Mumbai, India, March 7, 2004.... 23 boats sped around 60 laps of the shortest course of the season today at the UIM F1 Powerboat Championship of Mumbai, India, in front of more than 200,000 spectators and a worldwide TV audience of 350million viewers.
Water conditions were rough and the intense heat made racing conditions difficult. Starting in pole position, eight times reigning World Champion Guido Cappellini got off to a good start, closely followed by Scott Gillman and Sami Selio.
However the lead was short lived as Gillman took first place followed by Cantando forcing Cappellini into third. Tough conditions forced a number of drivers to retire, the most spectacular being a fire on the boat of Pertti Leppala and later a rod letting loose on Gillman's boat ensuring a clear lead for Cantando and a home run to the chequered flag.
With a boat perfectly designed for such a challenging course, Cantando was quickly able to take advantage and secure a win. Said Cantando, "The circuit was very rough and with the hot temperatures it was not at all easy especially as I did not start the race from first position, however I am absolutely delighted with my win."
Cantando's win in India now brings his total to ten - a record held alongside Jonathan Jones, Scott Gillman and Guido Cappellini. Today Cantando was also rewarded with the Corona Beer Fastest Lap of the Race Award for a time of sub 37 seconds.
Commenting on his performance and 2nd place win, Guido Cappellini said, "Racing conditions were not suited for my boat as rough seas tend to favour longer boats, so I decided to take a steady pace and therefore a place on the podium as well as Championship points. This has always been my strategy in the past - you don't need to win every race to win the Championship, just secure points at each event."
Finishing in third position was Laith Pharoan - starting at 8th position from qualifying on Saturday, Laith drove consistently to catch up and secure a place on the podium.
"Conditions were rough today, in fact more like an offshore race than an F1 race. I did not want to push the boat and just drove steadily with the aim of scoring good points," commented Laith.
The Mumbai Grand Prix marked the start of the UIM F1 Powerboat Championship and the inaugural race in India. Said race promoter Nicolo di San Germano, "This weekend has been fantastic and we are extremely grateful to the Government of Maharastra and the people of Mumbai for their support. We are looking forward to returning here again next year."
"We are very happy to have brought F1 Powerboat racing to Mumbai," said Sanjay Ubale from the Maharastra Government. "This weekend has really highlighted what a beautiful marine drive we have here and we're delighted to showcase the best of Mumbai to the rest of the world."
The UIM F1 Powerboat Championship now heads to Laith's home country of Saudi Arabia on March 26, 2004 - another inaugural race and the second in the 2004 season.
