DOHA: A new season of UIM F1 H2O World Championship gets under way this weekend with the Grand Prix of Qatar taking centre stage at the start of the 11th year of F1 H2O racing on Doha Bay.
Driver and team management changes have made the news out of the water in recent weeks and Team Abu Dhabi head into this weekend’s racing action with a superb chance to take the early advantage in the world’s premier single-hull race series.
Three-time World Champion Alex Carella has joined the Abu Dhabi line-up from the Qatar Team and will work with new team manager Guido Cappellini. The added bonus of the experienced Emirati driver Thani Al-Qamzi give the team from the Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club (ADIMSC) a perfect opportunity to get the season off to a winning start. “I only had chance to drive this boat for 10 minutes in Italy before we came out to Qatar and that is never enough time to get used to it,“ said Carella, who also used the same boat in the Rouen endurance race.
“Obviously the plan is to go for the win, but I will have to wait for the next race in France in June to get my hands on my new boat, which is being built in Italy at the moment.”
Frenchman Phillipe Chiappe claimed a stunning maiden World Championship title on the final race of last year in Sharjah and the CTIC China Team driver returns to defend his title. With Carella joining the Abu Dhabi team, host nation hopes rest with the Italian’s former team-mate Shaun Torrente. One of the quickest drivers on the circuit last season, Torrente lines up in a new boat powered by an even more powerful engine tuned by Brendan Power.
The American finished third in the title race last season, after being in the hunt for the world crown until the final few laps on Khaled Lagoon, and the team was impressed with the new boat’s performance at a test session in Doha Bay last week.
Adding fuel to a potentially explosive clash on Doha Bay will be the flying Finn and two-time champion Sami Selio of the Mad-Croc Baba Racing Team and Al-Qamzi’s former team-mate Ahmed Al Hameli, who lines up for a new Emirates Team.
Italy’s Francesco Cantando, Sweden’s Jonas Andersson and Kuwait’s Yousef Al-Rubayan are more than capable of pushing into the top six and creating an upset, especially in the time trials today.
The Grand Prix of Qatar timetable also features a pair of 20-minute UIM F-4S Trophy races today and Saturday. Action gets underway with free practice and time trials for the F-4S competitors from 09.00hrs.
The Pninsula
