LAUSANNE, Switzerland (27th July, 2002) - Defending World Champion Guido Cappellini hopes this year will be a better run at the Grand Prix of Germany at Stralsund, rather than last season when he finished a disappointing 3rd on the "short course" at the edge of the Baltic Sea next weekend.

The lead driver of the Zepter Team comes into the event with four wins in the season's first 5 events on the U.I.M. F1 World Championship for powerboating with both skill and luck that has turned this season into his liking as he chases his 7th World Championship and the half way mark of the 2002 campaign.

A year ago, after a month long mid-season break, it wasn't Cappellini who stole the show, but fellow Italian Francesco Cantando who went back to his race shop in Milan and removed excess kilo's of weight out of his Singha Beer sponsored DAC craft and swept the weekend with both pole position and the win to officially mark his charge for his first world championship.

Cantando, who came up 3 points shy at seasons end to Cappellini, isn't in the same position this year, having picked up just 6 points out of a possible 100 and looks to be out of the running for the current championship. However, the young Italian would love to re-establish himself as the one driver all others will fear if he can go out and have a repeat performance.

American Scott Gillman, who leads the Emirates Team and has two world titles in the bank, would also like to re-establish himself as a race winner having come into the event with a two year dry spell, despite keeping his remarkable record of having finished every race in his 5 ½ year career on the circuit with 29 podiums in a row. Gillman is now up to 2nd in the title with 39 points coming off a 3rd in the Grand Prix of the Mediterranean 3 weeks ago, finished 2nd here a year ago to Cantando and was the only other racer on the same lap with the winner. He hopes that like in the 2000 season when Cappellini went into a "funk" and lost both his edge and the title at seasons end.

Another driver who has been running consistently and starting to make noise for the title is Saudi Arabian pilot Laith Pharaon in his Four Seasons Hotel sponsored DAC with 37 points on the strength of 2 second place finishes in Finland and Sardinia. The one-time Offshore World Champion, states he considers 2003 his official "coming out party" in the run for the world title since this season is only his 2nd full run at the championship. Pharaon, who last won in Malaysia at the start of the 2001 campaign, failed to pick up any points last year when his boat came to a stop 18 laps into the event after starting 18th and moving up to 10th.

Fabio Comparato, who for much of the season has been 2nd to Cappellini in the championship has slipped down to 4th on the ladder and would love to turn around his bad luck with a good finish at the Grand Prix of Germany. The driver who lives near Venice, has a career best 2nd at the Grand Prix of Italy and two DNF's which has hurt his chances of picking up his first ever victory in his career. A year ago, he finished 5th at the Grand Prix of Germany and feels he can do better this time around on this 9 turn 1.5 kilometer "bull ring" of a circuit.

Frenchman Philippe Dessertenne was 3rd in the championship after picking up his first career win at the Grand Prix of Finland back in June but lost out when a starter motor stuck which left him at the start dock at the latest race in Sardinia. The likeable native of La Rochelle, now with Ligier sponsorship, looks to improve upon his 4th place finish a year ago in Stalsund.

Another Italian, Ivan Torta, the junior member of the Singha Beer sponsored team with teammate Francesco Cantando, is getting his "groove" on having finished on the podium for the first time at the Grand Prix of Hungary and 4th at the last event in Cagliari. Torta, one of the youngest drivers on the tour, is hoping to pick up his first ever points in Germany as a F1 pilot.

Massimo Roggiero, the veteran driver on the Zepter Team, has a lot less on his mind this season following his many years of not only racing but running one, sometimes two different race teams. The responsibility put added pressure on the Northern Italian driver, but this season he seems more relaxed running with Cappellini and enjoying his old friendship with his neighbor. Roggiero has a season best 3rd in Helsinki and has scored points in all but the opening round in Portugal. Last season he finished 7th at this race.

Finnish driver Sami Selio has shown spurts of speed this year with an opening round 2nd at the Grand Prix of Portugal, but reliability of his 3.0 litre Johnson powered boat has been his weak spot so far this year despite the hard working of team owner-manager Cees van der Velden. Sami is also looking for his first points in Germany next weekend.

Portugal's Duarte Benavente had his best outing of the year at the last round at the Grand Prix of the Mediterranean with a 4th qualifying position and a 5th at races end. The young driver from Lisbon is starting to get back into a groove that he seemed to have lost early in the season and has gotten more confidence with his years package while driving the English Burgess built hull.

Benavente went out of the race early last year after he and the late Victor Kunitch got together at the very start of the event. Expect more from the likeable driver this time around.

Italian Fabrizio Bocca comes off a 6th place finish and has 2 top five finishes in the first five events of the season. The former World Champion would like to score some points and move back up into the top 5 standings hoping to get his first points in Stralsund in his Corona Beer sponored boat.

All in all, the Grand Prix of Germany will set the tone for the 2nd half of the 2002 season. So far, with both talent and luck, Cappellini his leading strongly in the title run with 80 points to Gillman's 39. But, this short "bull ring" of a circuit in the inner harbor of Stralsund was one that a year ago Cappellini could not figure out and he finished confused, frustrated and a lap down to race winner Cantando and 2nd place finisher Gillman. Has he done his homework? Will soon find out. Passing will be a premium on this busy 9 turn course and qualifying will be a key to success.

The Grand Prix of Germany in Stralsund on the edge of the Baltic Sea next weekend on the 2nd , 3rd and 4th of August. The 6th round of the U.I.M. F1 World Championship for powerboating. Will Cappellini continue to roll along? Or will Gillman, Cantando, Pharaon, Comparato or Dessertenne take a win away from the 6-time World Champion. Will find out soon enough!