Rashed Al Tayer will step into the void left by team-mate Mohammed Al Mehairbi as Team Abu Dhabi head to France for Round 6 of the UIM F2 Grand Prix this weekend.
Al Tayer will be alongside Rashed Al Qamzi as the Emirates-backed team head to Macon.
The team, based at Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club, have entered three of the five rounds of the F2 series this season in Italy, Norway and Lithuania, and will enter two boats, Team Abu Dhabi 35 and 36, in France.
The campaign has been a valuable learning curve for both Al Qamzi and Al Mehairbi, with both taking top 10 finishes at the last round in Lithuania and Al Qamzi also finishing ninth in Norway.
Al Tayer now steps into the breach to replace Al Mehairbi in France.
“This race will be another exciting chapter in what has already been a thrilling and successful season for all our drivers across several racing disciplines” said Salem Al Romaithi, the team’s assistant general manager.
“We know that the competition is very strong in F2 and that’s why our drivers need to compete against the very best.”
Erik Edin leads this year’s UIM F2 World Championship, despite missing out on the win in Zarasai and eventually finishing fifth. The Swede is tied on 55 points with compatriot Pierre Lundin and the pair are 23 points ahead of third-placed Rupert Temper of Austria.
England’s Matthew Palfreyman is fourth on 30 points and victory in Lithuania has lifted Latvia’s Uvis Slakteris to sixth.
Al Qamzi, on nine points, is 14th after missing two rounds of the seven-race series in Finland and Norway earlier in the year.
Al Mehairbi, with one point, is 23rd. Qualifying and practice sessions take place on Saturday and the next round of the UIM F2 World Championship fires into life on Sunday afternoon.