CAPPELLINI CAPTURES POLE AT HOME GRAND PRIX !
GILLMAN & DESSERTENNE ROUND OUT TOP THREE !

COMO, Italy – 9th of July, 2005 – Como native Guido Cappellini captured his 2nd straight pole position of the season and accumulated his 59th career pole as he will lead the field of 25 drivers for tomorrow’s 9th Annual Grand Prix of Itlay at the birthplace of power boat racing in Como, Italy.

Cappellini, who set a fast time of the day in the 2nd session with a 58.33 second lap, opened the season with a last second win at the Grand Prix of Portugal in Portimao on the Algarve coast, looks to win here in Como for his 3rd straight time in front of his tens of thousands of fans that are expected to be along the 8-pin course along the waterfront in downtown Como that he knows so well.

The Tamoil Team number one driver got a great break in the weather when rain and lightning combined to cancel the late afternoon  « shootout » leaving the top-6 drivers no chance to try to take pole position at days end.

« We were lucky today because of the tremendous rains and storm that came over the area just as the shootout was scheduled to begin, » stated Cappellini. « Now we will concentrate on winning a very important race tomorrow as I’d love to win for a fourth straight time here at home for the fans. »

Starting 2nd will be American Scott Gillman the defending world champion in the Dubai Holding sponsored Emirates F1 Team, who was just .61 seconds behind Cappellini and also in points in the championship after one race hoping to take his first win in Italy since the Grand Prix of the Mediterranean a season ago in Sardinia.

Gillman, despite a mistake at the Grand Prix of Portugal still led Cappellini on the last lap until his engine went flat leaving the door open to Cappellini to take his 47th victory of his career and now lead the championship by 5points at this stage of the season.

Third off the dock will be Frenchman Philippe Dessertenne who reached the top 3 in qualifying for the first time since Abu Dhabi in 2002 or 19 races ago. The Ligier Sports Team driver ran a 59.25 second quick lap to take the third position as he looks for his first podium finish in 3 races since the Grand Prix of Singapore in 2004.

Italian Massimo Roggiero who did a 1 :00.03 best lap in his Team Green machine will start 4th after missing the opening race in Portugal. Finnish star Sami Selio did a remarkable job concidering he has broken ribs an is in extreme pain, did a 59.84 and a 1 :00.07 will start 5th in his Selio F1 Powerboat Team.

Saudi driver Laith Pharaon is 7th in his Four Seasons sponsored Team Green machine with a lap of 1 :00.70 average for the driver who makes his home in Miami.

Fabio Comparato is 6th in his Comparato Racing Team craft with an average speed of 1 :00.18 hoping for his 2nd straight podium of the season.

Eighth is rookie Ivan Brigada in Cappellini’s 2nd boat with an average speed of 1 :00.87 in the Tamoil machine. Ninth is Portugal’s Duarte Benavente in his Atlantic Team Burgess with an average speed of 1 :01.06 and rounding out the top 10 will be Thani Al Qamzi in the 2nd Dubai Holding Emirates machine with a average time of 1 :01.12.

The 9th Annual Grand Prix of Italy in Como is scheduled to start at 15 :00 local CET or 9 :00 am EDT in North America.

For additional information, interviews or video footage please contact:

Steve Michael Reporting - Philippe Stiernon F1 Press Officer

Photos: http://www.f1boatphotos.com