ABU DHABI - Friday, 17 May - It's hard to believe, but the country of Brazil, which is launching it's inaugural Grand Prix in just two weeks, will become the 32nd country to host the world's most exciting and challenging racing series on water as it opens up the 2013 UIM F1 H2O World Championship season in the capital city of Brasilia on the 1st and 2nd of June.
Since it's inception back in 1981, the UIM F1 H2O World Championship, this year, is marking it's 30th Anniversary racing season. The trip to Brazil, will be the first time in 247 Grand Prix's that the series has ever raced in South America and only the second time it has ventured into the Southern Hemisphere.
"We are truly excited about staging our tremendously exciting show to a new audience," said long time promoter Nicolo di San Germano. "I know, and most people around the world realize, that Brazilians, love racing competition and once they get a taste of this series, I truly believe they'll want to see it again and again."
San Germano's words resonate with the cold hard facts of the series history with no other international racing program anywhere in the world able to boast about the diversity of countries that have hosted events during this time period.
The European continent has held 149 events thus far, Italy, holding the most Grand Prix's with 39 dating back to 1981.
The country of France is second entertaining 17 Grand Prix's followed by Russia's 14 over the years. They have been the major players in taking up the top three spots in Europe's roster of 20 separate countries that have been a part of the tour over the past four decades.
The Middle East has become a strong player since the early 1990's with the United Arab Emirates having hosted a combined 34 events, showing the world that they taking powerboat racing especially F1 very seriously, followed by a fast emerging Qatar with 10 events.
The Asian continent led by China has hosted 35 events between five countries and China will be reaching their special anniversary 20th Grand Prix later on this year when the tour stops in Liuzhou.
North America, which was at one time the strongest presence in the sport, putting on more Grand Prix events than anyone in the first decade of the 1980's, has a total of 17 races. The United States had six different locations in the country including the first outside Europe when Pittsburgh hosted the 1982 event. The other two came north of the border in Canada in the mid-1980's.
The only other Southern Hemisphere event was in the country of South Africa back in 1992 and they like America are looking to re-establish a home for a Grand Prix in the near future.
So, as the preparation for the 248th historic Grand Prix continues at the Inaugural Grand Prix of Brazil on the 1st and 2nd of June in Brasilia. It comes with it a grand tradition of excitement that has been enjoyed by millions of race fans over five different continents and 31 separate nations in just 30 seasons of racing.
The future for the sport of the UIM F1 H2O World Championship looks bright. The new stage in the capital city of Brazil will make it that much more exotic as the series heads to a new continent to set up its stage for the most "thrilling show on water"!
You can keep informed with all the news and updated action for the weekend of the Grand Prix of Brazil by going to the official website of the UIM F1 H2O World Championship at www.f1h2o.com.
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