Team Abu Dhabi’s Mansoor Al-Mansoori boosted his challenge for the 2022 UIM F2 World Championship on Saturday by grabbing pole position for the Grand Prix of Lithuania.
Spurred on by his second place in last month’s first round of the 2022 series in Poland, the Emirati driver produced a stunning performance to win a three-stage qualifying session hampered by gusting winds.
Al-Mansoori edged out Sharjah Team’s Sami Selio in a thrilling shoot-out to ensure he will start an F2 race from the front for the first time tomorrow. “I can’t wait for tomorrow,” said Al-Mansoori. “I’ll be aiming to have a good start, and after I turn the first buoy I can keep my position.” Team-mate and three-times F2 world champion Rashed Al Qemzi will start tomorrow’s second Grand Prix of the season from seventh spot after narrowly missing a place in the shoot-out on a demanding circuit. “The course was too crowded and it was very difficult to set a good time, but I’ll push hard tomorrow and everything is possible,” said Al-Qemzi.
The defending world champion is eager to bounce back with a big performance in Lithuania following his setback in Poland, where a race error from a backmarker put him out while he led the opening round.