21 October 2016
Race Day in Italy provides mixed fortunes for Team UAE drivers
Omani national, Abdullah Al Rawahi, starred in a breathless day of track action
After a few days of administration, practice and qualifying, the racing began in earnest at the Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals 2016 in Italy, with Team UAE drivers experiencing both highs and lows on a day of high attrition, packed with on-track incidents.
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In the DD2 class, the premier category at the Grand Finals, Abdullah Al Rawahi drove superbly to pick up two top-10 finishes amongst some of the best drivers in the world, 5th place in his second Heat race being the major highlight. Al Rawahi's form was all the more impressive after a relatively poor qualifying session resulted in him starting each race from the middle of the pack - notoriously hazardous with 36 racers starting together. His stellar performance has ensured an excellent row 3 start position for the Pre Final on Day 6. With three wins out of three, reigning World Champion Ferenc Kancsar, stays on target to retain his title.
Taymour Kermanshahchi recovered from a luckless Race 1 (where he failed to finish) to an extremely competitive 13th in his second Heat race in the DD2 class. Unfortunately, an accident at the start of Heat 3 saw him once again retire which means that he has a job on his hands to qualify for the Final. Ed Jones was consistence personified in the early stages but suffered a set-back in his final race, leaving him with places to make up if he is to progress to the Final.
It was a real mixed bag in Junior MAX in more ways than one as drivers were caught in a quandary deciding between dry and wet tyres on a damp track. Lucas Petersson was one of only 2 drivers to opt for slicks in a gamble which looked to be paying off at half race distance as a careful start quickly turned into rapid progress through the field and the fastest lap of the race. Unfortunately, though, a crash in the final stages ended his charge as he was forced onto the wet line while attempting a late overtake . Fine drives in his other 2 races saw him finish 9th and 12th which rejuvenated his campaign to reach the Final. Tehmur Chohan fared similarly, with one mid-field finish following sterling drives to 9th and 11th, the net result seeing him line up in 13th position for the Pre Final.
Oscar McElroy lucked out in his first Micro MAX Heat after a post-race penalty relegated him from an excellent 10th place back to 31st. He moved through the field well in his last heat and will line up for the Pre Final alongside UAE teammate Rashid Al Dhaheri, who continued to work on finding the optimum set-up for the fast, flowing circuit ahead of the final stages.
Like McElroy, Ziggy Kermanshahchi suffered a penalty in one of his Heat races which compromised his otherwise seamless display. An 11th place finish in his other Heat race showed that he is well in contention towards the head of the field.
It was a day of mixed fortunes for Pasqual Pook who was compromised by a rival and a penalty in two difficult races. 11th place in his other race demonstrated that he has the pace and race craft to challenge if things go his way. Giulio Peroni made forward progress in each of his Heat races to put him in the mix for qualification through to the Finals.
It was a very tough day for Anthony Hogg in the DD2 Masters class as crashes in two separate races, not of his own making, put pay to his aspirations of improving on his qualifying position. Hussain Umid Ali fared better with consistent finishes just outside the top 20 leaving him with a decent opportunity to reach the Final if he can have a trouble-free Pre-Final.
rn Team UAE Manager Guy Sheffield summed up the day: "It was a very tough day of racing for all the drivers at the Grand Finals, where attrition was high and incidents aplenty. As it goes in this type of event where you have the world's best drivers in action, racing is incredibly close and staying out of trouble is not always possible. Abdullah Al Rawahi in particular was sensational today and a real example of the level that can be reached with the right approach to driver development. There was some disappointment but, overall, the positives balanced out the negatives and a number of our drivers are on course for a place in the Grand Final on Saturday."
The next phase of the event will see the top ranked drivers compete against each other in a Pre-Final, with progression to the Final on Day 7 only possible for the top 34 competitors overall.
The drivers (and race numbers) representing Team UAE and Oman at the Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals 2016 are:
Micro Max 43 - Oscar McElroy (Top ranked UAE-based Micro MAX competitor)
Micro MAX 44 - Rashid Al Dhaheri (Leading Micro MAX Emirati National)
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