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short 20 Grand Prix career he has finished on the podium three
times and started from pole once.
If ever there is a team that will be intent and focussed on upping
their game this season it is the mighty Abu Dhabi outfit.
By its own very high standards, the team led byGuidoCappellini
since 2015 under achieved last year despite a promising start.
Cappellini has confirmed a three boat line up for 2017 in their
bid to regain the team title it won in 2015 and a first driver’s title
under his tutelage.
Spearheading the attack is three-time world champion Alex
Carella, his hat-trick of titles coming with Qatar before making
the switch in 2015, with teammates Thani Al Qemzi and
‘rookie’ Rashed Al Qemzi, who made his F1H2O debut at the
end of last season in Sharjah, his reward for winning the F4-S
Championship. “All three will drive the same boats as last year
for the first race in Portimao and after that we will decide about
new modifications and strategy,” said Cappellini. “Everyone has
been testing in Abu Dhabi, in particular Rashed, because he has
very limited experience at this level.”
Cappellini also alluded to a backroom restructuring, “We’re
working very hard and this year we will not be working with
Brendan Power for engines, ‘my team will work on them’, the
same people that allowed me to win 10 world championships.”
Both Carella and [Thani] Al Qemzi are proven winners; Carella,
32 from Piacenza in Italy has an impressive strike rate since
his championship debut in 2010, taking 12 wins, a total of 26
podiums and 12 pole positions from his 45 GP starts, with Abu
Cappellini has confirmed a three boat line up for 2017 in their
bid to regain the team title it won in 2015 and a first driver’s title
under his tutelage.
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F1H2O