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MEDIA INFORMATION
2017 UIM F1 H2O WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
21st Grand Prix of France – June 30/July 2
TEAM ABU DHABI FORCED TO WAIT FOR GRAND PRIX QUALIFYING
AFTER ACTION CANCELLED FOR SECOND SUCCESSIVE RACE MEETING
EVIAN-LES-BAINS (FRANCE): Saturday, July 1: Team Abu Dhabi’s trio of Alex Carella and Thani and Rashed Al-Qemzi have been forced to wait for the BRM Qualifying sessions at the UIM F1 H2O World Championship for the second successive race meeting, after race officials were left with no option other than to postpone Saturday’s qualifying for Sunday’s Grand Prix of France on Lac Leman.
Strong winds and unsafe water conditions made the course too hazardous to risk any high-speed action for the 19 drivers from 11 nations on the six-pin, 2.21km course at Evian-les-Bains. The same situation prevailed in Portugal back in April.
“It has been a very difficult day for everyone,” said UIM Commissioner Luis Ribeiro. “All we can do is watch, wait and adapt our schedule accordingly. Today, it has not been possible to put any boats on the water because the conditions are so changeable and, at times, very severe. The drivers’ safety is our priority and there was no option other than to cancel.”
A disappointed Team Abu Dhabi’s Carella said: “We rebuilt the engines after Portugal, changed everything on the boats and during testing we do everything over and over again, run the new engines, test with different propellers to prepare 100% for this race. Now we have to wait until tomorrow.”
Etihad Airways is the official carrier for Team Abu Dhabi that is also supported by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and runs under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Khalifa Al-Nahyan, advisor to the Head of State and chairman of the board of directors of the Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club and under the guidance of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Sultan Bin Khalifa Al-Nahyan, Vice-President and CEO of the ADIMSC.
The racing team runs under the auspices of the ADIMSC and board member and general manager Salem Al-Remeithi and team manager Guido Cappellini.
Saturday morning’s practice session was also cancelled because of high winds on Lac Leman. The hectic schedule for Sunday will now be revised to accommodate BRM Qualifying and the 21st Grand Prix of France, which is scheduled to go live at 15.00hrs (17.00hrs UAE time) on Sunday afternoon.
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For further media information and information about Team Abu Dhabi:
Please contact: Khalid Al Saadi, Media Incharge, Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club, P.O. Box 45656, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Mobile Telephone: + 971 50 768 6761, E-mail: alsaadi@adimsc.ae.
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www.adimsc.ae