SHARJAH, U.A.E. - Tuesday, December 10, 2013 - As drivers from 14 different countries arrive for the sixth and final round of the 2013 UIM F1 H2O World Championship here just outside Dubai, four of these competitors have dreams of winning the title this Friday afternoon for the 15th Grand Prix race in Sharjah.
The 30th racing season of the tour has seen anything but consistency with four different drivers winning the first four rounds and a change of the lead in the drivers championship table also shifting like feathers the wind after each contest.
So, what do the number mean?
Let's see if this scenario can help in giving us an "inside the cockpit" projection of which driver will take the title on the 13th of December.
Beginning with points leader Sami Selio of Finland.The two-time World Champion has an edge because he has earned both of his titles here on the Khalid Lagoon. His first came in an almost "magical mystery tour" in a must win situation in 2007.
Sami was trailing then nine-time World Champion Guido Cappellini by 21 points with just two races to go and after beating Cappelini to the line in Abu Dhabi to narrow the gap, all Guido needed to do was finish higher than eighth to take the title.
Well, in one of the biggest meltdowns in the series history the future "Hall-of-Fame" driver failed to finish while Selio took the win and a four point victory in the championship.
In 2010 again he came to Sharjah trailing then points leader American Jay Price who held a slim 83 to 79 points lead to Sami but when the day was over Selio took second as Jay finished sixth and Sami earned his second title with a "dash of drama" thrown in.
Looking at Selio's progress this season, he lead the championship with a win from pole in Brazil in June. Then, had a mechanical problem with his engine after leading from pole in Kyiv and finished fourth. In Liuzhou, China he started third and finished second. Doha, Sami qualified his worst of the year in fourth position and crashed out at the start and finished 18th. Two weeks ago in Abu Dhabi he again won from pole.
The second driver in with a shout for the title is American Shaun Torrente of the Qatar Team. This is the Miami drivers third season having just 15 starts having earned a pole, a win and seven top-five's in his last eight. The two-time North American Champion has three podiums, a win in Doha in his five finishes and only two mechanical problems have kept him from reaching the podium more this season.
Teammate to Shaun is two-time World Champion Alex Carella of Italy who is looking to be the first three-time championship driver in three years since Cappellini did the honor back in 2003. This season Alex has now been on the podium in all four races he's completed with a win in Liuzhou and three third place efforts as well.
Finally, the "dark horse" in the equation is French pilot Philippe Chiappe of the CTIC China Team who has been consistent all year but was disqualified out of third place in Doha with a technical issue with his engine.
He currently is 10 points back and will be praying for a lot of misfortune from the front three in the standings for him to have an honest shot at his first title.
2013 has been a breakthrough season for Philippe with a popular victory in Kyiv along with three total podiums in the four races he's completed.
So, there you have the numbers on the drivers for 2013, now let's see when we throw into the mix their statistics here in Sharjah.
Sami Selio: 13 race starts; won in 2007 and 2009; seven podiums and 10 top-five's.
Shaun Torrente: 1 race start; Qualified eighth and finished fifth in 2011.
Alex Carella: 3 races starts: no wins; second place in 2011; has failed to finish the last two years in Sharjah.
Philippe Chiappe: 10 race starts; no wins; no podiums; two top-five's.
The bottom line to all of this?
Well, after each race during the 2013 campaign a different driver led the championship and only one, Selio has won more than one event. Who is due this time? The top three are separated by just four points and the winner from the top three takes the title. Simple as that.
The drama of the sixth and final round of the 2013 UIM F1 H2O World Championship here for the 15th Grand Prix race event in Sharjah starts with qualifying on Thursday afternoon at 15:50 local, 11:50 GMT and 06:50 EST on the East Coast of North America.
The Grand Prix is scheduled for Friday afternoon at 16:00 local, 12:00 GMT and 07:00 EST on the East Coast of North America. You can follow both events live via the web streaming on the tours official website at www.f1h2o.com via the worldwide television broadcast.
Some people think statistics and numbers are for losers? Or are they historical and are tell tail trends?
One last thought, Sami Selio has won both races in Sharjah on odd years. Could 2013 again be his "odyssey"?
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