ABU DHABI: Team Abu Dhabi’s Alex Carella clinched victory in one of the most exciting races ever staged in the UIM F21 H20 World Championship, when he passed Finland’s Sami Selio with three laps to run to claim his team’s first victory on its home race in 10 years and push Team Abu Dhabi to the top of the UIM H2O Teams’ Championship.

Lying third for much of the race behind Team Sweden’s Jonas Andersson and Selio, Carella seized his opportunity on lap 44 when Selio suffered engine issues and the Italian stormed through to the finish. Andersson had started the race from fifth and surged into the lead on the opening lap. He held the advantage until lap 33 before technical issues sidelined his Molgaard.

“At the start my engine didn’t fire, but this victory is very important for me,” said a delighted Carella. “I didn’t think I had a chance to win, but I battled until the end. I am so happy.”

Frenchman Philippe Chiappe maintained his composure and stayed out of trouble to finish second and that was sufficient for the reigning UIM F1 H2O World Champion to retain his title with one race remaining in Sharjah next Friday.

Thani Al-Qamzi produced a sensational drive through the field from the rear of the start grid to finish in third position in the second Team Abu Dhabi boat. “I started from last and I managed to get on to the podium,” said Al-Qamzi. “The boat was running very good today. I saved it to avoid any crashes. I kept it safe because I broke two engines yesterday.”

The last five pole sitters claimed victory in Abu Dhabi, so Carella started as the clear favorite to win the race for the third time and give the host club a first triumph on home waters since Scott Gillman’s success in 2005. Seventeen boats took the start of the 48-lap race, although the Team Abu Dhabi duo were at the front and rear of the start pontoon heading toward the opening turn buoy 670 meters away.

Carella made a poor start and was beaten to the turn buoy by Selio and Andersson in slightly choppy conditiions, although the Swede hit the front on the home straight and began to power away from Selio, Chiappe and Carella in impressive fashion. Al-Qamzi began a charge from the rear of the field and had climbed from 17th to eighth after three laps.

Selio began to close in on Andersson through 10 laps and the gap was reduced to 3.84 seconds, as Carella maintained third and Al-Qamzi held on to eighth. Both Ziwei Xiong and Francesco Cantando had already withdrawn.

The leading 10 drivers retained their positions through one-third distance, but Torrente began to apply the pressure on Chiappe in a bid to reduce the Frenchman’s championship lead and Al-Qamzi passed Ahmed Al-Hameli and moved into seventh place and began to challenge Erik Stark for sixth.

With overtaking difficult in the tricky conditions on the Abu Dhabi course, Andersson headed into half distance with a lead of 2.94 seconds over Selio, as the leading duo began to pull away from Carella and the battle for fourth between Chiappe and Torrente. Al-Qamzi and Al-Hameli managed to pass a retiring Stark, with the Team Abu Dhabi driver climbing into sixth and then surging into fifth at the expense of Torrente when the American hit trouble.

By lap 30, Andersson’s lead over Selio was 5.21 seconds, although Carella began to close in on the Finn and Chiappe remained in a distant fourth until Andersson dramatically stopped on lap 33 and gifted the lead to Selio heading into the remaining 15 laps. The Swede’s demise moved Al-Qamzi into fourth place.

Carella became embroiled in an amazing battle with Selio over the closing laps. The pair was side-by-side down the straights until Carella passed a slowing Selio with three laps to go and surged into a lead he held to the finish. Selio was clearly struggling and began to slip down the leader board his demise promoting Chiappe to second place and Al-Qamzi to third.