ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates – Saturday, April 24, 2010 – It used to said at the Grand Prix of Portugal which for 12 years has been part of the UIM F1 H2O World Championship calander, that if Italian Guido Cappellini raced in Portimao, just mail him the winning check.
The recently retired 10-time World Champion and native of Como, Italy took victories in the first five Grand Prix's starting in 1999, winning every event on the Arade River through the 2006 campaign except for race in 2004. That was seven victories in the first eight races!
However, things have greatly changed in the last four races. Why, because four different drivers have taken the top step of the podium since that time. Cappellini's luck ran out starting when four-time World Champion Scott Gillman driving for Team Abu Dhabi won in 2004 and again in 2007. The win in '07 was something special as it marked the 23rd and final victory in his storied career that lasted 10 seasons and 89 Grand Prix starts.
Another American, Jay Price of the Qatar Team in 2008, won his first ever Grand Prix event here on his way to a World Championship coming from fifth on the grid to pick up a very emotional victory.
Last season, for the first time in the history of the UIM F1 H2O World Championship, two races were run in one weekend and both Team Abu Dhabi drivers, Hamed Al Hameli and Thani Al Qamzi, took their only victories of the season in back to back afternoon events.
The question now is, which drivers haven't won in Portimao and are due for victory this time around? Starting with 2007 World Champion Sami Selio of Finland, who has, like Jay Price, seven career victories and one pole position in Portugal but no wins in his Mad Croc sponsored entry.
Then there's Italian Francesco Cantando of the Singha F1 Team, with 11 career victories and the winningest active driver on the tour today, with four runner-up positions in Portimao but not a win. Other drivers, such as Jonas Andersson of the Azerbaijan Team and native son Duarte Benavente of the Atlantic Team, have come close but have never taken the gold medal coming into this years Grand Prix.
Will the streak continue this season? Will there be a sixth new driver win in the last six races? We are about to find out shortly with the opening round of the 2010 campaign as drivers from 10 different nations arrive in the picturesque city along the Algarve coast of Portugal for the 12th Annual Grand Prix of Portugal on the weekend of the 8th and 9th of May.
Be In The Know – With F1 H2O!
