Rashed Al Qemzi of Team Abu Dhabi would have to wait until Tuesday's Grand Prix of Lithuania before starting his campaign for a third UIM F2 world championship title.

Qemzi showed up in great shape as he won free practice in Kupikis, but he was forced out of the first of three qualifying sessions after colliding with Swede Johan Osterberg.

The 2017 and 2019 F2 world champion was unharmed, but must now rely on Team Abu Dhabi mechanics to rebuild his boat in time for the Emirati to compete in the season's first race tomorrow.

While the 2017 and 2019 world champion's day concluded in disappointment, teammate Mansoor Al Mansoori qualified sixth on his Team Abu Dhabi debut.

Seventh quickest in free practice, he weathered the shock of Al Qemzi's early exit from qualifying to record the second-fastest time in the opening session, trailing only Norway's Tobias Munthe-Kaas.

Al Mansoori, who finished third in session two behind Swede Daniel Segenmark, would now aim to start his debut Grand Prix in Team Abu Dhabi colors beside Qemzi, the driver he overtook as F4-S world champion in 2017.

Qemzi was innocent in the qualifying collision, and race officials were reviewing camera evidence of the event before determining if Osterberg was at fault.

“I'm not certain what caused the crash, but I hope that I'll be ready to begin the race tomorrow,” said Qemzi, who won both of his world titles in Lithuania.

Edgaras Riabko of Lithuania took pole position ahead of Team Sharjah's Dutch driver Ferdinand Zandbergen and Portugal's reigning world champion Duarte Benavente courtesy to a late push in the final qualifying session.

Tobias Munthe-Kaas was unable to compete in the 2020 UIM F2 World Championship owing to the global health crisis, but he and his squad are prepared for the opening round of the 2021 series.

“Since December 2019, we have not yet had the opportunity to fly abroad to race, so this is a relief to be able to do what we want most, which would be to meet acquaintances from all over the globe and compete,” the Norwegian added.

It has been a part of my life for the previous 20 years, and I have missed the racing because of my health,” he continued.

Munthe-Kaas has raced in Norway; last year, he finished third in offshore Class 3C, participated in F2 in Tonsberg, and had been runner-up in the Norwegian national ThunderCat championship only a few weeks ago.

The ThunderCat race was a fantastic way to kick starts our season; it was a well-organized tournament with a terrific atmosphere, and our sport received excellent coverage on national television.

Munthe-Kaas' F2 boat and equipment have landed in Kupiskis, and the team will arrive in Lithuania tomorrow.

He finished on a positive note: "The last time we competed in the world championship, we demonstrated to everyone that we are a force to reckon with at the top."

We have made numerous modifications to the equipment ever since, it'll be thrilling to compete against the world's finest once again.”