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F1H2O
up time to try to find the right set-ups with just a two-and-a-half-hour
window before lights out for the Grand Prix of Portugal.
Qualifying was as dramatic as it was intensely close with Francesco
Cantando and Ahmed Al Hameli scuppering their race chances after
crashing out and the top ten separated by a mere 1.14 seconds.
It was Victory Team’s Shaun Torrente who made the early perfect start to
the season grabbing the pole for the UIM F1H2O Grand Prix of Portugal
with a 42.80 second lap.
Ahmed Al Hameli then followed up and made it a Victory Team one-two
andwent to better his teammate before he spectacularly crashed out after
posting a time of 43.13s, his timematched by TeamSweden’s Erik Stark. “It
was almost a great start for us,” said Victory team manager Scott Gillman,
who later took the decision for a somewhat shaken Al Hameli to sit out the
race.
The revised 90 minute format saw Torrente take control early on, setting
his best time in the first 30 minutes then coming into the pits to fine tune
his engine after starting with a very conservative set-up. “We have got a
lot more in the tank and it was very hard not to go for a quicker lap at the
end,” said Torrente. “The lap that gave me the pole was with a load of boats
around me and the engine tuned down. So yes we have a lot more to come
with this Ron Andersson power unit.”
Al Hameli was pushing his teammate all the way and went for one lap too
many and made a mistake coming down the finishing straight letting the
boat run out wide and was caught out by the wind, clipping a pontoon that
launched the boat spectacularly end-over-end to the shock of F1H2O TV
pundit Jonathan Jones. “That was a massive crash. I don’t think I’ve ever
seen that kind of incident before.”
Stark’s third place on his first start withTeamSweden since 2012upstaged
his ‘new’ teammate Jonas Andersson who went eighth quickest.
Defending world champion and winner in Portimao last year, Philippe
Chiappe, would have his work cut in the race out after qualifying in fourth
with a 43.26s lap, Alex Carella a tenth slower in fifth, some relief for Team
Abu Dhabi with both Al Qemzis struggling with engine issues and way off
the pace. Portugal’s Duarte Benavente gave the home crowd something to
cheer with a solid top six.
It was a frustrating session for Italy’s Francesco Cantando who was in
the mix in the top six before he crashed out, his time of 43.52s eventually
putting him seventh quickest. “I was really happy with the set-up and I was
pushing quite hard because I felt for the first time in a while we had a very
competitive engine,” he said. “It was maybe a little mistake but you never
knowwhat happens in the turns and down by the bridge it was quite rough.
I went in quite fast but settled the boat down then dropped into a big hole
and over she went. It was a good time but unfortunately I also got wet!”
Qualifying had taken its toll, resulting in a somewhat depleted line up for
the race, with both Team Abu Dhabi’s Thani and Rashed Al Qemzi side-
lined , Victory’s Al Hameli watching from the side lines and despite making
it to the pontoon, Cantando’s Blaze limped off at lights out, the Italian
driver retiring on lap 1.
Pole-sitter Shaun Torrente took off like a bat out of hell and immediately
put clear water and a lot of time between him and the chasing pack.
StartingfromthirdplaceoffthepontoonPhilippeChiappewasimmediately
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n° 2 June | 2017