Drivers ready to adapt to Shenzhen 'bull ring'

by Philippe Stiernon on 20 Oct 2007 The city of Shenzhen, China is an example of the new wave of Chinese culture with a fast burgeoning population of eight million and a new skyscraper of a building being built every day and a boulevard every three on average, this city is needless to say 'booming'.

With that said, the populous is about ready to see an explosion on water they have never felt before as drivers from over 10 different countries from four different continents invade Lake Shenzhen, part of the Pearl River Delta, as the 4th Round of the U.I.M. F1 World Championship for power boating and the first ever Grand Prix of Shenzhen come next weekend on the 20th and 21st of October here on the South coast of China.

Leading the way will be emerging star Sami Selio of Finland who leads his F1 Team Energy squad into one of the smallest and maybe most challenging circuits ever seen in the history of the F1 a 1.59 kilometer (.99 mile) five-turn course that many around the world would call a 'bull ring' of a course that will have a premium on qualifying to be successful.

Selio, who has a win at the Grand Prix of France and a third place finish at last weeks Grand Prix of Xi’an, now leads the championship table with 41 points. Second in world points with 35 is the defending and four-time world titlist Scott Gillman of the Emirates Team who will be missing his first race start since May of 1997 as he continues to receive a battery of tests in a Dubai hospital following his premature exit in Xi’an complaining of chest pains.

The native of Los Angeles, California is doing fine as the medical team continues to work with the 48 year-old driver to solve the problem and hopefully get him back as soon as possible on the race tour when physically fit.

With Gillman out of action, his young protégé Thani Al Qamzi will carry the flag for the Emirates squad coming off an electrifying win in Xi’an by passing nine-time World Champion Guido Cappellini of the Tamoil Team and storming his way to his second victory in his last four race starts.

Al Qamzi, with his victory, now has his first finish of the season and has taken home 20 points. Thani places himself in 5th spot in the championship and is back into the race for the world title with five races still to run. Cappellini, still looking for his first victory of the season, has moved into third place in the title chase with 30 points and looking for his first victory in China since 1996 this upcoming weekend.

Another American driver, Jay Price of the Qatar Team struggled mightily last race. The New Orleans, Louisiana driver not only lost his baggage with all his key propellers disappearing in the process, but topped this off with the handling of his overweight boat giving him fits. Jay ended dropping out at the midway point of the event in Xi’an picking up no points but continues to sit in fourth place with 21 on the season and still a good shot for the title.

A pair of Swedish drivers Pierre Lundin of the Comparato Racing organization along with Jonas Andersson of the F1 Team Sweden Team are both still very much in the picture for the driver’s championship. Lundin, coming back full time into F1 racing since leaving in 2003, has been a revelation with a fourth place finish in Xi’an after a fine sixth in at the Grand Prix of Portugal now with 14 points, while Jonas being a bit more spectacular having a real shot at the win at the last race before dropping out on the 24th lap in second place holding down seventh in the championship with 12 points into the 2007 season.

Andersson’s teammate Philippe Tourre had his best day ever in F1 coming home a fine sixth place after starting 15th for the rookie driver and has moved up into a tie for 13th in the standings with five points.

The Trask brothers from Australia are having a great season of their own 'down under' with younger brother David all but taking the title in his home series. But here, other than a fifth at the last race in Xi’an, he is hoping to once again find the magic he had at the Grand Prix of France when he had pole position. The native of Queensland now sits eighth in the championship with 11 points.

Older brother Bob continues to try and find the 'sweet spot' of his season coming home for the third straight time just out of the points in 11th place and needs to turn the picture around in a hurry if he has any hope of finishing in the top-three in the championship before seasons end.

One time World Champion Fabrizio Bocca of the Rainbow Team had a great outing at the first of back to back races in China with a charge from 17th to take eigth for his third straight top-10 finish. He now is 10th in the championship with eight total points.

French veteran Philippe Dessertenne was hoping to pick up his first win since the 2002 season after qualifying his career best second in Xi’an but took himself out of the event on the opening lap crashing out for the first time in his 106 starts. The China CTIC Charente Maritime Team driver has seven points and is now 11th overall in the drivers championship while his teammate Peng Lin Wu will be looking for his first championship points of the season at his home Grand Prix.

With defending World Champion Scott Gillman out of next weekend’s race, 2007 continues to be a season of transition with new faces looking more and more as a possibility of emerging as a world champion. Only time will tell as we head for the mid-way point of this exciting season of U.I.M. F1 World Championship for power boating.

The student has finally become the teacher ! After eight years as 'the younger' driver on the Emirates Team, Thani Al Qamzi takes over as oldest member of the two driver team with lead driver and defending World Champion Scott Gillman, recovering in the Emirates from an illness that will see him miss at least a month of the 2007 schedule.

'I wish Scott was here and he will be sorely missed this weekend,' said the driver from Abu Dhabi. 'We will try to win again this time for him.'

With the native of Los Angeles, California missing his first race in 90 starts, young driver Ahmed Al Hamli will move into the number 1 boat looking for his second top 10 finish on the season.

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