2011 UIM F1 H2O WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
13th Grand Prix of Portugal, round 2
For immediate release
Wednesday, May 18th, 2011
QATAR’S PRICE AND CARELLA BID TO EXTEND
2011 UIM F1 H20 SERIES LEAD IN PORTUGAL
· Carella set to race new DAC boat on Algarve River course
· Khalid Al-Shamlan aims to climb from third in UIM F-4S points
PORTIMAO (Portugal): The Qatar Team’s Jay Price and Alex Carella will be bidding to extend their lead in the 2011 UIM F1 H2O World Championship, when they line up at the start of this weekend’s 13th Grand Prix of Portugal on the Algarve River, near Portimao, in southern Portugal.
The pair finished a superb first and second overall in the last round of the series in Doha and have given the Qatar-backed team a sensational start to what promises to be a thrilling season of F1 boat racing.
Khalid Bin Arhama Al-Kuwari, head of formula racing at the Qatar Marine Sports Federation (QMSF), has confirmed that a new, shorter DAC will be used by Carella this weekend. The boat was sent from Italy, while race engines are arriving from the USA for both Price and Carella.
“We are ready and raring to go,” admitted Al-Kuwari. “Alex was in Italy and managed to test the new boat before it was shipped to Portugal. Both drivers have the bit between their teeth and we are hoping to repeat the one-two finish we achieved in Qatar. I don’t see why we cannot repeat that result. I hope we can make it again.”
Price heads to Portugal with 20 points to his name after the Doha Grand Prix success. Carella has 15 points and Frenchman Phillipe Chiappe of the CTIC China Team lies third in the points’ standings with 12 points. Price won the first of his 10 F1 Grand Prix races in Portugal back in 2008 and has taken three podium finishes on the Algarve.
Both the defending World Champion, Sami Selio, and Team Abu Dhabi’s rapid Ahmed Al-Hameli – who Price pipped to Portugal success in 2008 – failed to pick up points in Qatar in March and will need to finish at all costs if they are to stay in the hunt for this year’s championship.
Qatar’s Khalid Saleh Al-Shamlan arrives in Portugal lying third overall in the 2011 UIM F-4S Championship after the two Qatar races. He is five points adrift of second-placed Emirati Majed Al-Mansoori and 11 behind the early season leader, Bimba Sjoholm, from Sweden.
“I really feel that Khalid is capable of winning his first race this weekend,” admitted Al-Kuwari. “We did some testing with him in Doha before he went to Portugal. He is getting comfortable with the race boat and is now getting a lot of seat time inside the cockpit. This is important.”
The QMSF runs under the presidency of His Excellency Sheikh Hassan bin Jabor Al-Thani.
The weekend’s timetable on the Algarve gets underway with technical scrutineering of boats and equipment from 10.00hrs (local time) on Friday (May 20th).
Saturday’s action begins with one hour of free practice for the F1 boats from 09.30hrs and this is followed by a 20-minute practice session for the F-4S crews from 10.45hrs. The F-4S entrants remain on the water for the 20-minute time trials to determine the starting order for the first of the two 20-minute F-4S races, which gets underway at 14.00hrs. Price and Carella will be in action for Saturday afternoon’s crucial timed trials between 15.00hrs and 16.00hrs.
Sunday’s action consists of free practice for the F1 and F-4S teams from 09.30hrs and 10.45hrs, respectively, and the second of the F-4S timed trials from 11.20hrs. Al-Shamlan will be in action in the second of the F-4S races from 14.00hrs and the 2011 Grand Prix of Portimao will roar into life from 15.30hrs.
2011 UIM F1 H20 World Championship – standings after round 1
1. Jay Price (QA) Qatar Team 20 pts
2. Alex Carella (QA) Qatar Team 15 pts
3. Phillipe Chiappe (F) CTIC China Team 12 pts
4. Shaun Torrente (USA) Team Sweden 9 pts
5. Jonas Andersson (S) Team Sweden 7 pts
6. Davide Padovan (I) Team Mad Croc F1 5 pts
7. Thani Al-Qamzi (UAE) Team Abu Dhabi 4 pts
8. Marit Stromoy (N) Team Nautica 3 pts
9. Francesco Cantando (I) Singha F1 Racing Team 2 pts
10. Duarte Benavente (P) F1 Atlantic Team 1 pt
2011 UIM F1 H20 Pole Position Championship – standings after round 1
1. Sami Selio (FIN) Team Mad Croc F1 20 pts
2. Ahmed Al-Hameli (UAE) Team Abu Dhabi 15 pts
3. Jay Price (QA) Qatar Team 12 pts
4. Alex Carella (QA) Qatar Team 9 pts
5. Phillipe Chiappe (F) CTIC China Team 7 pts
6. Davide Padovan (I) Team Mad Croc F1 5 pts
2011 UIM F-4S Championship – standings after race 2
1. Bimba Sjolholm (S) Team Azerbaijan 35 pts
2. Majed Al-Mansoori (UAE) Team Abu Dhabi 29 pts
3. Khaled Saleh Al-Shamlan (QA) Team Qatar 24 pts
4. Filip Roms (FIN) Team Mad Croc 20 pts
5. Tobias Munthe-Kaas (N) Team Nautica 16 pts
6. Xiong Ziwei (CN) Team China 11 pts
7. Kristoffer Fjelde (N) Team Singha 5 pts
8. Matthew Palfreyman (GB) Team Atlantic 4 pts
Ends
For further information:
Neil Perkins, NDP Publicity Services, Mobile: + 44 7831 123153, E-mail: ndppublicity@googlemail.com,
www.ndp-publicity.com (press releases).
www.qmsf.org
www.f1boat.com