Det blev en total arabisk dominans vid Grand Prix-tävlingarna i Uddevalla. Team Fazza segrade inte helt oväntat framför två andra arabiska båtar. Detta efter att Fazzas Arif Al Zafeen och Nadir Bin Hendi kunde ta en komfortabel seger i race 2 vid Swedish Grand Prix.
Därmed fick helgens dramatiska tävlingar ett tippat slut. Efter de tuffa körningarna på lördagen var de båda norska teamen Welmax och Relekta mer eller mindre detroniserade. Kollisionerna deras båtar var med om var våldsamma, men med lite mindre tur hade det kunnat sluta riktigt illa.
På tävlingarnas egen hemsida finns det ett par videoupptagningar och många bilder från helgens tävlingar:
http://www.class-1.com/
Här är den engelska pressreleasen från arrangören:
Sunday, 8 August, UDDEVALLA (Sweden): Fazza’s Arif Al Zafeen and Nadir Bin Hendi put yesterday’s race-retirement behind them to ease to a comfortable win in race 2 of the Swedish Grand Prix.
Rashed Al Tayer and Giovanni Carpitella capped an impressive weekend for Team Abu Dhabi, finishing second, to make it a hat-trick of podium successes in Uddevalla, with Abdullah Al Mehairbi and Talib Al Sayed in Skydive Dubai completing the podium and make it an all U.A.E. affair.
The World Champions took no time in bouncing-back from their hair-raising collision with Relekta in race 1 that launched Fazza skywards and put Relekta out of today’s race, winnng the three-boat U.A.E. drag race to the first turn, the scene of yesterday’s carnage.
Once out in front Al Zafeen and Bin Hendi never looked threatened, going on to complete the 16 laps in 39mins 19.29secs at an average speed of 178.99kmh to win by over 20 seconds. “Our crew did a fantastic job and without their effort we wouldn’t have raced today,” said throttleman Bin Hendi. “They worked all night to repair the boat, and they gave us back a very good boat to give us a chance to day. All the credit goes to them. It may have looked easy, but it wasn’t. It was tight at the beginning but we made a good start and had to push hard for the first few laps.”
Despite today’s second place, to compliment a third place in the Edox Pole Position and a first Class 1 win for Rashed Al Tayer and Giovanni Carpitella, the Team Abu Dhabi throttleman was not happy with his rivals on the run to the first turn. “I am not happy with what happened at the first turn. They [Fazza] shut the door in front of me and we have a high risk again for nothing,” said Carpitella. “But overall the result is good and it was a great weekend for the team. But I prefer different conditions â?” not a first turn like this.”
Skydive Dubai’s Abdullah Al Mehairbi and Talib Al Sayed celebrated their new partnership in Class 1, taking their second podium of the weekend – with Al Sayed giving a masterful solo rendition of the U.A.E. national anthem on the podium when the sound system failed, which was greeted by cheers and rapturous applause from the crowd. “It was a fantastic start to the race between Fazza, Abu Dhabi and us with all three boats running very close,” said Al Sayed. “We managed to keep the gap down between us and Abu Dhabi and I think in the future we can close it more and more.”
A second, consecutive points-haul for Italians Guido Cappellini and Nicola Giorgi, finishing fourth in Primatist, puts them into fourth place in the Championship standings, as they look ahead to their home Grand Prix in October. “We had some problems with our handling after making some modifications to the rudder set-up, but we finished a second race and have picked up valuable points this weekend, so we have to be happy with that,” said Nicola Giorgi.
But there was bitter frustration for Jorn Tandberg, Kolbjorn Selmer and the Welmax technicians when the boat narrowly failed to make the start, despite their night-long efforts to repair and have the boat ready to race after yesterday’s first corner crash.
Today’s 17th career-win for Al Zafeen and Bin Hendi puts them within one win of the Victory Team record of 18, shared by former multiple Champions, Saeed Al Tayer and Ali Nasser, and also puts the World Champions 22-points clear of their team-mates at the top of the overall Championship standings.
Class 1 now heads to Stresa on Lake Maggiore for the Italian Grand Prix and the European Championship decider in October, and what promises to be an interesting showdown between the new team on the block, Team Abu Dhabi, who lead the European points table by two-points from the current World Champions, Fazza.
SWEDISH GRAND PRIX, RACE 2 – results
1. Fazza – A Al Zafeen (UAE) / N Bin Hendi (UAE) 00.39.19,29
2. Team Abu Dhabi – R Al Tayer (UAE) / G Carpitella (ITA) + 00.20,99
3. Skydive Dubai – A Al Mehairbi (UAE) / T Al Sayed (UAE) + 00.40,41
4. Primatist – G Cappellini (ITA) / N Giorgi (ITA) + 1 LAP
Welmax – K Selmer (NOR) / J Tandberg (NOR) dns
Relekta – P Gaiser (BRA) / C Zaborowski (NOR) dns
UIM CLASS 1 WORLD POWERBOAT CHAMPIONSHIP – after round 3, race 6 of 12
1. Fazza – 108pts 2. Skydive Dubai – 86pts 3. Team Abu Dhabi – 66pts 4. Primatist – 46pts 5. Welmax – 31pts 6= Foresti & Suardi – SCAM – 11pts 6= Relekta – 11pts 8. Welmax Alianza – 10pts
(Championship points include bonus points allocated to teams for running engines for two consecutive Grand Prix)
EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP – after round 2, race 4 of 6
1. Team Abu Dhabi – 62pts 2. Fazza – 60pts 3. Skydive Dubai – 48pts 4. Primatist – 21pts 5. Welmax – 15pts 6. Relekta – 7pts
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