Defending World Champions, Victory Team, will be confident that they can tighten their grip and extend their lead at the top of the Championship standings in this weekend’s Romanian Grand Prix (28-30 August) on Lake Siutghiol, Mamaia-Constanta, round 3 of the UIM WPPA Class 1 World Powerboat Championship.
The Dubai team has dominated the season so far, and after wins for both Victory 7 and Fazza, the in-house rivalry for bragging rights is building. Victory 1 currently holds the advantage and the number one slot with a five point margin over their team-mates, with Sanchez and Al Zafeen – now team rivals – who won together in Romania 2007, both aiming for the race win.
All eyes will be on Maritimo’s two-boat line-up and Welmax to see if they can carry the fight to the Victory Team. Following the withdrawal of the Spirit of Qatar Team from the Championship, it is the Australian and Norwegian outfits who now stand as the main challengers to Victory’s title aspirations.
Racing in Mamaia for the first time, Maritimo Australia will be looking to build on their double success last time out in Norway, when Maritimo 11, and Maritimo 12, landed their first podiums of the season. Team boss, Bill Barry-Cotter, will be aiming for greater consistency in Romania, but is confident that despite just three races under their belts, ongoing development of their new specification boat-engine package will result in increasingly competitive performances.
Jorn Tandberg, who won in Mamaia last year to clinch the European title, and will be hoping to break free of the ‘propeller’ jinx that sidelined the MTI-designed Mercury V8-powered Welmax in the opening two races of the season. Tandberg knows a fourth career-win or a podium this weekend will kick-start his season’s fortunes and put his title defence back on course.
Two solid performances this season, a sixth and a fourth place, see Foresti & Suardi-Roscioli Hotels currently in third place in the Championship standings, the Italian’s team strongest ever season-start, and Montavoci and Giampiero Soave will be aiming for continued consistency and reliability to add more points to their tally to defend their position as the leading European outfit.
Giorgioffshore’s Nicola Giorgi will start with a third new wheelman in as many races, and brings in Norwegian Kurt Aage Olsen to make just his second start in Class 1. After a promising season-opener, taking fifth in Qatar, engine reliability issues in Norway have resulted in the team switching engine package to run SKEMA V12 power-plants.
First official practice takes place on Friday afternoon, with a one-and-a-half hour session on Saturday morning for qualifying in the Edox Pole Position, followed by race 1 in the afternoon, 57.22Nm - 12 laps, including one long lap.A third official practice session on Sunday morning will be followed by race 2 in the afternoon - with the starting line-up determined by the results of race 1 - 71.35Nm, run over 14 laps, including two long laps - with both races counting for full championship points.
CLASS 1 WORLDPOWERBOAT CHAMPIONSHIP - after round 2 of 6
1. Victory 36pts
2.Fazza 31pts
3. Foresti & Suardi-Roscioli Hotels 18pts
4= Qatar 96 15pts
4= Maritimo 11 15pts
6. Maritimo 12 12pts
7= Aurantium 9pts
7= Giorgioffshore 9pts
7= Welmax 9pts
10. Qatar 95 4pts
(Championship points include bonus points allocated to teams for running engines for two consecutive races - one point, per engine, per race)
EDOX POLE POSITION CHAMPIONSHIP – after round 1 of 5
1. Qatar 95 – 20pts
2. Fazza – 15pts
3. Qatar 96 – 12pts
4. Victory – 9pts
5. Welmax – 7pts
6. Aurantium – 5pts
7. Maritimo 12 – 4pts
8. Foresti & Suardi-Roscioli Hotels – 3pts
9. Giorgioffshore – 2pts
EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP - after round 1of 3
1. Victory – 20pts
2. Maritimo 11 – 15 pts
3. Maitimo 12 – 12pts
4. Foresti & Suardi-Roscioli Hotels – 9pts
5. Fazza – 7pts
6. Welmax – 5pts
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