DOHA, Qatar - Friday, March 10, 2012 - Team Abu Dhabi driver Ahmed Al Hameli earned pole position for the first time ever in Doha and his fourth in the last five races and will lead the field of 20 drivers from 13 different nations for tomorrow's 10th Grand Prix of Qatar at the opening round of the 2012 UIM F1 H2O World Championship for power boating.
The four pin 2 kilometer race course with long 800 meter front and back straightaways featured very fast speeds and perfect set-ups needed to earn the number one position. Al Hameli who has been fastest in qualifying in every Grand Prix but one since last July went around in circuit in 44.47 seconds and a speed of over 160 kilometers per hour to beat out defending World Champion Alex Carella of the home standing Qatar Team who mustered up a 45.02 time.
"I am very pleased in the effort the team put in to put me in place to be once again number one." said Ahmed. "Engine builder Ron Anderson gave me the right power I needed and the BABA boat did the job as well considering the swells from the open Gulf definitely played a factor on the back straightaway which made it a bit hairy for everyone here."
Al Hameli, who finished fourth in the championship a year ago despite missing a Grand Prix, is primed with his teammate Thani Al Qamzi, who starts fourth with a 45.70 second time, to bring the World Championship and Team Championship back to Team Abu Dhabi this season.
Starting third off the dock tomorrow will be returning star and two-time World Champion Sami Selio of the Mad Croc Team. The Helsinki native is seeing his first action since his giant accident in China last October, that has had him recovering from his injuries throughout the winter. Sami's doctors gave him the go ahead to return to racing just recently.
"I feel great," said the 36 year-old. "This qualifying effort proved to me and my team that I am not feeling any after affects from my accident and I am pumped up. We will be ready tomorrow for sure."
Rookie driver Youssef Al Rubayan of F1 Team Atlantic was impressive as the Kuwaiti driver ran a 46.11 second lap taking a fine fifth in only his third career F1 start.
Veteran Philippe Chiappe of France was hoping to do better in his MOORE hull finishing with a 46.89 and a sixth place for a driver who has had been on the podium twice in the last three years for the CTIC China Team.
Khalid Al Shamlan of the Qatar Team was overjoyed with his seventh place starting position in his very first Grand Prix in front of his hometown fans doing a 47.96 in the Q3 final for pole position and will start 12 positions ahead of his unlucky teammate Shaun Torrente.
The American driver had engine trouble for the second time today and will start 19th on the grid as the driver from Miami, Florida hopes to come charging up from the back of the field in his new DAC hull.
Russian Stanislav Kurtsenovsky of the CTIC China Team who is back in F1 full time for the first time in four seasons will begin from the eighth position with a 48.36 lap two-tenths ahead of Portugal's Duarte Benavente of F1Team Atlantic who did a 48.53 circuit.
French driver Philippe Tourre of F1 Team Atlantic rounded out the top-10 with his best qualifying effort in over a year despite fuel pickup problems running a 1:04.38 second lap.
Twenty drivers from 13 different nations will lead the field along the corniche footsteps from the Gulf for tomorrow's 10th Grand Prix of Qatar.
The race can be followed live on the UIM F1 H2O official website www.f1h2o.com. The opening round of the 2012 season starts at 15:45 local (12:45 GMT) and 06:45 EST along the East Coast of North America.
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