Friday, 11 August, HARBIN (China): Team Abu Dhabi’s Alex Carella was the early pace setter ahead of this weekend’s UIM F1H2O Grand Prix of Harbin in China, topping the time sheets in today’s official practice.

For the first time this season weather was not a limiting factor giving teams the chance to get out on the water on a Friday, with the Abu Dhabi driver and Sweden’s Erik Stark the only two to get under 43 seconds and trading fastest laps, Carella sealing top spot with a 42.76s lap around the 2.049km Hulan Estuary Wetland Park circuit. “We found a good pace and I think we have a good set up for qualifying tomorrow,” said Carella. “We tested several different propellers, varied our set-ups and the boat handled very well. The circuit is a little longer than last year, there is a bit of wind some waves but not too difficult.”

As is fast becoming the ‘norm’ in practice sessions and BRM Qualifying there was little to separate the top six, today’s time split just 1.01s, with Stark edged out by 0.16s. “It was a good time but for sure but there is some more to come,” said Stark. “We ran just a standard engine set-up and ran through a lot of things we haven’t been able to test or try out this season. We tried out some new props for the first time and overall the balance of the boat was really good.”

Victory Team’s Shaun Torrente posted the third best time of the 90 minute session with 43.05s and another driver who is confident that he will be in the mix in tomorrow’s BRM Official Qualifying. “It was just great to get out on the water, run to a normal schedule and get a feel for what’s going on,” he said. “Everything was pretty normal but the one thing that wasn’t was the wind out on the circuit. It’s weird. Everything around here is flat and the wind is strange on the back leg. This session was all about trying out different propellers get a feel of the engine, where it’s at and how far we can push it tomorrow. Today we ran pretty conservative.”

Torrente’s teammate Ahmed Al Hameli was also in the mix going fifth fastest with a 43.68s lap but admitted to erring on the side of caution due to the two yellow cards he picked up for his rather extravagant exit from qualifying at the first race of the year in Portugal.

For CTIC F1 Shenzhen China’s Philippe Chiappe today was as much about finding out what caused him to retire in France as it was to post a good time, the defending champion running the most laps of the top six, 35, and going fourth quickest with 43.59. “We are still not 100per cent sure what the problem was, but we think we find it,” said Chiappe. “Today was good. We did what we set out to do, test engine and propeller set ups. We have a strategy and that will be for tomorrow.”

Mad Croc BABA Racing’s Sami Selio rounded out the top six posting a 42.77 second lap on a busy day for the team with a lot of focus surrounding teammate Filip Roms boat and repairing the fuel tank, forcing him to sit out the session. “It was okay. I didn’t push too much because there is no reason to. We tested various set-ups, got used to the difference in the circuit from last year, saved the engine and checked everything works but tomorrow’s qualifying is the first target,” commented Selio who is aiming to repeat is Harbin pole and race win-double. “We found the problem with Filip’s boat so today worked on relining the fuel tank and hopefully tomorrow he will get the opportunity to compete properly.”

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