SHARJAH (UAE): Tuesday, December 13: A press-conference kick-started official proceedings for this weekend’s season finale in Sharjah on Tuesday lunchtime. The outcome of the 2022 UIM F1H2O World Championship will be decided over two races on Sharjah’s Khaled Lagoon on Friday (December 16th) and Sunday (December 18th).
His Excellency Khalid Al-Midfa, chairman of Sharjah Tourism and Commerce Development (STCDA), and vice-chairman Ahmed Obai Al-Qaseer joined H2O Racing founder Nicolò di San Germano and several drivers and team officials, including Sami Selio, Ferdinand Zandbergen, Alec Weckström Jonas Andersson and Guido Cappellini, at the press conference hosted by long-term F1H2O commentator Stephen Michael.
In response to the warm welcome received by Al-Midfa and his team, Nicolò di San Germano expressed his delight at the sport’s return to the UAE’s third emirate after a three-year absence.
He said: “We are extremely happy to be here for the 21st time that we organise a F1H2O race in Sharjah. It is a special year because everything starts again and even better than before I will say. People want events and they want to travel and we are delighted to be here in Sharjah for the closing of our season. It is also good news that people can now fly directly from Milan to Sharjah. We have organised 294 Grand Prix but the ones in Sharjah have all given us good memories and I am sure this one will continue that level of quality. It is important that we close the Covid period and look forward to growing F1H2O in the future.
“After this race we will hand over the F1H2O flag to Indonesia. This will be a new country in the F1H2O family at the start of 2023. We will announce the new calendar for next year with a lot of fantastic new venues before the end of January with the season again closing in Sharjah.”
Answering a question from the local media, di San Germano also highlighted H2O Racing’s ongoing determination to continue the sport’s sustainable development by limiting its CO2 production and carbon footprint.
He added: “We put a lot of attention into making our sport the most sustainable possible. We are a motor sport. In Sharjah, we found a perfect partner because the team is the first to follow our request to make the offset of CO2 and it important what we are going to do with the drivers and the teams in the next days. We are going to plant trees in the desert to help to absorb CO2 and offset our event.
“We push all the organisers to, not only offset CO2, but also to be negative. We are working with our partners around the world to offset more than we produce. In this line, we are following all the developments and are working more on what we put in to the engines than on the engine itself.”
Di San Germano admitted that development has been done with electric engines for the future but said that there are still obstacles to overcome. “We have done a lot of tests with electrical systems but, as far as battery production is now, it is not possible to race this type of boat with batteries. They are 300kg too heavy. If we can reduce the weight of the battery, it would be no problem to have electrical engines. Next year, we are going to go for green unleaded fuel that every car uses. We know we are a mechanical sport but we want to keep the environment in the best state for everybody.”
