Victory 1 on pole in Romania

Dubai's Victory 1 team are on pole for today's Class 1 World Powerboat Championship Grand Prix in Romania. The championship-leading pair of Mohammed al Marri and Nadir bin Hendi recorded a time of 2mins 46.26secs to finish two-thirds of a second ahead of the Norwegian Jotun crew during qualifying on Mamaia's Lake Siutghiol, near the Black Sea city of Constanta.

Qatar 95 and 96 rounded out the top four - with the quartet separated by just 0.85secs. Victory 7 qualified in fifth place with Abdullah al Mehairbi and Jean-Marc Sanchez two seconds behind their Dubai teammates. Victory 1 go in today's race - the fifth of the eight-event calendar - in control of the standings. They have 75 points - 16 more than Qatar 96 and 24 ahead of Victory 7. They also lead the European Championship standings. Today's 21-lap race is the last of the four on the continent and Victory 1 seem set to take this crown. They have already amassed 49 points - 10 more than second-placed Victory 7.

A win today for Victory 1 - who won the first three races of the season - will put them firmly in control of the standings. And they also know that the last three races will be closer to home. After Romania, the next contest is in Egypt in October before the last two races, both of which are in Dubai in mid-December. Victory 1seemed off the pace ahead of qualifying in Mamaia. They were only fourth fastest in the second practice session.

But after being outpaced by both Qatar boats, they once again asserted their supremacy when it mattered most. @Email:akunawicz@thenational.ae