KIEV, Ukraine: The Qatar Team’s Shaun Torrente and defending UIM F1 H20 World Champion Alex Carella continued their challenge for honours in this year’s championship at this weekend’s Grand Prix of Ukraine on the Kiev Sea at Vyshgorod.
The pair finished second and third in the opening race of the series in Brasilia last month and trail winner and early series leader Sami Selio of Finland by five and eight points, respectively.
Torrente will be hoping to put what happened at the Ukraine race last year firmly to the back of his mind when he lines up alongside some of the fastest racers in the world for Friday’s qualifying and Saturday afternoon’s race.
He was heading for a first career win from just nine starts when the 2012 race was yellow flagged and restarted with less than three laps to run.
The Qatar Team driver’s DAC engine cruelly let go on the far side of the circuit and he was forced down to 10th position, his demise handing the win to Selio.
Torrente said: “Last year’s race was shaping up to be a career high water mark.”
He added: “I made a nice move on Sami and cleanly passed him for the lead. It’s one of those days you’ll always remember. I had also been leading in Kazan, but it turned out that I did not finish either race, which was very frustrating.”
Torrente explained: “Now, I am more determined than ever to get another opportunity to win again from the front of the field. I’ve got a great team and we all have faith and believe in each other. This has been the key to our success.”
Carella finished third in that Kiev race last season and went on to clinch the world title for the second time in Abu Dhabi and finished the season 17 points clear of runner-up Phillipe Chiappe.
He is chasing a third world title this season with the Qatar Team.
“It was certainly a dramatic and disappointing finish to the race for us last 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.
Khalid Abdullah Al Kuwari will represent the Qatar Team in the two UIM F-4S races for the Eurofin Trophy.
The Qatari amassed 24 points from his two third places at the inaugural Brazilian race meeting and trails Sweden’s Niklas Friberg – winner of the first two races – by 16 points. Germany’s Mike Szymura is second on 30 points after taking two second places in Brazil.
THE PENINSULA
