Five months after securing the 2017 UIM F1 H20 World Driver’s and Team Championship, Team Abu Dhabi begins the defence of its titles at this weekend’s Grand Prix of Portugal on the Arada River in Portimão.
The team has a strong three-driver line-up for what promises to be a thrilling season of races, starting on the Portuguese Algarve coast and then visiting London, France, China and culminating with the traditional racing finale in the UAE states of Abu Dhabi and Sharjah in December.
The experienced Thani Al-Qemzi, defending UIM F2 World Champion Rashed Al-Qemzi and the American racer Shaun Torrente will represent Team Abu Dhabi, Torrente replacing defending champion Alex Carella in the team that dominated the series last season and clinched a clean sweep of titles on Khaled Lagoon last December.
Thani Al-Qemzi finished fourth in the points’ standings last year behind Carella, Philippe Chiappe and Erik Stark. Both Torrente and Rashed Al-Qemzi suffered their fair share of misfortune and bad luck and will be looking to bounce back strongly this season, although Torrente did claim pole position in Portugal last spring and is full of confidence after a recent test session.
Torrente said:
We managed to carry out some testing last week in Italy.
The whole team is really looking forward to Portugal.
The guys have been so focused and everyone is really prepared for the season.
I think this is the most I have ever been prepared for the start of a racing season.
The calendar looks good and I like the schedule for this weekend with everything moved to later in the afternoon, including testing and qualifying, so you don’t have to test at 10 in the morning and qualify at five in the afternoon and wait all day while the weather changes.
Shaun Torrente was on Pole in Portimao last year Photo: Chris Davies
The Portimão course is a little funky.
It’s like a banana and you never get to get the boat going straight.
It’s the way the river is with the big sand bar.
It makes it different and to pick the correct propeller is a little more difficult.
Last year I was on pole with my old team and that is the goal again this time.
Several teams feature new faces in 2018.
Carella has joined Ahmed Al-Hameli in Dubai’s Victory Team, while the ever-improving Pole Bartek Marszalek has teamed up with Norwegian Marit Strømøy in the Emirates Racing Team.
Three-time World Champion and last year’s Portugal race winner Philippe Chiappe continues to head the CTIC F1 Shenzhen China Team, while last year’s race runner-up Sami Selio and Filip Roms will be hoping for better fortune this year with their Mad-Croc Baba Racing Team.
Germany’s Mike Szymura has switched to the Maverick F1 operation, Erik Edin has replaced Erik Stark in Team Sweden alongside Jonas Andersson and German lady driver Simone Schuft has agreed a deal to join Francesco Cantando in the Blaze F1 Team for the first time.
After gales played havoc with the original timetable in 2017, Officials at the Associação de Portimão have deliberately revised the racing timetable to reduce the risk of running in the customary afternoon winds and practice, qualifying and the Grand Prix will run late in the afternoons on each day.
Friday May 18th
17:00-19:00 F1 extra free practice
Saturday May 19th
15:00-16:00 F1 Free Practice
18:00-19:00 F1 BRM Qualifications
19:00-19:15 F1 BRM Pole Position Awarding
Sunday May 20th
15:00-16:00 F1 Free Practice
17:50 F1 Parade Lap
18:00-19:00 F1 Grand Prix
19:10-19:30 F1 Award Ceremony
All times GMT +1
2018 Grand Prix of Portugal – provisional entries (unofficial):
Thani Al-Qemzi (UAE) Team Abu Dhabi
Shaun Torrente (USA) Team Abu Dhabi
Rashed Al-Qemzi (UAE) Team Abu Dhabi
Philippe Chiappe (FRA) CTIC F1 Shenzhen China Team
Peter Morin (FRA) CTIC F1 Shenzhen China Team
Ahmed Al-Hameli (UAE) Victory Team
Alex Carella (ITA) Victory Team
Marit Strømøy (NOR) Emirates Racing Team
Bartek Marszalak (POL) Emirates Racing Team
Grant Trask (AUS) F1 Atlantic Team
Duarte Benavente (PRT) F1 Atlantic Team
Erik Edin (SWE) Team Sweden
Jonas Andersson (SWE) Team Sweden
Sami Selio (FIN) Mad-Croc Baba Racing Team
Filip Roms (FIN) Mad-Croc Baba Racing Team
Francesco Cantando (ITA) Blaze F1 Team
Simone Schuft (DEU) Blaze F1 Team
Mike Szymura (DEU) Maverick F1 Team
Cédric Deguisne (FRA) Maverick F1 Team
