3:15 PM Sat 16 Jul 2011 GMT
BMW Norwegian Grand Prix 2011 is round two of the UIM Class 1 World Powerboat Championship and is being held in Arendal, Norway from 15th to 17th July.
Arif Al Zafeen and Nadir Bin Hendi will start race one of the BMW Norwegian Grand Prix in pole position, after setting the fastest time in today's official qualifying session.
For the second time in two Grand Prix, Class 1 rookie Ali Al Neama and Matteo Nicolini claimed the in-house bragging rights outpacing their Spirit of Qatar teammates Sheikh Hassan and Steve Curtis, albeit by less than a tenth of a second.
The all important front row of five boats was completed by Team Abu Dhabi newcomer Majed Al Mansoori and Rashed Al Tayer, with Norway's Kolbjorn Selmer and Jorn Tandberg elevated to fifth after kim.com was disqualified for exceeding the maximum power output.
Relekta was a second boat to fall foul of the power limit and will start on the outside of line two alongside Parsonage Racing who failed to get out on the water.
The Victory pairing were clearly fired up by the activities of the last 24 hours, going four seconds quicker than their rivals in practice, and then producing two stunning laps in qualifying, their first good enough to take the pole, which they eclipsed on the second and the final lap of the session, posting a time of 3.51,95s around the 6.46Nm lap.
BMW Norwegian Grand Prix, Edox Pole Position - Results:
1. 3 Victory - A Al Zafeen (UAE) / N Bin Hendi (UAE) - 03.51,95
2. 95 Spirit of Qatar - A Al Neama (QAT) / M Nicolini (ITA) - 03.54,85
3. 96 Spirit of Qatar - H Al Thani (QAT) / S Curtis (ENG) - 03.54,92
4. 5 Team Abu Dhabi - R Al Tayer (UAE) / M Al Mansoori (UAE) - 04.03,32
5. 90 Welmax - K Selmer (NOR) / J Tandberg (NOR) - 04.10,54
6. 10 Fendi Racing - L Formilli Fendi (ITA) / G Carpitella (ITA) - 04.10,64
7. 69 ferskfisken.no - F Sundsdal (NOR) / B Jacobsen (NOR) - 04.45,14
8. 74 kim.com - G Cappellini (ITA) / G Montavoci (ITA) - 03.55,51*
9. 91 Relekta - U Isik (TUR) / C Zaborowski (NOR) - 04.13,12*
10. 50 Parsonage Racing - G Manuzzi (SMR) / P Virik Nilsen - dns
* 74 and 91 disqualified for exceeding maximum power output
Edox Pole Position Championship:
(after round 2)
1. 3 Victory Team - 35pts
2. 5 Team Abu Dhabi - 29pts
3. 95 Spirit of Qatar - 27pts
4. 96 Spirit of Qatar - 16pts
5. 10 Fendi Racing 14pts
6. 90 Welmax - 10pts
7. 91 Relekta - 7pts
8. 18 MITI - 5pts
9. 69 firskfisken.no - 4pts
10. 74 kim.com - 2pts
11. 50 Parsonage Racing - 1pt
UIM Class 1 World Powerboat Championship website
by Nigel Quilter
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Maatsuyker Island, TAS
