UIM F1 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Grand Prix of China, round 4
October 4-5th, 2006
For immediate release
Thursday, October 5th, 2006
F1 QATAR TEAM DRIVER JAY PRICE
TAKES SECOND PLACE IN GP OF CHINA
American Scott Gillman wins GP of China;
Disappointment for F1 Qatar Team?s Roggiero
CHENGDU (China): The Qatar F1 Team is celebrating its best result of the season after Jay Price clinched second position in today?s Grand Prix of China, round four of the UIM F1 World Championship. The race was won by fellow American driver Scott Gillman, who now leads the World Championship by five points from Italy?s defending champion Guido Cappellini.
Price and F1 Qatar Team partner Massimo Roggiero had lined up seventh and fifth on the grid for the Grand Prix on the Wenjing river, near Chengdu, but it was Price who was to shine for the Qatar Team on this occasion.
In front of a capacity crowd of around 35,000 spectators, Roggiero was forced to pull away from the start line and return to the pits with technical problems, seconds before the race was about to start. Cappellini was the early pace setter, followed by Thani Al-Qamzi and Gillman, Finland?s Sami Selio, Price and Sweden?s Jonas Andersson. Gillman and Al-Qamzi were locked in a frantic tussle, but a yellow flag incident on the 14th lap was caused by Cappellini apparently clipping a race buoy.
Under four laps of yellow flag conditions, Cappellini led from Gillman, Selio, Price, Australia?s David Trask, Fabio Comparato and Frenchman Phillippe Dessertenne. But there was no sign of the Emirates F1 driver Thani Al-Qamzi, who had returned to the pits with mechanical problems.
By lap 24 Cappellini looked to be in control of the race and was pulling away from Gillman, but another yellow flag incident enabled the chasing pack to pull ever closer to the defending World Champion and by the time the green flag was waived, Gillman was back in striking distance to challenge for the lead. Selio, Qatar?s Price, David Trask and Britain?s Andy Elliott were in close contention, although there was still a question mark about any potential penalties imposed on Cappellini for hitting the buoy.
On the penultimate lap Selio was forced to stop with engine problems and this elevated Price to third overall behind Cappellini and Gillman. But it was to get ever better for the F1 Qatar Team, when Cappellini was duly issued a one-lap penalty for his earlier infringement and slipped to sixth overall, elevating Gillman into first overall, Price up to second and David Trask into third place ? the latter pair taking their first F1 podium finishes. Elliott and Bob Trask completed the top five.
?It was obviously a very disappointing day for Massimo, but a superb result for Jay and a great boost for the Qatar Team before the final two races at the end of the year in the Middle East,? said Mohammed Al-Jaidah, QMSF Team Director and Head of Formula Racing.
The UIM F1 World Championship will reach a dramatic conclusion in the United Arab Emirates in December with a pair of races in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.
UIM F1 World Championship
Drivers Championship ? after round 4
1. Scott Gillman (USA) 50 pts
2. Guido Cappellini (I) 45 pts
3. Thani Al-Qamzi (UAE) 31 pts
4. David Trask (AUS) 21 pts
5. Ivan Brigada (I) 20 pts
5. Jay Price (USA) 20 pts
Massimo Roggiero (I) 12 pts, etc
Teams? Championship ? after round 4
1. Emirates F1 81 pts
2. Tamoil F1 68 pts
3. XPV Racing 40 pts
4. Qatar Team 32 pts
5. Team Charente Maritime 21 pts, etc
Pole Championship ? after round 4
1. Guido Cappellini (I) 49 pts
2. Scott Gillman (USA) 47 pts
3. Thani Al-Qamzi (UAE) 43 pts
4. Sami Selio (FIN) 41 pts
5. Massimo Roggiero 31 pts, etc
Ends
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