Saturday, December 20: Three-time defending World Champion Jonas Andersson took full advantage of pole position and stormed to victory in the first of the two 16-lap Sprint races at the Road to Sharjah-Grand Prix of Sharjah on Saturday afternoon.
The Swede led from start-to-finish to pass the chequered flag 5.744 seconds clear of Strømøy Racing’s runner-up Bartek Marszalek and kept the pressure on the Victory Team’s Shaun Torrente before the American took to the water in the second of the Sprint races.
Andersson said: “It’s going to be tough. We had too many problems this year, small problems. Tomorrow, is just try and go for the win and see. It is what it is. When we lost the first race in Indonesia, I was super-fast and we lost because of broken electrics. It’s difficult with a short season and then, in China, I broke the engine in qually, a small problem. I didn’t understand it and then we had the disqualification.
“Sharjah is very tough, one of the toughest races of the season for the materials. I lost two championships here, so I know. I just have to go for the win (tomorrow) and whatever happens, happens!”
Sharjah Team’s Stefan Arand managed to pass Team Abu Dhabi’s Erik Stark on the opening lap to secure the final place on the podium with an impressive Brent Dillard finishing fifth on his return to action with the China CTIC Team. Maverick Racing’s Alexandre Bourgeot was sixth with Marit Strømøy and Team Abu Dhabi’s Mansoor Al-Mansoori rounding off the eight finishers.
Andersson lined up on pole for the first of the two 16-lap Sprint races from Stark, Marszalek, a frustrated Arand, Sami Seliö, Bourgeot and Strømøy in the four-stroke V8 APX-engined DAC.
Engine changes forced both Dillard and Al-Mansoori to start at the rear of the field; Dillard was also suffering from a little back pain after returning from his lumbar surgery earlier in the year. The China CTIC Team’s Peter Morin was towed off the parade lap and back to the pontoon before lights out with a battery issue.
Andersson made a flying start and stormed away from his rivals with Marszalek and Arand passing Stark to grab second and third places. The Swede extended his lead to nearly four seconds into lap two as Arand held off Stark and maintained third place. A charging Dillard managed to pass Strømøy and Bourgeot and moved into sixth place behind Seliö.
By halfway, Andersson led Marszalek by just 1.850 seconds as the nine drivers held their positions until Seliö slipped behind a struggling Dillard and Bourgeot. Andersson managed his pace to perfection and extended his lead over the Pole through the next few laps to reach the chequered flag 5.744 seconds clear of the Strømøy Racing driver from Warsaw.
Arand and Stark finished third and fourth with Dillard, Bourgeot, Strømøy and Al-Mansoori rounding off the finishers after the Red Devil-SMC F1 Team’s Seliö pulled out after eight laps with a lack of power.
