DOHA: Defending World Champion Alex Carella and his talented team-mate Shaun Torrente have a golden chance to pull clear of their rivals at this weekend’s 10th Grand Prix of Qatar, round four of the 2013 UIM F1 H2O World Championship.
Carella heads into an eagerly awaited showdown with two-time former champion Sami Selio of Finland, with both drivers tied at the top of the points standings.
Tomorrow’s qualifying session could be vital for the duo to get a better starting position for Saturday afternoon’s race on Doha Bay, which is being organised by the Qatar Marine Sports Federation (QMSF) under the auspices of the UIM and H2O Racing.
Adverse weather conditions and heavy rain passed through the area yesterday and race officials are keeping their fingers crossed that further poor weather does not force changes to the crowded race timetable.
Nations Cup crews were permitted on to the course for their free practice sessions yesterday. Khalid Abdullah Al Kuwari and Mohammed Al Obaidli are representing Team Qatar.
Ready to pounce on any mistakes made by the top two will be Carella’s Qatar team mate Torrente and the talented Frenchman Phillipe Chiappe.
The latter holds third in the points’ standings – a mere five adrift of the leading pair – and Torrente will be leaving nothing to chance in his quest for a maiden Grand Prix win. He is just nine points behind the top two and, with 20 points on offer for the winner of the Qatar race, he will be pushing hard from the start.
“Shaun and I may be rivals for the championship but we work together in the interests of the Qatar Team,” said Carella. “I know that a podium is the main target, but I am hoping for calm conditions. I don’t want to have to push if we have some waves out on the course. I would rather leave that for the races in the UAE.”
This year’s championship has developed into a four-driver race with three events remaining in Qatar and the UAE. Missing the podium in Doha Bay would all but certainly spoil Thani Al Qamzi’s dreams of taking the title for Team Abu Dhabi this year. “The important thing is we are leading both the teams’ and drivers’ championships here in Qatar, but the difference this season is that we cannot win the title in Abu Dhabi and it will be decided in Sharjah,” 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.
“It is not so easy this year. The Nations Cup is a welcome addition for us. Our drivers are focused and I am sure that we can deliver a podium finish. Khalid (Abdullah Al Kuwari) had engine problems in China and that was a setback. But he is confident and I think he will deliver for our team here.”
With Qatar also hosting its inaugural Nations Cup this weekend, the pit area on Doha Corniche is a hive of activity, with teams working on boats for the F1, Nations Cup and F-4S races.
Leading the home assault in the F-4S challenge for the Eurofin Trophy will be Khalid Abdullah Al Kuwari. He currently holds sixth in the points’ standings.
The Peninsula
