ABU DHABI - Wednesday, November 28, 2012 - In what is shaping up to be one of the largest field of drivers in years, including four World Champions in the line-up, the 21st Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi the penultimate round of the UIM F1 H2O World Championship is now only one day away from official qualifying.
With the myriad of story lines about returning World Champions, new F2 and North American F1stars combined with new experimental four stroke engines being possible power plants of the future, it's hard to believe that still there is a world title to be decided as well.
Leading this large field of pilots is Italian Alex Carella of the Qatar Team who has earned 59 points with a pair of victories this season at Kazan, Russia and Liuzhou, China. Alex holds a nine point margin, with 40 points still up for the taking, before we reach the end of the year a week from Friday in Sharjah on the seventh of December.
"I'm really hoping to do what it takes to wrap up the title this weekend without too much drama," said the defending race champion of a year ago. "I'm really disappointing that Ahmed Al Hameli won't be racing for the rest of year because of his illness, but I still have to fight off Philippe Chiappe who has been on the podium in all but one race this season."
The French driver for the CTIC China Team sits with 48 points, eleven behind Carella. Philippe, who is making his 80th career start knows he's going to have to do something spectacular if he is going to catch Alex.
"I know it will be a combination of good driving on my part and bad luck by Alex for me to have my shot at the title," said Philippe. "I'm excited that I am in the position to push Alex for this very special world title."
Two time World Champion Sami Selio of the Mad Croc Team had his season spoiled at the last race in Liuzhou, China when he and suspended racer Shaun Torrente of the Qatar Team got tangled up on a race restart early in the event leaving the Finnish driver with no points.
Torrente has officially been sent to the sidelines for the final two races of the year, while Sami's chances of his third title have now gone on life support being 18 points back. Selio knows he has to at least win the final two events to have any chance of winning the title.
Team Abu Dhabi's Thani Al Qamzi still has a slim chance at winning his first title being 34 points back as he chases his first victory on his home circuit along the corniche in front of downtown Abu Dhabi. He has three podiums in his 10 race starts here. He needs a win at this race if he wants any hopes of lasting glory.
Italian driver Francesco Cantando of the Singha Team is the last possible driver to win the title this season sitting with 21 points. He is a two time winner in Abu Dhabi having won the event in back to back years in 2000 and 2001. He'll have to become a three time winner in combination with others bad luck to have any hope of earning the top spot in the championship on the seventh of December in Sharjah.
Swedish rookie, Erik Stark of the Team Sweden effort comes to Abu Dhabi with a storybook resume having dominated F2 the last few seasons now taking on the world of F1. He'll be on a large learning curve, as will new 21 year-old Chinese F1 driver Xiong "Leo" Ziwei who joins the CTIC China Team coming over from the supporting F4S series.
North American multi-time F1 champion Terry Rinker will be replacing the suspended driver Torrente in the Qatar Team running an Italian DAC hull for the first time in his career. It will be interesting to see how the talented driver from Florida who holds the world record of seven straight F1 wins in North America can do on the world stage for the first time.
2008 World Champ Jay Price returns to the circuit for the first time this season after finishing runner-up in the circuit a season ago with the Qatar Team. This time around he is with the Skydive Dubai organization who is prepared to bring a total professional package together and give Jay a clear chance at reaching the podium for the 22nd time in his last 26 race finishes.
Four-time World Champion Scott Gillman will be on hand in a third Abu Dhabi boat running a brand new BABA hull and starting his 91st career event and his second in just four years after retiring because of illness back in 2007 at the Grand Prix of China.
Gillman, is fresh and ready to have a competitive package for a podium result. Majed Al Mansoori will be replacing Ahmed Al Hameli once again in the second Team Abu Dhabi boat after finishing a fine sixth place at the last Grand Prix.
English driver Malcolm Goodman comes back for the first time since 2009 running a brand new DRAGON boat built by two-time World Champion Jonathan Jones of Wales in hopes of restarting his solid hull that was a benchmark on the series for over three decades.
The Caudwell Racing organization brings a new boat hull to Abu Dhabi for Italian Ivan Brigada with fellow teammate Brett Stuart from South Africa running his updated older hull as both drivers search for their teams first world championship points.
With the largest field of drivers of the season including four ex-World Champions, this 21st running of the Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi could be a race for the ages.
Through all of this drama the big question of the weekend will continue to be if current World Champion Alex Carella can cement his second straight title and establish himself as a future great star of the sport. The competition will make him earn every moment of glory for the likeable Italian.
Qualifying and the Grand Prix can be watched live via the Worldwide television broadcast feed by going the tours official website at www.f1h2o.com. Qualifying begins at 15:00 local (11:00 GMT) on the 29th with the Grand Prix on Friday the 30th at 15:30 local (11:00 GMT) and 06:30 EST on the East Coast of North America.
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