2013 UIM F1 H2O WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
19th Grand Prix of China – round 3, September 30 – October 2
For immediate release
Saturday, September 28th, 2013
QATAR’S TORRENTE AND CARELLA TARGET PODIUM
FINISHES IN LIUZHOU’S GRAND PRIX OF CHINA
· Khalid Abdullah Al-Kuwari set for F-4S races with Qatar Team
LIUZHOU (China): The Qatar Team’s Shaun Torrente and defending UIM F1 H20 World Champion Alex Carella head to Liuzhou this week to prepare for Wednesday’s 19th Grand Prix of China, round three of the 2013 UIM F1 H20 World Championship.
The pair finished second and third at the last round in Ukraine and now hold first and fourth in the points’ standings, although the Qatar Team does have a 25-point lead over the Mad Croc Baba Racing Team in the UIM Teams’ Championship.
The course on the Liu River in south eastern China has been a happy hunting ground for the Qatar Team – which runs under the auspices of the Qatar Marine Sports Federation (QMSF) – in the past and team manager Khalid bin Arhama Al-Kuwari is confident that Torrente can extend his single point series lead over Finland’s Sami Selio and Carella can climb above both the Finn and Ukraine race winner Phillipe Chiappe on this 250th event in the history of the series since its inception in 1981.
“We have not tested as a team since Kiev,” admitted Al-Kuwari, who runs the team under the umbrella of the QMSF and the presidency of His Excellency Sheikh Hassan bin Jabor Al-Thani. “But Brendan (Power) has been working very hard on the engines in his workshop and I am confident that Shaun and Alex can continue our success and take a one-two finish on the podium in China. I really think that we can dominate here.
“It’s very important that we finish the race as well because there are only six rounds in the championship this year and we only have three races left after China. It’s a crucial race. It’s our lucky venue and one of the best courses in the calendar.”
Al-Kuwari also confirmed that Khalid Abdullah Al-Kuwari would represent the Qatar Team in the competitive F-4S category for the Eurofin Trophy and the two races that are normally staged at each race venue. “We will use Khalid in China and then we hope to have two drivers out on the course in F-4S in Doha for our home race in November.”
Al-Kuwari currently holds third position in the F-4S standings after three races (one Ukraine race was cancelled) and is a mere nine points behind second-placed Niklas Friberg of Sweden. Germany’s Mike Szymura of the Atlantic Team has made the early season running and has a five-point championship advantage.
Technical scrutineering and team registration gets the Liuzhou timetable underway on Monday, September 30th and teams will be permitted a first free practice session on Monday afternoon from 14.30hrs (09.30hrs Doha time).
Free practice continues on Tuesday (October 1st) morning and the first of the F-4S time trials begins at 10.00hrs (05.00hrs Doha time). This is followed by further practice, the first of the two F-4S races at 13.30hrs (08.30hrs Doha time) and F1 qualifying from 15.00hrs (10.00hrs Doha time).
Wednesday’s (October 2nd) action gets underway with further free practice and time trials and the second of the F-4S races starts at 11.30hrs (06.30hrs Doha time). The Grand Prix of China fires into life at 15.05hrs (10.05hrs Doha time).
2013 UIM F1 H20 Championship – positions after round 2
1. Shaun Torrente (QAT) Qatar Team 30 pts
2. Sami Selio (FIN) Mad-Croc Baba Racing Team 29 pts
3. Phillipe Chiappe (FRA) CTIC China Team 27 pts
4. Alex Carella (QAT) Qatar Team 24 pts
5. Thani Al-Qamzi (UAE) Team Abu Dhabi 13 pts
6. Francesco Cantando (ITA) Singha F1 Racing Team 12 pts
7. Ahmed Al-Hameli (UAE) Team Abu Dhabi 6 pts
8. Jonas Andersson (SWE) Team Azerbaijan 5 pts
8. Yousef Al-Rubayan (KWT) F1 Atlantic Team 5 pts
10. Valerio Lagiannella (ITA) Singha F1 Racing Team 3 pts
11. Marit Stromoy (NOR) Team Nautica 2 pts
2013 UIM F1 H20 Pole Position Championship – positions after round 2
1. Sami Selio (FIN) Mad-Croc Baba Racing Team 40 pts
2. Shaun Torrente (QAT) Qatar Team 27 pts
3. Alex Carella (QAT) Qatar Team 21 pts
4. Phillipe Chiappe (FRA) CTIC China Team 15 pts
5. Jonas Andersson (SWE) Team Azerbaijan 9 pts
6. Thani Al-Qamzi (UAE) Team Abu Dhabi 7 pts
6. Ahmed Al-Hameli (UAE) Team Abu Dhabi 7 pts
8. Yousef Al-Rubayan (KWT) F1 Atlantic Team 5 pts
8. Francesco Cantando (ITA) Singha F1 Racing Team 5 pts
2013 F-4S Eurofin Trophy – positions after race 4 (race 3 cancelled)
1. Mike Szymura (DEU) Atlantic Team/Interpass/GC 45 pts
2. Niklas Friberg (SWE) Team Azerbaijan 40 pts
3. Khalid Abdullah Al-Kuwari (QAT) Qatar Team 31 pts
4. Mohamed Al-Mehairbi (UAE) Team Abu Dhabi 27 pts
5. Nikita Lijcs (LAT) Mad-Croc Baba Racing Team 20 pts
6. Eirik Danielsen (NOR) Team Nautica 19 pts
7. Bincheng Wu (CHN) CTIC China Team 17 pts
Jan Andre Landsnes (NOR) Singha Racing Team 0 pt
Rashed Al-Qamzi (UAE) Team Abu Dhabi 0 pt
Ends
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www.qmsf.org
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