DOHA, Qatar – Friday, November 26, 2010 – Qatar Team driver Jay Price put pressure aside as all eyes were on the American driver to do well and he didn't disappoint by setting the fastest lap of the day and earning pole position leading the field of 19 drivers from 11 different countries for tomorrow's Eighth Grand Prix of Qatar on Doha Bay beginning at 12:00 GMT.
The sixth round of the 2010 UIM F1 H2O World Championship is a pivotal race in the eight race series that highlights the world's most talented drivers on water and the New Orleans, Louisiana driver was the fastest doing a 170.19 kph lap around the four pin 2.1 kilometer circuit in a time of 44.42 seconds.
“We wanted to do something special today in front of our home fans who have been so supportive of our efforts the last four years,” said Jay. “We were confident that we could earn this number one position today since we were quickest in practice this morning and it was just a matter of getting a clear lap to get the job done. Now we want to complete the mission and win tomorrow putting us closer to a shot at the title before heading off to Abu Dhabi next week.”
Finishing .33 of a second behind the Qatar Team driver was Ahmad Al Hameli of Team Abu Dhabi who was chasing his third straight pole of the season. He equaled Price's fast time of the day that he set in practice with a 44.75 which a spectacular first lap in the final 10 minutes of the Q3 session, but couldn't improve on his opening lap and had to settle for second.
“I lost radio communication and didn't realize that Jay had the fast lap,” said Ahmad. “I was hoping the water conditions were only going to get better as the minutes clicked off, however I didn't get the 'hole shot' I was anticipating but in the end am happy with how the afternoon unfolded.”
Taking third and looking for his second career pole position in Doha was Finnish driver Sami Selio of the Mad Croc Team who sits tied for fourth in the championship and is searching for his second victory of the season tomorrow.
“We did all we could with the balance of the boat not the way we were hoping for,” said Sami. “We have faith that once the race starts tomorrow we will be right in the thick of it for victory.”
Finishing fourth quickest was Sami's Italian rookie teammate Alex Carella who's 45.31 lap was just over four tenth's slower as he earned his third top five qualifying performance of the year in his BABA Italian built boat.
World points leader Francesco Cantando will start fifth in his Singha F1 Racing BLAZE catamaran with a 45.47 lap leading the championship table by 11 points and having finished four of his five races all on the podium.
The 2008 race winner Jonas Andersson of Team Azerbaijan had his best qualifying performance of the season taking sixth with a 45.71, while German driver Fabian Kalsow had his career best seventh place for the F1 Atlantic Team with a 46.66 lap.
French driver Philippe Tourre a teammate of Kalsow was eighth a hundredth of a second back with a 46.67, while Italian Marco Gambi placed ninth with 46.72 while CTIC China's Swedish driver Pierre Lundin took the final top-ten position with 46.79 second lap.
Pole sitter Jay Price sits 11 points back of Francesco Cantando with 60 points still to be earned in the 2010 championship by a 59-48 point margin and five drivers still realistically in the battle for the World Championship in the UIM F1 H2O's 30th Anniversary season. Will there be pure happiness in Doha tomorrow afternoon when the Grand Prix is over?
The Eighth Grand Prix of Qatar will begin tomorrow at 12:00 GMT and can be followed in it's entirety by going to the official website www.f1h2o.com beginning at 11:55 GMT.
Be In The Know – With F1 H2O!
