ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates – Friday, May 28, 2010 – It's been cursed by many who have raced here and loved by the one's that have tamed it, but as the UIM F1 H2O World Championship for power boating celebrates its 30th Anniversary, 2010 earmarks the 15th year since the beginning of a great venue on one of the most challenging race circuits in the world for July 10th and 11th weekend of the 8th Grand Prix of Russia in St. Petersburg.
The Neva River, flowing endlessly into the Gulf of Finland is at the footsteps of the famous Hermitage, once the winter palace of the Russian Czars and capital of the Russian Empire for over 200 years, sits as a backdrop, on the longest and one of the most challenging race circuits in the world combining six turns and 2.275 kilometers (1.4 miles) in length.
This historic and lovely venue has the unique feature of being the race season's only nighttime event starting in the early evening as tens of thousands of race fans line the circuit during the “white nights” celebration that has seen it's share of dramatic history come to the forefront in just seven Grand Prix's that have been staged since 1995.
Three different drivers have been multiple winners including recently retired World Champion Guido Cappellini of Italy who took victories at the first two years of the Grand Prix in 1995 and 1996 but failed to win in his last five starts. In 2009 he failed to finish in the first of two races while crashing out in race two in his final trip to Russia.
American driver and four time World Champion Scott Gillman who now leads the talented Team Abu Dhabi effort was undefeated in his only two starts in 1997 and 1998 winning both first from pole position his rookie season and from fourth off the dock in '98.
Swedish driver Jonas Andersson of Team Azerbaijan is almost as good as Gillman having won two of three starts taking victory in 2008 and in the second race of 2009 both starting from fourth position off the start pontoon. His only misstep was in the opening event a year ago when he failed to finish with mechanical problems in race one.
The only other driver to win in St. Petersburg is Qatar Team driver Jay Price as the veteran from New Orleans, Louisiana had a wild up and down ride in '09. He triumphed easily in the first race from pole position, but the next day he crashed out in qualifying searching for his second straight pole. He eventually lined up second on the start dock but failed to race since his boat had an electrical fire and he was forced to watch instead of racing. This proved to be a season turning event for the 2008 World title holder as he lost his lead in the championship and would never gain it back again thus shattering his dreams for back to back titles.
Jay's teammate Andy Elliott of Great Britain is the only active driver who has participated in this race in both the 20th and 21st century's. Technically, Andy, who crashed out heavily in qualifying a year ago for the first of two Grand Prix's that ended up finishing his season, hasn't finished an event since first coming in 1995. He had three straight DNF's (did not finish) along with crashing out in 1998. He is hoping to get the monkey off his back this season and keep the Qatar Team in the middle of the Team Championship at the end of the “European Season” before the series heads to the Far East later in the year.
Other drivers that have made their mark in the history of the event are Italian Fabio Comparto of the 800 Doctor Team who has a third and two fourth place finishes in his only three starts. Finnish star and 2007 World Champion Sami Selio driving for Team Mad Croc has two second place results in his two finishes.
After his victory at the Grand Prix of Portugal, current points leader Ahmed Al Hameli of Team Abu Dhabi has three straight finishes, all in the points including a podium result in second place in 2009 as he chases his second straight win of the 2010 campaign.
The spirit of this event and how difficult it is to get it right goes back to the second year of the Grand Prix held on the Neva River when in 1996 an unhearlded driver from South Africa, the late Anton Van Heerden, stole the show and came away with his only career pole position in his short lived career in very rough conditions and wooed the crowds that day.
From sun worshipers in bathing suits to snow flurries, we've seen it all in the 15 years that St. Petersburg has greeted us and in 2010 it will once again grab the attention of all the racing world as the field of drivers from 12 different nations hurls itself to Europe's third largest city on the weekend of the 10th and 11th of July and the 8th Grand Prix of Russia.
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