2008 UIM F1 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Grand Prix of Portugal – May 4th, round 2 of 9
For immediate release
Tuesday, April 29th, 2008
QATAR’S AL-KHULAIFI AND Al-FAYYAD
SET FOR FULL F1 DEBUTS IN PORTUGAL
Qatar Team’s Jay Price aiming for second successive podium finish
Qatar’s Mohammed Al-Ali appointed new Qatar F1 Team Manager
DOHA (Qatar): Qatar’s Yousef Al-Khulaifi and Ahmad Al-Fayyad will get their first taste of a full F1 World Championship Grand Prix, when they prepare to tackle the Grand Prix of Portugal in Portimao this weekend.
The Qatari duo were permitted to run for one lap in last month’s Qatar Grand Prix, but have since been racing in the United States to bring their licences up to the required level and will join Jay Price in Qatar’s Portugal team line-up.
“Both Yousef and Ahmad acquitted themselves very well in Doha and showed a good turn of speed,” admitted Mohammed Al-Jaidah, head of Formula Racing at the Qatar Marine Sports Federation (QMSF), which is run under the presidency of His Excellency Sheikh Hassan Bin Jabor Al-Thani. “They did two races in America after the Qatar race and are now ready for a full F1 race in Portugal.”
Former Qatar Team F1 racer Mohammed Al-Ali, who was forced to cut short his racing career after a crash in Doha, has now been appointed as Qatar’s new F1 Team Manager, with former F1 manager Pelle Larsson, from Sweden, handed the challenging role of developing various levels of Formula racing within the QMSF.
Al-Ali has been travelling with the Qatar Team to gain experience on events and is relishing the prospect of seeing Price again pushing the seasoned regulars for GP victory and overseeing the progress of Qatar’s two F1 rookies. “It promises to be a good challenge and I have every confidence that our drivers can achieve top success,” said Al-Ali.
Price finished a close second overall behind Sweden’s Jonas Andersson in last month’s Qatar Grand Prix at the helm of a new DAC and Al-Jaidah is confident that he can make the podium again in Portugal, although he faces the usual formidable challenge from multiple World Champion Guido Cappellini, defending champion Sami Selio and Thani Al-Qamzi from Team Abu Dhabi.
“Jay did a great job for the Qatar Team in Doha. If he manages to qualify in the top six again in Portugal, I am sure that he can make the podium again in Portimao.”
The QMSF have also installed a new technical team to work alongside engine specialist Brendan Power at the races, as the Qatar Team bids to become one of the leading teams in the highly-competitive UIM F1 World Championship.
Race weekend gets underway on Friday, May 2nd with technical scrutineering and registration in Portimao, before the Qatar Team is permitted to take to the water for the first time during the opening free practice session from 10.00hrs (local time) on Saturday morning. Free practice will be followed by the first and second time trials to determine qualifying order and the crucial F1 powerboat shoot-out Pole Position from 15.00hrs.
The Grand Prix of Portugal fires into life at 14.00hrs on Sunday (May 4th), although teams will be permitted to take part in a second free practice session from 11.30 hrs on Sunday morning.
2008 UIM F1 World Championship – Drivers (positions after round 1 of 9):
1. Jonas Andersson (S) F1 Team Sweden 20 pts
2. Jay Price (QA) Qatar Team 15 pts
3. David Trask (AUS) Trask Brothers Racing 12 pts
4. Sami Selio (FIN) Woodstock Red Devil Racing 9 pts
5. Guido Cappellini (I) Tamoil F1 Team 7 pts
6. Uvis Slakteris (LV) F1 Team Sweden 5 pts
7. Phillipe Chiappe (F) F1 Atlantic Team 4 pts
8. Stanislav Kourtsenovsky (RUS) Tamoil F1 Team 3 pts
9. Phillipe Tourre (F) F1 Team Sweden 2 pts
10. Massimo Roggiero (I) Woodstock Red Devil Racing 1 pt
2008 UIM F1 World Championship – Pole Position (positions after round 1 of 9):
1. Jonas Andersson (S) F1 Team Sweden 20 pts
2. Thani Al-Qamzi (UAE) F1 Team Abu Dhabi 15 pts
3. Sami Selio (FIN) Woodstock Red Devil Racing 12 pts
4. Guido Cappellini (I) Tamoil F1 9 pts
5. Jay Price (QA) Qatar Team 7 pts
6. Massimo Roggiero (I) Woodstock Red Devil Racing 5 pts
2008 UIM F1 World Championship – Teams (positions after round 1 of 9):
1. F1 Team Sweden 22 pts
2. Qatar Team 15 pts
3. Trask Brothers Racing 12 pts
4. Woodstock Red Devil Racing 10 pts
5. Tamoil F1 10 pts
6. F1 Atlantic Team 4 pts
Ends
For further information:
Neil Perkins, NDP Publicity Services, Mobile: + 44 7831 123153, E-mail: ndppublicity@compuserve.com. www.ndp-publicity.com (press releases).