Andersson takes pole in Sharjah as Thani shows his class, Wyatt suffers title blow

Sweden’s Jonas Andersson secured pole position for tomorrow’s Grand Prix of Sharjah to boost his hopes of a third UIM F1H2O World Championship triumph as Team Abu Dhabi’s Thani Al Qemzi rolled back the years on Khalid Lagoon.

Andersson won the six-boat qualifying shoot out from Victory Team’s Erik Stark and veteran Emirati driver Al Qemzi in third, after his closest rival in the title race, Sharjah Team’s Rusty Wyatt, was penalised following an earlier collision with Poland’s Bartek Marszalek in Q2.

The incident resulted in a spectacular barrel roll for Marszalek, leaving his mechanics with urgent repair work ahead of the afternoon sprint races.

Canadian rookie Wyatt, who had set the sixth fastest time at that point, was eliminated from the session by race officials for dangerous driving, and will start in 11th position tomorrow, handing a major advantage to Andersson and Team Vietnam.

This was the latest in a long line of dramatic moments which have won and lost the championship in Sharjah over the years, and no-one knows this better than Al Qemzi, who made his debut on the splendid race arena that is Khalid Lagoon back in 2000.

Team Abu Dhabi's Thani Al Qemzi, still showing his class in Sharjah.

The veteran Team Abu Dhabi driver, who has recorded three Grand Prix victories in Sharjah during his career, will be starting his 158th F1H2O race tomorrow afternoon and remains a class act, still hungry for success, two years after his last win in Sardinia.

He was third fastest in Friday’s free practice with a lap time bettered only by Andersson and Wyatt, and went into this morning’s three-phase qualifying session determined to give himself the best chance of a strong finish to the season.

After setting the early pace in Q1, he went through with the fourth fastest time, as Frenchman Peter Morin topped the standings ahead of Wyatt and Andersson, with Team Abu Dhabi’s Rashed Al Qemzi missed progressing in 11th spot.

Stark, with a mathematic chance of taking the world title before joining Team Abu Dhabi next year, topped the Q2 timings ahead of Morin and Andersson, with Thani Al Qemzi going through in fifth position as cousin Rashed missed out.

Wyatt’s penalty following the collision with Marszalek looked to have put Andersson on course for a double drivers’ and team title success with Team Vietnam, although the afternoon sprint races to follow could yet play an important part in the proceedings.

Andersson finished qualifying to say: "In Q1, I put in one fast lap and it was okay. We were saving the equipment. In Q2, I really had to push because I had the wrong propeller and the wrong set-up of the boat. Q2 was tricky.

“In Q3, we were missing one boat. There were only five and the set-up started to work. We have the pole. I am happy, but we know anything can happen here in Sharjah. Erik is super-fast and you can break down. We will go like a normal race and try to win it.”

Stark commented: “I don’t know how many times it is this year that I have been leading. Then, Q3, and Jonas takes me in the end. It was very close but big congrats for him. This was like a pole for me. We were really struggling yesterday in free practice. This is why the Victory Team is one of the best in the world. They worked so hard and found one and a half seconds (per lap) for me today. I am very happy to do my last ‘qually’ with them and get P2. I am not leaving for any bad reasons. I love everyone in the team and I have been with them for a long time.”