MEDIA INFORMATION
2025 UIM F1H2O WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
SELIÖ LOOKS TO UPSET THE APPLECART WITH THE NEW SHARJAH-DESIGNED BOAT
Thursday, April 3: Two-time UIM F1H2O World Champion Sami Seliö is a man on a mission. The Finnish veteran of 170 Grand Prix starts has been developing a new Sharjah-designed boat behind the scenes and gave the new hull a very encouraging debut under his Red Devil-SMC F1 Team banner at the Road to Sharjah-Grand Prix of Sharjah last December.
As he prepares for the new season with regular Dutch team-mate Ferdinand Zandbergen, Seliö took time away from a hectic schedule to update on the progress with the new project. He said: “We conducted the final pre-season tests in Sharjah in February where we got to get a feel for our team’s new Sharjah F1 boats.
“Both Ferdinand and myself had successful tests and we also gave our team’s reserve driver Roope Virtanen the opportunity to show his driving skills right from the first metres. He got a good feel for the performance of the F1 boat! Roope’s main focus for the coming season is still on the UIM F2 World Championship, but he will participate in F1H2O races as a reserve driver and mechanic if possible.”
Seliö is no stranger to success in an F1H2O career that began in 1998 and has seen him claim world titles in 2007 and 2010, in addition to 13 GP wins and 51 career podium finishes. His last podium finish came at the race in Zhengzhou last year, but it’s now nine years since the flying Finn earned a last Grand Prix victory at Harbin in China in 2016. He finished sixth in last year’s Drivers’ Championship but is keen to improve this year.
“The team’s goals for the coming season are clear and both drivers are fighting hungry for race wins and with the help of the new racing equipment,” added Seliö. “The team has also received new development versions of the engines from chief mechanic Roberto Moliterno and Van Akelyen Services. The season will certainly be even tougher than before, but we will use our experience to fight for victories with more competitive equipment than before.”
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