emirates7 - Rusty Wyatt of the Sharjah Team has strengthened his position in the 2024 UIM F1H2O World Championship by winning the Grand Prix of Shanghai, China, despite hazardous conditions that led to an early race stoppage.
The race was halted after just 11 of the scheduled 32 laps due to safety concerns, affecting several drivers, including Team Abu Dhabi’s Thani Al Qemzi and defending world champion Jonas Andersson.
Al Qemzi, who had moved up to sixth place in the challenging weather, ultimately finished in tenth, while Andersson narrowly avoided a crash and dropped from second to third place in the championship standings as conditions worsened.
Andersson, under pressure from fellow Swede Erik Stark, managed to recover after spinning but was unable to maintain his position, finishing behind Stark in the Grand Prix and losing ground in the title race.
It was a challenging weekend for Team Abu Dhabi overall, with Alberto Comparato finishing in 14th place. Both he and Al Qemzi will be looking for a strong performance in the next round, set to take place in Zhengzhou in two weeks.
Wyatt, a championship rookie, handled the difficult conditions the best, as the weather first led to the cancellation of the initial practice session and then the two sprint races. He topped the second practice session, secured pole position, and established a comfortable lead from the start of the Grand Prix, finishing 7.2 seconds ahead of Stark. He now leads Stark by 17.5 points in the championship standings.
The race was halted after just 11 of the scheduled 32 laps due to safety concerns, affecting several drivers, including Team Abu Dhabi’s Thani Al Qemzi and defending world champion Jonas Andersson.
Al Qemzi, who had moved up to sixth place in the challenging weather, ultimately finished in tenth, while Andersson narrowly avoided a crash and dropped from second to third place in the championship standings as conditions worsened.
Andersson, under pressure from fellow Swede Erik Stark, managed to recover after spinning but was unable to maintain his position, finishing behind Stark in the Grand Prix and losing ground in the title race.
It was a challenging weekend for Team Abu Dhabi overall, with Alberto Comparato finishing in 14th place. Both he and Al Qemzi will be looking for a strong performance in the next round, set to take place in Zhengzhou in two weeks.
Wyatt, a championship rookie, handled the difficult conditions the best, as the weather first led to the cancellation of the initial practice session and then the two sprint races. He topped the second practice session, secured pole position, and established a comfortable lead from the start of the Grand Prix, finishing 7.2 seconds ahead of Stark. He now leads Stark by 17.5 points in the championship standings.