Qatar Marine Sports Federation

DOHA (Qatar): The Qatar Team’s Jay Price and new team member Alex Carella face fierce competition from a provisional 13 other drivers when race action gets underway in the 2011 UIM F1 H20 World Championship in Doha Bay on Saturday.

A date switch from its usual November slot in the calendar means that the 9th Grand Prix of Qatar will get the season’s 10-race championship underway this weekend and Price and Carella will adopt a determined approach to try and gain maximum points on their home event. Price will be taking part in his 48th Grand Prix, Carella his ninth.

Team manager Khalid Bin Arhama Al-Kuwari, the Qatar Marine Sports Federation’s (QMSF) head of formula racing, has openly admitted that the two drivers have been granted equal status in the Qatar Team this season and both will be keeping their eyes firmly on the early season performances of defending champion Sami Selio and the Team Abu Dhabi duo of Ahmed Al-Hameli and Thani Al-Qamzi.

Davide Padovan joins Selio in the Team Mad Croc F1 line-up. The Italian replaces Carella this season in the team that won the 2010 UIM F1 Teams’ Championship.

Team Abu Dhabi stays loyal to the tried and trusted partnership of Al-Hameli and Al-Qamzi. Al-Hameli won the last round of the series in Sharjah and clinched the UIM F1 Pole Position title last season. Al-Qamzi was one of the fastest drivers in last year’s F1 field and both Emiratis are confident that they can create history by becoming the first Arab driver to win the world title.

Italy’s Rinaldo Osculati and Norwegian driver Marit Stromoy represent Team Nautica and Frenchman Phillipe Chiappe and Sweden’s Pierre Lundin join forces in the CTIC China Team under the management of Eric Chan.

Frenchman Phillipe Tourre and Portugal’s Duarte Benavente constitute the F1 Atlantic Team, while Jonas Andersson is joined in Team Sweden by American newcomer Shaun Torrente. Singha F1 Racing Team’s Francesco Cantando rounds off the provisional field of 15 drivers for the opening race of the season.

The 9th Grand Prix of Qatar is being organised by the QMSF under the presidency of His Excellency Sheikh Hassan bin Jabor Al-Thani.

9th Grand Prix of Qatar – provisional line-up

1. Sami Selio (FIN)                                        Team Mad Croc F1

2. Davide Padovan (I)                                    Team Mad Croc F1

3. Rinaldo Osculati (I)                                    Team Nautica

4. Marit Stromoy (N)                                     Team Nautica

5. Thani Al-Qamzi (UAE)                              Team Abu Dhabi

6. Ahmed Al-Hameli (UAE)                           Team Abu Dhabi

7. Phillipe Chiappe (F)                                   CTIC China Team

8. Pierre Lundin (S)                                       CTIC China Team

9. Phillipe Tourre (F)                                      F1 Atlantic Team

10. Duarte Benavente (P)                               F1 Atlantic Team

11. Jay Price (QA)                                        Qatar Team

12. Alex Carella (I)                                       Qatar Team

14. Jonas Andersson (S)                                Team Sweden

15. Shaun Torrente (USA)                             Team Sweden

24. Francesco Cantando (I)                           Singha F1 Racing Team          

Timetable of events 

Thursday, March 3

10.00 – 15.00  Technical scrutineering

12.00 – 12.30 Teams’ registration

Ends 

For further information:

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www.ndp-publicity.com (press releases).

www.qmsf.org

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