rival Cappellini being sandwiched between the two of them in fourth. Could Al-Hameli play a tactical opening to the race in cool, damp conditions?
 
If Al-Qamzi took victory, then Cappellini needed to finish sixth or lower for the Emirati to win the title. If Al-Qamzi was second, the Italian would need to finish no higher than 10th and third would hand the title to the Italian regardless of whether he finished or not.
 
Selio edged ahead into the lead through the first corner, but the yellow flag was raised almost immediately when Al-Hameli flipped spectacularly out of the race and Price slid wide, rolled and damaged his DAC. The Qatar driver was determined to restart when the green flag was raised, although Al-Hameli’s air bag had activated and he was unable to continue.
 
Al-Qamzi managed to squeeze into second place behind Selio, as Price slipped to sixth after a visit to the pontoon for an inspection of the air bag system. The yellow flag was raised again almost immediately when Marco Gambi stopped on the course and Price’s engine ingested salt water and he was forced out of the race before the second restart. The race was for the title had become a two-way fight between Al-Qamzi and Cappellini.
 
The pair became embroiled in a thrilling tussle for second position behind Selio, neither driver wanting to give an inch as contact was made on one dramatic exit of a corner. Al-Qamzi managed to squeeze past the Italian and take second position, but the wily Italian settled into a slower pace to conserve third and his grasp on the world title.
 
Selio maintained a massive lead and Al-Qamzi was an untroubled second through 22 laps, as Cappellini eased his pace, reduced his engine revs and began to cruise towards his 10^th world title. The trio held station to the finish, as Cappellini rewrote his own history book with a 10^th title, Selio claimed third in the points’ standings and Al-Qamzi finished second in the title race for the first time.
 
Timed trials and free practice
 
Al-Hameli and Al-Qamzi secured fourth and fifth positions in the final UIM F1 Pole Position points’ tables after qualifying for Friday’s race in third and fifth places. Al-Qamzi really needed to start the race ahead of Cappellini, but the Italian set a time of 50.38s during his nine laps on the Khalid Lagoon course and the Emirati fell 0.17s short in his seven laps and slotted into fifth position.
 
The fastest lap of the session fell to Selio, who duly fended off Price’s challenge for the UIM F1 Pole Position World Championship title and, in so doing, rewrote his own record by setting his eighth Pole Position in the last 10 Grand Prix. Al-Hameli ran for 14 laps and was one of only three drivers to run under 50 seconds.
 
Al-Qamzi had achieved his goal of getting ahead of Cappellini in the morning’s free practice session. The Team Abu Dhabi driver recorded a best lap of 50.89s, 0.13s quicker than the Italian, and sufficient for third position behind Price and Selio. Al-Hameli was fifth quickest of the 13 drivers who took to the water.
 

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