Friday, February 24:  Team Abu Dhabi’s Thani Al-Qemzi stole a march on his rivals to top the timings in the extra free practice session for this weekend’s Kopiko Grand Prix of Indonesia on Friday lunchtime.

While much of the western world was still in slumber, the UIM F1H2O World Championship got underway on Sumatra’s spectacular Lake Toba and Al-Qemzi ran his DAC for 15 laps to set the quickest tour of 1min 06.75sec on the challenging course.

Returning with the Victory Team for the first time since 2019, Sweden’s Erik Stark ran the Emirati the closest and posted the second quickest time of the session – a best run of 1min 09.80sec during his eight laps on the water. Team Sweden’s former World Champion Jonas Andersson was third.

Sixteen of the 20 racers managed to gain a little experience on the water. Ferdinand Zandbergen and Duarte Benavente only managed one slow lap around the course, while Norway’s Marit Strømøy and the China CTIC Team’s Peter Morin sat out the session.

2023 Kopiko Grand Prix of Indonesia – extra free practice:

1. Thani Al-Qemzi (UAE) Team Abu Dhabi                            1min 06.75sec

2. Erik Stark (SWE) Victory Team                                          1min 08.00sec

3. Jonas Andersson (SWE) Team Sweden                            1min 09.17sec

4. Cédric Deguisne (FRA) Maverick Racing                          1min 10.08sec

5.Shaun Torrente (USA)  Team Abu Dhabi                            1min 11.67sec

6. Ahmed Al-Fahim (UAE) Victory Team                               1min 11.86sec

7. Kalle Viippo (FIN) Team Sweden                                        1min 12.29sec

8. Brock Cohen (AUS) Comparato F1                                    1min 12.57sec

9. Sami Seliö (FIN) Sharjah Team                                           1min 16.75sec

10. Brent Dillard (USA) China CTIC Team                              1min 19.79sec

11. Alberto Comparato (ITA) Comparato F1                           1min 22.09sec

12. Filip Roms (FIN) Gillman Racing                                        1min 22.56sec

13. Alexandre Bourgeot (FRA) Maverick Racing                   1min 24.25sec

14. Ben Jelf (GBR) F1 Atlantic Team                                       1min 26.07sec

15. Bartek Marszalek (POL) Strømøy Racing F1H2O Team  1min 26.71sec

16. Alec Weckström (FIN) Gillman Racing                              1min 30.76sec

17. Ferdinand Zandbergen (NLD) Sharjah Team                    2min 10.01sec

18. Duarte Benavente (POR) F1 Atlantic Team                       2min 27.80sec

Peter Morin (FRA) China CTIC Team                                       DNS

Marit Strømøy (NOR) Strømøy Racing F1H2O Team             DNS