F1 H20 NATIONS CUP
Khor Fakkan, March 28th-30th, 2012
For immediate release
Tuesday, March 27th, 2012
KHOR FAKKAN NATIONS CUP CHALLENGE AWAITS
TEAM QATAR’S AL-SHAMLAN AND AL-KUWARI
· Team Qatar seeks to avenge Singapore Nations Cup defeat
· Thursday’s match race precedes Friday’s two sprint races
KHOR FAKKAN (UAE): Team Qatar’s Khalid Saleh Al-Shamlan and Khalid Abdullah Al-Kuwari are making their final preparations for this weekend’s F1 H20 Nations Cup race at Khor Fakkan in the UAE.
The brainchild of H20 Racing, the promoters of the UIM F1 H20 World Championship, the Nations Cup was born last November with a successful first race in Singapore’s Marina Bay and this weekend’s Khor Fakkan race meeting is the first of two or three similar events planned for the 2012 season.
Al-Shamlan and Al-Kuwari finished second and third in Singapore, but Team Qatar was pipped to the Nations Cup title by Team Abu Dhabi’s Ahmed Al-Hameli and Majed Al-Mansoori, courtesy of their first and fourth places.
Qatar’s main Emirati rivals field a revised driver line-up for the Khor Fakkan race, with Rashid Al-Tayer teaming up with his Class One racing partner Al-Mansoori to provide the strongest threat to the Qatar challenge, according to Khalid Bin Arhama Al-Kuwari, head of formula racing at the Qatar Marine Sports Federation (QMSF).
“The Nations Cup is a great opportunity to prepare drivers who may go into F1 in the future,” said Al-Kuwari, before heading off to the UAE to make the team’s final preparations for a race meeting that starts with free practice on Wednesday afternoon and reaches a climax with two sprint races on Friday afternoon.
“Our drivers were both on the podium in Singapore and I am confident that they can go even better this weekend. Normally drivers are racing for themselves, but the format of the Nations Cup means that they are representing their country. That puts a greater responsibility on their shoulders to perform and achieve success.”
All boats for the Nations Cup are supplied by H20 Racing, although Al-Kuwari admits that Team Abu Dhabi and Team South Africa should provide the stiffest competition amongst an entry that includes 16 drivers from nine countries.
Tim Fetherstonehaugh and Mark Shepherd will represent South Africa for the second time, Team Brunei is represented by Nordin bin haji Mohamad and Ismail bin haji Kabon and the father and daughter duo of Risto and Meeri Painio are entered under the Team Finland banner.
Viktor and Kornel Vo have entered this year’s UIM F-4S Championship and the Hungarian duo continue their development with a Nations Cup outing. New drivers, Alffian Yanto Kandri and Mohammad Affendey Kandri, represent Team Malaysia and F1 H20 racer Rhys Coles has been recruited by Team Brazil to join forces with Lebos Chaguri.
Boats, engines and propellers were assigned to teams today (Tuesday) and drivers will take to the course for the first time on Wednesday for two practice sessions on the 1.639km, four-turn course.
A third practice session is permitted on Thursday morning, before the official time trials begin at 11.00hrs (UAE time) and are followed by the F1 H20 Nations Cup Match Race at 13.45hrs. Drivers compete head-to-head, with the winner of each heat progressing to the next round in an elimination shoot-out.
A final practice session on Friday morning precedes two 20-minute sprint races from 14.00hrs.
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