His 55th Career Pole Position
Lake Como, Italy, June 19, 2004…. Cappellini was back on form today for the Qualifying rounds of the Grand Prix of Italy. Determined to shake off a poor season start and entertain his home crowd, Guido racked up his 55th pole of his career from an incredible 121 starts.
“It felt good to take pole position today, we’ve worked hard since Cagliari to analyse the boat and sort out some of the ongoing issues. I’m confident we can do well tomorrow,” commented Cappellini.
The course has changed since the testing on Friday causing some concerns among the drivers. The long stretch which traditionally would necessitate longer propellers for greater acceleration has been compromised somewhat due to the short tight corners in the inner harbour requiring a shorter pitch.
“It’s now not really appropriate to use a longer propeller for the entire race so we’re looking at different set ups to ensure some excitement for the spectators whilst giving us maximum performance,” said Cappellini.
Italian, Fabio Comparato finishing in 2nd position was delighted with his result. “Everything was working really well today - I’ll be thrilled if I can finish in the top three tomorrow as well,” he enthused.
Not surprisingly current world championship leader, American Scott Gillman finished in third place. “I didn’t have the most consistent racing conditions today due to waves following the rescue team’s towing of Benavente’s boat off the course. The rain later in the day during the shoot out made conditions slightly rougher for my laps - however I’m pleased with my performance and looking forward to challenging Guido here in his home town!” commented Gillman.
Top UIM officials are here in Como this weekend to decide the fate of this Grand Prix. “We are hoping to return here to Como next year,” said F1 Powerboat Promoter, Nicolo di San Germano. “We would really like to secure some additional support from the local private businesses to help support the race in future,” he added.
The Grand Prix of Italy takes place at 15:00 local time. Conditions are expected to be cooler and windy.
