The intense heat at the Old Doha Port did little to dampen the competitive spirit at the 2025 UIM-ABP World Aquabike Championship, where the final round’s qualifying sessions saw impressive performances across multiple categories. Estelle Poret, Quinten Bossche, Yousef al-Abdulrazzaq, Amer Hawair, and Rashid al-Mulla claimed pole positions in their respective divisions, setting the stage for an exciting series of races.
Estelle Poret Dominates Ski Ladies GP1
French racer Estelle Poret displayed remarkable skill in the Ski Ladies GP1 class, clinching pole position with a best lap of 1:39.929. The hot conditions, with temperatures exceeding 31°C, created a challenging environment, but Poret thrived, her early 1:40.512 lap setting a benchmark that others struggled to beat. Defending champion Jasmiin Ypraus, who initially held second, was pushed to third place by a strong performance from Norway’s Benedicte Drange. Despite a late tumble, Jessica Chavanne of France finished fifth, while Sofie Borgström struggled to maintain her form, ending up in 10th. Poret, reflecting on her performance, said, “I am very happy. There are a lot of waves, and it was difficult. I just tried to have fun and I did. It’s a good start to the weekend for me.”
Quinten Bossche’s Commanding Performance in Ski GP1
Belgium’s Quinten Bossche reaffirmed his dominance in the Ski GP1 class with a masterful pole position run. In a field of 19, Bossche’s blistering lap of 1:34.107 in Q1 set the tone for the rest of the competition. His 1:33.842 in Q2 remained unbeaten, securing him the top spot ahead of Jéremy Poret and Kevin Reiterer. Bossche expressed his satisfaction with the result, noting, “I think I won Q1 and Q2 in every race. That is pretty amazing and I am very happy. Last year was incredible, and this year we had a little bit of bad luck. I’m in good shape, feel strong, and my ski is working well. It’s extremely choppy. We have the best in the world here so making it easy would be a shame.”
Yousef al-Abdulrazzaq Stuns in Runabout GP1
In the highly competitive Runabout GP1 class, Kuwaiti rider Yousef al-Abdulrazzaq pulled off a stunning performance to take pole position. After a series of technical issues, including a handling and engine problem, al-Abdulrazzaq stormed to the top with a lap time of 1:26.677. This stunning lap was enough to secure him the pole ahead of series leader François Medori and Jéremy Perez. Al-Abdulrazzaq, reflecting on his performance, said, “We had a lot of drama but it’s the result that matters. We had a little handling issue and then a little engine issue. At least we got the result. Now we can work on the engine. This is just the pole position. Tomorrow is the real deal.”
Amer Hawair Claims Runabout GP2 Pole
Emirati racer Amer Hawair set the pace in the Runabout GP2 Asian Continental Championship, securing pole with a lap of 1:33.279. His performance was enough to outpace countryman Khalid Al-Maazmi by nearly two seconds. Saudi Arabia’s Daoud Kaloti qualified third, while a number of Qatari riders filled the lower spots in the qualifying order.
Rashid al-Mulla Tops Freestyle Qualifying
The Freestyle class saw some of the most intense competition, with Rashid al-Mulla mastering the fading light to claim pole position. He impressed the judges with his daring stunts, finishing ahead of Roberto Mariani and Massimo Accumolo. Frenchman Steven Royer and Qatari rider Bader Al-Abdullah rounded out the top five. Al-Mulla’s victory in qualifying sets the stage for what promises to be an exciting Freestyle competition.
With the qualifying rounds complete, the stage is set for an action-packed race weekend at the Old Doha Port, where these elite athletes will battle it out for supremacy in the final round of the 2025 UIM-ABP World Aquabike Championship.
