BRASILIA, Brazil: The Qatar Team’s Shaun Torrente and defending UIM F1 H20 World Champion Alex Carella finished second and third overall in the inaugural Grand Prix of Brazil on Brasilia’s Lake Paranoá yesterday.
The pair were never able to pass the flying Finn and two-time World Champion Sami Selio, who led from pole position to the chequered flag, despite two yellow flag incidents. The victory was the 11th of Selio’s career.
Torrente pressed the Finn hard throughout but back markers cost the American time at vital instances and Carella finished a distant third. Team Abu Dhabi’s Thani Al Qamzi was fourth and Frenchman Phillipe Chiappe was fifth. Ahmed Al Hameli returned from serious illness to take seventh overall.
“It is points on the board and two podium finishes at the start of the season and a good foundation to work on for the rest of the year,” said Khalid bin Arhama Al Kuwari, head of formula racing at the Qatar Marine Sports Federation (QMSF), which runs under the presidency of Sheikh Hassan bin Jabor Al Thani. “We had loads of issues yesterday before the pole but we have the best crew in the business and we were ready for the start today,” said Torrente. “It would have been nice to take the win but the points are invaluable at the start of the season.”
Khalid Abdullah Al Kuwari qualified third for the second of the weekend’s F-4S races behind pole position winner Niklas Friberg and went on to finish the 15-lap race in third position to claim a second podium finish of the weekend. Friberg led from the start to claim a second win of the weekend, with Germany’s Mike Szymura taking the runner-up spot, albeit 40.61 seconds behind.
The next round of the 2013 UIM F1 H20 World Championship takes teams to Kiev in the Ukraine on July 26-28.
The Peninsula
