ABU DHABI - 16 July, 2015 - It's only been four years, but it seems much longer, since the last time the UIM F1H2O World Championship last saw the lovely setting that is the country of Portugal on its calendar.
All that changes on the first and second of August when the third round of the current 2015 campaign comes to the ancient and dynamic city of Porto in Northern Portugal where drivers from 12 different nations are expected to battle for world championship points in the most challenging race series on the planet on the Rio Douro.
The 35-year-old racing organization first came to Portugal in the Algarve and the city of Portimao back in 1999.
The area was home to the Grand Prix of Portugal until 2011 and now has returned for the first time ever to Porto, Portugal's second largest metropolis with a population of over 1.4 million citizens in the urban area surrounding the region.
In the previous 13 Grand Prix events in the country, Italian Hall-of-Fame driver Guido Cappellini has won more than half, claiming victories the first five straight years from 1999 to thru 2003. Eventually, the now current Team Manager for Team Abu Dhabi, earned seven, reaching the top three podium in eight of his 12 starts in the country before retiring from active racing in 2009.
American Scott Gillman, a four-time World Champion and also Hall-of-Fame member, won two events himself in 2004 and again in 2007 while reaching the podium in all five races he finished in his nine starts in Portugal.
The current Manager for the Emirates Team, who retired from racing in 2007, never finished lower than second place in Portimao.
Today's active drivers who are expected to race in Porto include, Lisbon resident Duarte Benavente, who has 121 career starts which is third most active on the tour. Here, on home waters Duarte has 14 races in his resume with four top-five finishes and one podium he earned when he finished third in 2009.
Italian 19 year veteran Francesco Cantando has had great results over his career in Portugal having started 14 events while six times reaching the podium including five-times as a second place runner-up. The driver from Milan continues to search for his first victory in Portugal in 151 career race starts.
Finnish two-time World Champion Sami Selio is also searching for his first win in Portugal despite a pole position in qualifying and a runner-up in 2002 to Cappellini. The Mad Croc Baba Team driver has 22 career pole positions which is third best overall in the history of the sport and will be looking for more in Porto.
Emirates Team driver Ahmed Al Hameli arrives with high hopes at continuing his luck in Portugal having won two of the last three events in the country back in 2009 and again in 2010. In just six starts in Portugal, Ahmed has been on the podium three times with those pair of victories.
Defending World Champion Philippe Chiappe of France and the CTIC China Team has had miserable luck in Portugal. His best finish in his 10 starts coming in 2007 with an eighth place finish. Armed with a lot of confidence coming off last years' success don't count him out for a big splash this year hoping to reverse the trend.
Norwegian woman driver Marit Stromoy set an historic mark the last time a Grand Prix was held in the country back in 2011. She went out and out qualified all the men and became the first woman ever to earn pole position in an international speed event. She then went out and led at the start before her day came to a premature end when she and American Shaun Torrente collided both fighting for the lead of the race on a re-start mid-way through the event. Now, armed with a totally rebuilt boat Marit will once again be looking to make a statement and worldwide attention with another pole position in Portugal.
Speaking of the Floridian, it is Torrente who leads the championship coming into Porto with 29 points after a win in Doha and a fourth place at the last round in Evian, France.
His only previous race was his rookie year in 2011 when he crashed out with Stromoy after moving from sixth to the front. The driver from Miami and the Victory Team hopes to do the same this time around without the dramatic ending.
Finally, Swedish driver Jonas Andersson, who sits just five points behind Torrente tied in second place in the Drivers' Championship with 24, has raced in Portugal six times finishing on the podium back in 2009 after starting sixth in his Team Sweden boat.
All told, some drivers will be looking to keep their good luck alive in Portugal, while others will be hoping for just any luck, as the series returns to this lovely setting in Porto 1-2 August and the Rio Douro in what is expected to be a spectacular summer show along the waterfront that weekend.
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