Team Abu Dhabi claim pole position at Grand Prix of France in Mâcon

MACON, FRANCE, 1st July, 2023 (WAM) — Team Abu Dhabi’s Shaun Torrente claimed a dramatic last gasp pole position after a pulsating BRM Qualifying session for the Grand Prix of France on the River Saône in Mâcon on Saturday afternoon.

Trailing Team Sweden’s arch rival Jonas Andersson heading into the dying seconds of the thrilling six-boat showdown, Torrente took advantage of a yellow flag situation that gave racers an additional minute to set a pole-winning time. With Andersson looking set to claim a second successive pole with a lap of 33.322 seconds, Torrente took advantage of clear water to beat his rival by 0.107 seconds on his final run to snatch a prime starting position for Sunday’s race.

Delighted Torrente said: “I am just happy to get the pole. I am thankful for the team at Abu Dhabi, for Guido (Cappellini) and all the guys that we could test early and we came here really prepared. I was able to put it on pole today. It was a fantastic job by Jonas and all the guys. They all pushed hard. But conditions came good at the end. We start one tomorrow. Hopefully we finish one!”