LIUZHOU, China – Monday, October 11, 2010 – If the early indications are correct, one organization in particular has grabbed all the attention and put a real “bite” on the competition after the first three rounds of the 2010 UIM F1 H2O World Championship for powerboating and it comes from the Mad Croc team based in Northern Italy.
Led by 2007 title holder Sami Selio of Finland, winning in St. Petersburg, Russia and finishing on the podium at last weeks event in Linyi, China while his sensational rookie teammate Alex Carella of Italy who has matched his team rival step for step with a second in Russia followed by his first ever F1 victory in Linyi on the 3rd of October. Both drivers have grabbed the spotlight after starting the season with no points at the opening round in Portimao, Portugal and now have 35 apiece and a seven point edge on the rest of the field.
“We've worked so hard to get things right and at this moment we are doing everything perfectly,” said Sami. “Alex is showing great poise for a rookie and he and I are feeding off each others energy, positive attitude and confidence and we hope we can continue this trend all the way thru our China tour.”
The 15th Grand Prix of China in Liuzhou this upcoming weekend on the 16th and 17th of October will mark the four time in the last three years they have raced on the Liu River and the competition has to be perplexed knowing not only is the Mad Croc team winning but between both drivers they now have seven straight pole positions in China dating back to 2008 with Sami having six and Alex in Linyi at the last event.
Meanwhile, behind the Mad Croc group other teams are doing their best to stay close led by the 2008 World Champion Jay Price of the Qatar Team who knows how to win here having done so back in '08 in the only race he has finished here on the Liu River.
“Our 28 points are currently seven back of the leaders and with five more Grand Prix's yet to be run this is nothing to worry about yet,” said the New Orleans pilot. “We've had a series of setbacks in the last two races and despite it all, while not being able to race at 100%, we've had a third and a fifth place finish which we'll take. Last year, we would have never finished, this year, I think our good luck is back and we are ready to get to the winning column beginning this next weekend in Liuzhou.”
A point back of Jay is Italian Francesco Cantando, who has a second place in Portugal and another podium finishing third last race in Linyi for the driver who cut his teeth in F1 at his very first race here in China back in 1996 at the Grand Prix in Wuxi. He has more races here than any active driver starting his 14th event and looking for his first win since Singapore in 2005.
Team Abu Dhabi has two of it's three drivers up in the top group of the championship. Veteran Thani Al Qamzi leads younger teammate Ahmed Al Hameli with 24 points to 20 while Thani continues to look for victory having not won since Portugal a year ago which has reached a span of 18 races. Ahmed won in Portugal this year and led the championship until July and now whats to get back up to the very front with a good performance here this weekend in Liuzhou. The odds maybe against him here at a race where he's never finished with an accident and two mechanicals on his resume thus far.
Twenty drivers from 13 different nations are expected to take the start for the 15th Grand Prix of China beginning with qualifying on Saturday the 16th which can be seen live on the UIM F1 H2O official website www.f1h2o.com from 07:00 – 08:00 GMT. The following day on the 17th, the Grand Prix race itself will air beginning at 07:55 GMT as the three race cavalcade of Grand Prix's continue through the People's Republic with Shenzhen wrapping up tour on the 24th of October.
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