Monday, April 17: As the countdown begins in earnest to the start of next weekend’s Grand Prix of Zhengzhou, China, round two of the 2023 UIM F1H2O World Championship, early season championship leader Bartek Marszalek is already looking ahead to what promises to be a thrilling weekend’s racing on the championship’s return to China for the first time since 2019.
The Pole said: “It is very clear that I want to continue my way after the win in Indonesia and I am hoping for a good result. I feel very good and confident in the boat, not only in Indonesia but also in the last three races. I get on the podium each time, two time in Sharjah and now in Indonesia. The hope is to continue this way with the set-up that we will prepare. China is a new place and the new venue will be challenging for all of the teams. I am sure that we will choose the good strategy and set-up for this race. I can’t wait to be there and, without any pressure in my head, I will do my best to enjoy everything as much as I can. When my results start to be better and better, it provides me more and more pleasure to drive the boat so fast. I really miss this feeling and really hope this pleasure in China.
The Warsaw driver will arrive in Zhengzhou with a five-point lead over two-time World Champion Sami Selio in the UIM F1H2O Drivers’ Championship, while his Strømøy Racing F1H2O Team leads the Teams’ Championship by a similar margin.
He added: “We didn’t have much opportunity to test after Indonesia because the containers went directly to China. I have prepared a couple of new propellers and I hope they are some good ones for the challenging and tricky race course in China. It is a new course so nobody has any conclusions from previous seasons. We need to build the strategy from zero. But I like that, it’s the same as Indonesia. I will try and choose the best set-up immediately. It will be fine. With the engines, I will stay with the same set-up. We will build the engines in China.
“With my fantastic crew I am absolutely sure that we are able to do that. I don’t have so many people around me like some of the drivers in the other teams, but it is more than enough for me. I build the perfect crew around me after 12 years in F1H2O. I am absolutely confident that we will prepare everything correctly and cannot wait to get started. My body is in Poland, but my mind is already in China!”
The on-water action on the Yellow River at the Grand Prix of Zhengzhou, China gets underway with a two-hour extra free practice session from 14.00hrs (local time) on Friday, April 28th.
Teams will then be permitted to carry out one-hour free practice on Saturday (April 29th) morning, before BRM Qualifications take centre stage from 15.00hrs.
The Grand Prix of Zhengzhou, China fires into life at 15.00hrs on Sunday, April 30th.
