Team Abu Dhabi’s Rashed Al Qemzi, aiming to extend his lead in the UIM F2 World Championship, will start tomorrow’s Grand Prix of Norway in pole position as he pursues a second successive race victory.

Al Qemzi, the 2017 F2 world champion and winner of this season’s opening round in Lithuania, set the joint fastest time in today’s ten-boat qualifying shootout along with Norway’s Tobias Munthe-Kaas.

Both drivers recorded an identical fastest lap of 37.97 secs, but the Emirati was credited with his second pole position of the season by virtue of a faster second best lap. His Abu Dhabi team-mate Rashed Al Tayer qualified in seventh place with a time of 39.40.

Just as he did in Lithuania, Al Qemzi looked to be fully in control from the start of qualifying. He was fastest in the opening group session with a best lap of 38.34 secs from Munthe-Kaas who was second quickest in 39.25 followed by Sweden’s Bimba Sjöholm in 39.72.

Al Tayer, winner of the Speed Run 24 hours earlier, was third fastest (40.16) in the second qualifying group won by German Stefan Hagin (39.65) ahead of Britain’s Owen Jelf.

Sweden’s Daniel Segenmark (39.50) topped the third qualifying group from Portugal’s Duarte Benavente (39.72) and American Brent Dillard (39.81).

After the 15-boat second qualifying round was red flagged when Frenchman Philippe Tourre repositioned a set of race buoys, Al Qemzi (40.86) settled for second place behind Dutchman Ferdinand Zandbergen (40.47 2).

Al Tayer (41.25) was fifth fastest of the ten drivers who moved through to the shootout.