2008 UIM F1 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Qatar Grand Prix – March 29th, round 1 of 9
For immediate release
Tuesday, March 25th, 2008
QATAR F1 NEWCOMERS ENCOURAGED
BY F2 BOAT RACE TEST IN ABU DHABI
Qatar Grand Prix to take place this weekend
Norwegian Marit Stromoy joins Rainbow Team
DOHA (Qatar): Ahmed Al-Fayyad and Yousef Al-Khulaifi were encouraged by a promising showing in the latest F2 powerboat race in Abu Dhabi, as the Qatar Team makes its final preparations for this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix, round one of the UIM F1 World Championship.
The pair will make their F1 race debuts on Saturday, alongside the Qatar Team’s lead driver Jay Price, but benefited from much-needed race practice in Abu Dhabi last weekend.
“Ahmed had some small technical problems on Friday and carried out only 20 laps, but Yousef ran for 28 of the race’s 30 laps,” said Pelle Larsson, the Qatar Team’s F1 race manager, who is preparing the two young Qatari hopefuls for their F1 debuts this weekend.
“On Saturday, both drivers ran for 28 laps and Ahmed eventually finished in seventh position, with Yousef in ninth overall. We didn’t manage to carry out any F1 testing in Abu Dhabi, but it was a good shakedown for them both nonetheless.”
The step up to the F1 discipline will see Al-Fayyad and Al-Khulaifi line-up alongside defending World Champion Sami Selio and the Italian multiple World Champion Guido Cappellini, when the three-day race meeting gets underway with technical scrutineering, registration and two-seater powerboat rides for the media on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Norwegian female racer Marit Stromoy has joined the Rainbow Racing Team for the 2008 season and will team up with Valerio Lagiannella to replace the 49-year-old Italian Fabrizio Bocca, who announced his retirement from the sport at the end of last week. Bocca, the 1992 World Champion, tackled 145 Grand Prix in a long and illustrious racing career and earned two outright race wins.
The new Qatar Team duo will take to the water on the five-pin course in Doha Bay for the first time on Friday morning, when drivers will be permitted a first one-hour free practice session. The first set of crucial time trials to determine the race starting order will get underway at 1pm on Friday afternoon, the second time trials will start at 2.45pm and the thrilling six-boat shoot-out will bring Friday’s action to a conclusion from 4pm in Doha Bay.
Drivers will be able to take part in a second free practice session on Saturday morning from 10.45hrs, before the Qatar Grand Prix gets the new F1 racing season underway at 16.00hrs, on the Doha Corniche near the Sheraton Hotel.
Timetable of events for 2008 Qatar Grand Prix
Thursday, March 27th
10.00-18.00 Technical scrutineering
12.00-14.00 Team registration
Friday, March 28th
10.30-11.30 Free practice on race course
13.00-13.45 First time trials
14.45-15.30 Second time trials
16.00-16.30 F1 Powerboat Shoot-out – Pole Position
Saturday, March 29th
10.45 -11.30 Free practice on race course
15.45 -16.00 Opening parade lap
16.00 -17.30 Qatar Grand Prix
Ends
For further information:
Neil Perkins, NDP Publicity Services, Mobile: + 44 7831 123153, E-mail: ndppublicity@compuserve.com. www.ndp-publicity.com (press releases).