2009 UIM F1 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
5th Grand Prix of Finland – June 12th-13th, rounds 3 and 4
For immediate release
Friday, June 12th, 2009
TEAM QATAR’S PRICE SEALS EIGHTH POSITION
IN OPENING GRAND PRIX OF FINLAND RACE
· Andy Elliott suffers boat damage in free practice session
· Finnish race win falls to Italy’s Guido Cappellini
LAHTI (Finland): Team Qatar’s Jay Price finished eighth overall in the first of two races at the 5th Grand Prix of Finland on Lake Vesijärvi, near Lahti, on Friday afternoon.
The third round of the UIM F1 World Championship was won by Italian multiple World Champion, Guido Cappellini, after Italy’s Massimo Roggiero had claimed Pole Position and been forced out of the lead early in the race.
Price looked set to qualify in second position for the opening race of the weekend until he was alleged to have run for an extra lap and was pushed down to 18th place by race officials. Elliott suffered boat damage in the free practice session and was handed 19th on the grid, but he did not start the race.
F1 Team Qatar is run by the Qatar Marine Sports Federation (QMSF) under the presidency of His Excellency Sheikh Hassan Bin Jabor Al-Thani and the management of Khalid Bin Arhama Al-Kuwari.
“It was a disappointing day for us,” said Al-Kuwari. “These things happen in racing, but the beauty of the new rules is that we can come back again on Saturday and make amends.”
Price faced a daunting climb through the tail-enders once the action got underway. Roggiero headed Cappellini away from the start, with the Swedish duo of Jonas Andersson and Pierre Lundin and the in-form Emirati, Thani-Al-Qamzi, in close contention.
Roggiero eventually withdrew, as Price began his climb back through the field to an eventual eighth position and three championship points. Cappellini held off the Andersson challenge to claim much-needed points and Fabio Comparato completed the podium places, with Abu Dhabi’s Thani Al-Qamzi and former World Champion, Sami Selio, in fourth and fifth places. Portugal’s Duarte Benevente was sixth and Al-Qamzi maintained the World Championship lead.
Free practice and time trials
Team Qatar’s Price was the fastest man out of the blocks in the first half of the practice session, the World Champion clocking a fastest tour of 45.17s in his first 20-lap stint. Jonas Andersson and Francesco Cantando were his closest challengers, with new team-mate Elliott down in 17th with a lap of 47.89s during his opening 22-laps.
Price’s time was eclipsed by Andersson’s lap of 44.61s after 40 minutes of the session, but the Qatar supremo hit back with a 44.47s tour to regain the fastest time. He eventually won the free practice session with a lap of 44.37s, with Andersson and Pierre Lundin completing the top three. Elliott eventually slipped to 18th.
After the first 30 minutes of the time trials, Italy’s Massimo Roggiero held provisional pole position from Price with a lap of 43.63s. Andersson, Cappellini and Selio completed the top five, although Elliott was unable to start after damaging his boat in free practice. As the session continued Price maintained his position, but was reported to have run for an extra lap and was disqualified from the session.
The decision was protested by QMSF officials, although Price found himself down in 18th position on the provisional starting order for the race. Elliott was listed 19th and Team Qatar faced a fight-back through the field during the race.
Saturday’s second race begins at 3pm (local time) and is preceded by further practice and qualifying sessions.
5th Grand Prix of Finland – race 1 results (Friday) – unofficial @ 16.30hrs
1. Guido Cappellini (I) Zepter Team
2. Jonas Andersson (S) Team Azerbaijan
3. Fabio Comparato (I) 800 Doctor Team
4. Thani Al-Qamzi (UAE) F1 Team Abu Dhabi
5. Sami Selio (FIN) Mad Croc F1 Team Woodstock
6. Duarte Benavente (P) F1 Atlantic Team
2009 UIM F1 World Championship – positions after 3 races:
1. Thani Al-Qamzi (UAE) F1 Team Abu Dhabi 38 pts
2. Jonas Andersson (S) Team Azerbaijan 29 pts
3. Guido Cappellini (I) Zepter Team 21 pts
4. Ahmed Al-Hameli (UAE) F1 Team Abu Dhabi 20 pts
5. Fabio Comparato (I) 800 Doctor Team 19 pts
6. Duarte Benavente (P) F1 Atlantic Team 17 pts
7. Jay Price (QA) F1 Team Qatar 15 pts
7. Francesco Cantando (I) Singha F1 Racing Team 15 pts
9. Andy Elliott (GB) Ace Racing/F1 Team Qatar 9 pts
9. Marit Stromoy (N) Team Azerbaijan 9pts
9. Utis Gross (LV) Zepter Team 9 pts
12. Leo Bonelli (I) F1 Team Qatar 7 pts
12. Pierre Lundin (S) Team CTIC China-Charente 7 pts
12. Sami Selio (FIN) Mad Croc F1 Team Woodstock 7 pts
15. Daniele Martignnoni (I) Mad Croc F1 Team Woodstock 5 pts
16. Vallerio Lagiannella (I) 800 Doctor Team 3 pts
17. Fabian Kalsow (D) China CTIC Team 2 pts
18. Marco Gambi (I) Singha F1 Team 1 pt
18. Stanislav Kourtsenovsky (RUS) Prox F1 Racing 1 pt
Time Trials (Friday)
1. Massimo Roggiero (I) Mad Croc F1 Team Woodstock 43.63s
2. Guido Cappellini (I) Zepter Team 44.15s
3. Jonas Andersson (S) Team Azerbaijan 44.47s
4. Pierre Lundin (S) Team CTIC China-Charente 44.49s
5. Thani Al-Qamzi (UAE) F1 Team Abu Dhabi 44.54s
6. Fabio Comparato (I) 800 Doctor Team 44.58s, etc
2009 UIM F1 Pole Position Championship – positions after 3 races:
1. Ahmed Al-Hameli (UAE) F1 Team Abu Dhabi 35 pts
2. Guido Cappellini (I) Zepter Team 31 pts
3. Jay Price (QA) F1 Team Qatar 29 pts
4 Jonas Andersson (S) Team Azerbaijan 24 pts
5. Massimo Roggiero (I) Mad Croc F1 Team Woodstock 20 pts
6. Thani Al-Qamzi (UAE) F1 Team Abu Dhabi 19 pts
7. Sami Selio (FIN) Mad Croc F1 Team Woodstock 17 pts
8. Francesco Cantando (I) Singha F1 Racing Team 15 pts
9. Pierre Lundin (S) Team CTIC China-Charente 9 pts
10. Fabio Comparato (I) 800 Doctor Team 5 pts
Ends
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