2010 UIM F1 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Grand Prix of China, Shenzhen – October 22-24, round 5 of 8
For immediate release
Sunday, October 24th, 2010
QATAR TEAM’S JAY PRICE SPINS OUT OF SHENZHEN F1 RACE
· Shenzhen race victory falls to Italy’s Francesco Cantando
· Qatar’s Khalid Saleh Al-Shamlan finishes seventh in F-4S race
· Andy Elliott finishes 12th overall for Qatar Team
SHENZHEN (China): The Qatar Team endured a disappointing Grand Prix of China on Houhai Lake in Shenzhen on Sunday. Engine problems had thwarted Price’s challenge for pole position in the time trials and he started from 15th position in the race.
But he was forced out on lap four when he spun out on a corner, collided with Marco Gambi and forced a yellow flag situation. The race was won by Italy’s Francesco Cantando, who inherited the lead when Team Abu Dhabi’s Ahmed Al-Hameli suffered cruel engine problems with just four laps remaining of a race he had led from the start.
Cantando now holds an 11-point lead over Price in the UIM F1 World Championship standings. The Qatar Team’s Andy Elliott finished the race in 12th position with his Dragon boat.
Price’s new DAC boat had been delivered to Shenzhen by airfreight from Italy during the Shenzhen race week and the Qatar Team driver complained of rib pains during preparations for the race after an awkward qualifying session in the new boat.
“I was pushing really hard and had a tight line and then we ran out of space at the turn,” said Price. “I was starting to hang it into the corners. This is racing I suppose. The ribs are a little beaten up. It was a chance we took to use the new boat on the short course. It may not have been the right decision, but that is racing and we wanted to try and leap forward.”
Khaled Saleh Al-Shamlan flew the Qatar Team flag in the solitary F-4S race and finished seventh overall. Sweden’s Oskar Samuelsson had claimed pole position and went on to win the race and move into the championship lead after three races.
The race
Price’s engine problems in the time trials meant that he started the race from 15th position and faced a tricky sprint through heavy traffic to get in a good position at the start. Elliott was promoted to 12th on the grid through other drivers’ problems.
Nineteen drivers faced 47 laps on the 1.5km course and Price was quickly on the pace in the new boat, despite an awkward seating position for the 2008 World Champion in the cockpit of the DAC.
But Price’s miserable day continued on lap four. He had already climbed four places in the order, but an incident involving his new boat forced a yellow flag scenario and the end of his race. Elliott settled into 14th position at the restart once Price’s boat had been cleared from the course.
Al-Hameli maintained his lead to the halfway point from Francesco Cantando, Phillipe Chiappe, Pierre Lundin and Sami Selio. Elliott held 14th overall and climbed to 13th heading into the final five laps.
Engine woes forced Al-Hameli out of the running on the 44th lap and Cantando duly inherited the race lead and maximum points for taking a shock victory. The Italian held off the challenge from Chiappe and Lundin over the closing four laps to confirm the championship lead. Elliott finished in 12th overall.
Time Trials and free practice
Price ran for 32 laps and set the fastest time in the only free practice session of the revised programme. He recorded a time of 35.75s and that was 0.02s quicker than Thani Al-Qamzi and a further 0.04s up on Al-Qamzi’s Team Abu Dhabi colleague Ahmed Al-Hameli. Elliott recorded a best tour of 39.22s during his 19-lap stint.
But the Qatar Team driver was unable to reach the points-scoring places in the time trials because of engine problems and was forced to start the race from 15th position.
Al-Hameli earned pole for the race and extended his lead in the UIM F1 Pole Position Championship, with Chiappe and Cantando filling second and third positions on the grid. Elliott was down in 17th position, but was reinstated in 12th when the starting grid was finalised.
F-4S
Khaled Saleh Al-Shamlan recorded the sixth fastest time in the free practice session for the F-4S boats and improved by one position in the time trials, as Sweden’s Oskar Samuelsson claimed pole with a lap of 47.33s. Al-Shamlan eventually finished seventh in the race, as Samuelsson held on to take maximum points and move into a five-point championship lead.
Grand Prix of China, Shenzhen – race results
1. Francesco Cantando (I) Singha F1 Racing Team
2. Phillipe Chiappe (F) CTIC China Team @ 1.95s
3. Pierre Lundin (S) CTIC China Team @ 4.42s
4. Sami Selio (FIN) Team Mad Croc @ 7.41s
5. Alex Carella (I) Team Mad Croc @ 9.69s
6. Thani Al-Qamzi (UAE) F1 Team Abu Dhabi @ 19.66s
7. Tim Seebold (USA) Team Skydive Dubai @ 21.20s
8. Marit Stromoy (N) Team Azerbaijan @ 27.41s
9. Fabio Comparato (I) 800 Doctor 1 lap behind
10. Jonas Andersson (S) Team Azerbaijan 1 lap behind
12. Andy Elliott (GB) Qatar Team 1 lap behind
2010 UIM F1 World Drivers’ Championship – standings after round 5
1. Francesco Cantando (I) Singha F1 Racing Team 59 pts
2. Jay Price (QA) Qatar F1 Team 48 pts
3. Alex Carella (I) Team Mad Croc 46 pts
4. Thani Al-Qamzi (UAE) F1 Team Abu Dhabi 44 pts
4. Sami Selio (FIN) Team Mad Croc 44 pts
6. Pierre Lundin (S) CTIC China Team 33 pts
7. Ahmed Al-Hameli (UAE) F1 Team Abu Dhabi 20 pts
8. Phillipe Chiappe (F) CTIC China Team 17 pts
9. Tim Seebold (USA) Team Skydive Dubai 16 pts
9. Fabio Comparato (I) 800 Doctor 16 pts
12. Andy Elliott (GB) Qatar F1 Team 7 pts
2010 UIM F1 Pole Position Championship – standings after round 5
1. Ahmed Al-Hameli (UAE) F1 Team Abu Dhabi 79 pts
2. Sami Selio (FIN) Team Mad Croc 50 pts
3. Francesco Cantando (I) Singha F1 Racing Team 49 pts
4. Jay Price (QA) Qatar Team 42 pts
5. Alex Carella (I) Team Mad Croc 36 pts
6. Phillipe Chiappe (F) CTIC China Team 20 pts
7. Thani Al-Qamzi (UAE) Team Abu Dhabi 17 pts
8. Fabio Comparato (I) 88 Doctor 14 pts
9. Duarte Benavente (P) F1 Atlantic Team 12 pts
10. Pierre Lundin (S) CTIC China Team 9 pts
11. Davide Padovan (I) Rainbow Team 7 pts
12. Marit Stromoy (N) Team Ajzerbaijan 5 pts
2010 UIM F-4S Championship – standings after race 3
1. Oskar Samuelsson (S) Team Rainbow 52 pts
2. Filip Roms (FIN) Team Mad Croc 47 pts
3. David Del Pin (I) Team 800 Doctor 36 pts
4. Bimba Sjoholm (S) Team Azerbaijan 28 pts
5. Rashid Al-Tayer (UAE) Team Abu Dhabi 16 pts
5. Khalid Saleh Al-Shamlan (QA) Qatar Team 16 pts
7. Kristoffer Fjelde (N) Team Singha 12 pts
8. Xiong Ziwei (CHN) Team China 7 pts
8. Majed Al-Mansoori (UAE) Team Abu Dhabi 7 pts
10. Matthew Palfreyman (GB) Team Nautica 5 pts
10. Stefan Hagin (D) Team Atlantic 5 pts
Ends
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