2007 UIM F1 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Mid-season break – latest news from the QMSF
For immediate release
Wednesday, August 29th, 2007
QATAR F1 TEAM BOATS EN ROUTE TO CHINA
FOR START OF ASIAN POWERBOAT CAMPAIGN
· Drivers Jay Price and Leo Bonelli continue preparations for China
· Mercury engines by Brendan Power for Qatar F1 Team
DOHA (Qatar): The Qatar F1 Team’s BaBa boats are currently en route to China in advance of the third round of the 2007 UIM Formula One Powerboat World Championship, which takes place in Xian at the start of October.
Over the summer months team personnel have revised the specification of the boats that both American Jay Price and Italian Leo Bonelli hope will take them to F1 powerboat glory over the remaining six races of the season in China, Singapore, Qatar and the UAE. The Qatar F1 Team is managed by Sweden’s Pelle Larsson under the auspices of the Qatar Marine Sports Federation (QMSF) and the presidency of His Excellency Sheikh Hassan Bin Jabor Al-Thani.
”We were not able to carry out any testing with Jay’s boat before we loaded the container for China because we only received the hull back from the crash box builder two days before we began loading and we had to ship the boats a week earlier than planned,” admitted Qatar’s F1 team manager Pelle Larsson. “This means that we will arrive in China at the same development stage as before and we will have to work real hard before the first of the two Chinese races.”
After such an extensive lay-off since the second round of the series at La Rochelle in France back in May, the entire Qatar Team is counting the days before the series resumes in China. “Luckily, our second driver Leo Bonelli carried out a really good test session on home waters in July, so we are quite well prepared for the first of the Asian races.”
Both the Qatar BaBa boats will now be powered by 2.5-litre Mercury engines prepared by Brendan Power from a test and development base at Tampa in the United States of America. Larsson admits nothing has been left to chance in the development of components and even the sprint gear case has been designed in a “very good way.”
Over the next few weeks the Qatar Team will ensure that all pre-China race preparations are carried out meticulously and both Price and Bonelli will carry out a light fitness regime so that they are both fully fit and focused for the remaining six F1 Grand Prix races in the space of three months.
“The main Qatar Team crew have been busy with the “rolling” workshop that we will have in situ at the races and thoughts have turned to the engine, gear casing and propellers to make sure that we have that extra speed for the Chinese races. The main crew will come to Doha for some F2 test sessions before we go to China and that will get everyone back into the race feeling again after the summer lay-off.”
Weight is crucial in F1 racing but Larsson admits that extra weight has been added to the BaBa hulls to compensate for the new crash boxes. “The most important thing is that we now have a much safer boat than before. When a driver knows that his boat is safer, he will be able to push harder. Jay has also been losing a little weight, so that will help a lot.”
Larsson admits that the Qatar Marine Sports Federation (QMSF) have provided invaluable support to the team’s programme in UIM F1 racing. “The support has been perfect,” said Larsson.
“I feel really proud to work with the QMSF. As a competitor himself, Sheikh Hassan really understands a lot about powerboat racing and that is so important. All members of the QMSF are doing a great job to support the Qatar F1 Team. With this backing I am sure that we will achieve some great results in the future and we will give members of the QMSF a nice show in our own F1 race in Doha in November.”
Ends
For further information:
Neil Perkins, NDP Publicity Services, Mobile: + 44 7831 123153, E-mail: ndppublicity@compuserve.com. www.ndp-publicity.com (press releases).
www.f1boat.com
www.qmsf.org