Al Hameli to start GP of Qatar on pole

Team Abu Dhabi’s Ahmed Al Hameli and Thani Al Qamzi will start tomorrow's Grand Prix of Qatar from pole position and fourth place respectively after a dramatic qualifying session on Doha Bay on Friday. Qatar’s defending world champion Alex Carella looked to have the pole in the bag after he had gone fastest in the final 10-boat shoot-out with a lap of 45.02s. But Al Hameli saved the best until last and a single stunning lap of 44.47s was enough to secure pole for the in-form Team Abu Dhabi driver. Al Qamzi finished fourth behind Al Hameli, Carella and Finland’s former world champion Sami Selio. “This is a real tricky circuit with the open ocean swells coming in from the north-east side of the course,” said Al Qamzi, winner of the first of two races at the Grand Prix of Qatar in 2007. “If you are not careful, a rogue wave can end your day in a hurry. It happens so fast here, you don’t even realise it until it’s over. I know what it takes to be the best on a particular day here. I want to do it again this weekend as well.” Team Abu Dhabi opted to run Mohamed Al Maharbi in the competitive UIM F-4S category and the Emirati rewarded the team with a sixth-placed finish on his debut. Defending champion Matthew Palfreyman won the opening 24-lap race from Sweden’s Jesper Forss. Qualifying results - Top 5 1. Ahmed Al Hameli Team Abu Dhabi 44.47s 2. Alex Carella Qatar Team 45.02 3. Sami Selio Team Mad Croc F1 45.06 4. Thani Al Qamzi Team Abu Dhabi 45.70 5. Yousef Al Rabayan F1 Atlantic Team 46.11