2014 UIM F1 H2O WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
15th Grand Prix of Sharjah – round 5, December 18-19
For immediate release
Monday, December 15th, 2014
QATAR’S CARELLA AND TORRENTE PREPARE FOR THRILLING THREE-WAY TITLE SHOWDOWN WITH CHIAPPE IN SHARJAH FINALE
· Chiappe takes three-point lead into tense finale on Khaled Lagoon
· Al-Kuwari and Al-Obaidly aiming for first win in F-4S Trophy races
SHARJAH (UAE): The Qatar Team’s Alex Carella and Shaun Torrente will go head-to-head with Frenchman Philippe Chiappe in a gripping three-way dogfight to decide the outcome of the UIM F1 H2O World Championship at this weekend’s Grand Prix of Sharjah.
Attention will focus on what promises to be an intense battle on the Khaled Lagoon course, with Chiappe heading into Friday’s race with a three-point lead over defending champion Carella and a six-point lead over Carella’s team-mate Torrente.
A win for either Chiappe or three-time champion Carella would give them the world title, but Torrente needs to win outright and hope that Chiappe does not finish second if he is to take the crown. A Torrente win and a second place for Carella would also be sufficient for the American to claim his first crown.
“This is going to be one of the most exciting races in history,” enthused Khalid bin Arhama Al-Kuwari, head of formula racing at the Qatar Marine Sports Federation (QMSF). “It is very important that we find the right propeller for the guys. We didn’t have the unofficial two-hour free practice in Abu Dhabi and that made us suffer to find the right propeller. They (race officials) have also changed the course in Sharjah but we will have two hours of unofficial free practice and that is a big value for us.
“Our plan is simple. Team Qatar wins the World Championship. I say to Alex and Shaun, go out there and win the title for the people who worked so hard to bring you to the top. It’s a perfect course for our boats and hopefully, we will have some luck and win it like last year.”
While all eyes will be on the battle between Carella, Torrente and Chiappe, Finland’s double World Champion Sami Selio is due a change in fortune and Team Abu Dhabi’s Thani Al-Qamzi and Ahmed Al-Hameli will be hoping to end a disappointing season with a win. The ingredients are there for an explosive finish to the year.
“I’ve struggled a bit recently,” admitted Carella, who holds a one-point lead over Torrente in the fight for the UIM F1 H2O Pole Position Championship. “The past few weeks have given me time to plan my strategy and I really feel I’m in a great place physically and mentally and ready to take my fourth straight championship. I like it here. I beat Jay (Price) back in 2011 and Shaun and Philippe last year, so I’ve had good luck on Khaled Lagoon.”
Torrente is also upbeat about his chances: “I’m feeling the heat, but it’s all about going out and having a good race. It’s that simple really. Qualifying is so very important here and I’ll be ready for the challenge, believe me!”
Khalid Abdullah Al-Kuwari and Mohammed Al-Obaidly took control of two new Danish-built Molgaard F-4S boats in Qatar and they have quickly adapted to their new race craft, as their second and third places in Abu Dhabi last month proved.
They will be hoping to end the season with a first outright win in a pair of F-4S Trophy races where Germany’s Mike Szymura takes a 25-point lead over young Australian Briney Rigby on to Khaled Lagoon. A win for the German in Thursday’s opening race would be sufficient for him to claim the title with one race to spare.
Teams will be permitted to carry out two hours of unlimited free practice from 15.00hrs (UAE time) on Wednesday afternoon. F-4S free practice and time trials take centre stage from 09.00hrs on Thursday and the first of the F-4S Trophy races at 14.30hrs precedes the vital Pole Position competition for the main entrants, starting at 15.30hrs.
Further free practice and F-4S time trials are scheduled for Friday morning and the final F-4S Trophy race fires into life at 14.30hrs. The Grand Prix of Sharjah will bring down the curtain on the season from 16.00hrs.
2014 UIM F1 H2O World Championship – positions after round 4:
1. Philippe Chiappe (FRA) China CTIC Team 50 pts
2. Alex Carella (QAT) Qatar Team 47 pts
3. Shaun Torrente (QAT) Qatar Team 44 pts
4. Sami Selio (FIN) Mad-Croc Baba Racing Team 24 pts
5. Erik Stark (SWE) Team Nautica 23 pts
6. Francesco Cantando (ITA) Motorglass F1 Team 21 pts
7. Ahmed Al-Hameli (ARE) Team Abu Dhabi 14 pts
7. Bartek Marszalek (POL) Motorglass F1 Team 14 pts
7. Thani Al-Qamzi (ARE) Team Abu Dhabi 14 pts
10. Filip Roms (FIN) Mad-Croc Baba Racing Team 13 pts
11. Duarte Benavente (PRT) F1 GC Atlantic Team 12 pts
12. Jonas Andersson (SWE) Team Sweden 9 pts
12. Marit Stromoy (NOR) Team Nautica 9 pts
14. Yousef Al-Rubayan (KWT) F1 GC Atlantic Team 5 pts
14. Xiong Ziwei (CHN) China CTIC Team 5 pts
16. Ivan Brigada (ITA) Caudwell Racing 4 pts
17. Tomas Cermak (SVK) Caudwell Racing 1 pt
2014 UIM F1 H20 Pole Position Championship – positions after round 4:
1. Alex Carella (QAT) Qatar Team 48 pts
2. Shaun Torrente (QAT) Qatar Team 47 pts
3. Philippe Chiappe (FRA) China CTIC Team 42 pts
4. Jonas Andersson (SWE) Team Sweden 36 pts
5. Sami Selio (FIN) Mad-Croc Baba Racing Team 35 pts
6. Yousef Al-Rubayan (KWT) F1 GC Atlantic Team 24 pts
7. Erik Stark (SWE) Team Nautica 12 pts
8. Ahmed Al-Hameli (ARE) Team Abu Dhabi 9 pts
8. Duarte Benavente (PRT) F1 GC Atlantic Team 9 pts
10. Francesco Cantando (ITA) Motorglass F1 Team 5 pts
10. Marit Stromoy (NOR) Team Nautica 5 pts
2014 F-4S Trophy – latest positions:
1. Mike Szymura (DEU) F1 GC Atlantic Team 119 pts
2. Briney Rigby (AUS) Team Sweden 94 pts
3. Jan Andre Landsnes (NOR) Motorglass F1 Team 64 pts
4. Mohammed Al-Obaidly (QAT) Qatar Team 48 pts
4. Khalid Abdullah Al-Kuwari (QAT) Qatar Team 48 pts
6. Bincheng Wu (CHN) China CTIC Team 24 pts
7. Joakim Halvorsen (NOR) Team Nautica 21 pts
8. Jesper Forss (SWE) Team Sweden 20 pts
9. Mohamed Al-Mehairbi (ARE) Team Abu Dhabi 14 pts
9. Ronny Mathys (SUI) Mad-Croc Baba Racing Team 14 pts
11. Nikita Lijcs (LVA) Mad-Croc Baba Racing Team 12 pts
11. Mickus Sigitas (LIT) Team Nautica 12 pts
13. Morgan Jernfast (SWE) Team Nautica 7 pts
13. Rashid Al-Remeithi (ARE) Team Abu Dhabi 7 pts
Ends
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www.qmsf.org
www.f1h20.com