MAIDANA DESPITE SETBACKS READY TO “GET BACK” TO THE FRONT!
ROGGIERO’S F1 PREPERATION INCLUDES A 24 HOUR ROUEN EVENT!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND – Agentinian driver Carlos Maidana feels that the worst is behind him and now looks forward to a “fresh start” beginning at the 13^th Annual Grand Prix of Hungary, the 3^rd round of the U.I.M. F1 World Championship for power boating.

The 42 year old pilot who calls Berkshire, England his home, is running the Texaco sponsored race boat. A year ago, Maidana was battling Italian Guido Cappellini for the lead in Hungary before the two touched and Cappellini got the better of it, going on to victory while Maidana began sinking on the course and failing to finish. “Sure it was a “racing thing” with Cappellini, however I don’t forget easily and 2001 is a new season,” stated the 1994 European F2 champion. “Despite the problems of two DNF’s, we’re really exicited with the introduction of our new RVS F1 boat that’s coming out of the Fountain boat company in North Carolina in the U.S.A. It’s a perfect combination of the latest technology along with the expertise of two fine designers in Ben Robertson and Cees van der Weldon showing why this boat will be a factor this season.”

Maidana, feels his OMC power problems have been taken care of and his ready to challenge for the front of the field on the “classic” 2-pin course on the Danube river on the weekend of the 19^th and 20^th of May.

Meanwhile, Italian Massimo Roggiero is continuing his quiet but successful strategy for putting himself in position to win his first world title. Roggiero, who was running strongly in the opening round in Malaysia before dropping out, came on strong in his new 2001 DAC hull out of the shops of the DAC racing plant in Como, Italy in the series 2^nd race in Portugal. His runner-up finish just behind Guido Cappellini moves him just 6 points behind points leader Philippe Dessertenne of France who has put together 21 on the season so far. Roggiero, who makes his home in Busto Arsizio, Italy and who has finished in the top 5 in the World Championship in 4 of the past 5 seasons, wants to keep his good luck going in Hungary.

Roggiero, who has dedicated himself to stay in top physical condition this season, will use this weekend’s 24 hour event in Rouen in France teaming up with ex-F1 pilot Jean Vital Deguisne of Macon, France who has won this event before as a training ground for the always tough event in Hungary.

Massimo has finished in the points the last 2 years in a row in Dunaujvaros, reaching the podium with a 3^rd place finish in 2000, while taking a 4^th in 1999.

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