ROOKIE BRIGADA OUTDUELS GILLMAN FOR POLE!
DESSERTENNE 3RD AND CAPPELLINI 9TH AT QATAR GP!

DOHA, Qatar – 14th of April, 2006 – Italian rookie driver Ivan Brigada out dueled two World Champions including his teammate, to take his first ever U.I.M. F1 Series pole position around the wind swept 1.93 kilometer 5-pin course in the inner harbour of downtown Doha, Qatar at 132 kph and will the field of 23 drivers for tomorrow’s Grand Prix of Qatar.

The driver of the Tamoil Team came into the top-6 shootout session 2nd behind Finnish driver Sami Selio of the Red Devil Selio Team with a time of  49.94. He ran even quicker in the six boat final shootout session with a 49.73 on his first lap before taking out the right turn buoy in the 3rd corner in his 2nd and final go around while doing a 49.19 second lap. Since he hit the buoy this lap was thrown out and called null and void, but the driver from Italy still had the fast time of the afternoon and took the top step in qualifying.

Emirates Team driver American Scott Gillman struggled all day with engine and medical problems, feeling weak for most of the afternoon with stomach flu, but was still able to put down a 2nd best 49.94 second time and 131 kph speed missing his 28th career pole by two-tenths of a second. Scott reached the top-6 of the grid for the 76th time in his 81st career start.

Gillman’s teammate Thani Al Qamzi had a career tying 4th best time coming in to the session 3rd quickest and finished with a 51.42 second lap as he looks for his 3rd ever podium finish of his career in tomorrow’s Grand Prix.

French driver Philippe Dessertenne of the Charente Maritime Team will start 3rd with a great run of a 51.15 second lap for his 14th appearance in the top-6 shootout in his career.

Starting 5th will be Laith Pharaon of Team Green who scrambled to a 52.12 in his new BABA boat a good start for a driver who had just gotten settled into the cockpit until Thursday afternoon.

The most disappointed driver on the start pontoon will be Finnish driver Sami Selio, who had set the fast lap early in the afternoon in the first timed session. Selio, who was hoping to take his first ever pole position had his engine expire in a big way halfway through his first lap and will start 6th in tomorrow’s Grand Prix of Qatar.

Other than rookie Brigada’s pole, defending World Champion Guido Cappellini struggled with engine preparation all afternoon and had to settle for 9th place having run out of time in trying to reach the top-6 and a last shot at pole position. Cappellini missed the top-6 for the first time since the Grand Prix of Portugal of 2004 which was 11 races ago. Interestingly enough the number #1  that troubled Scott Gillman a year ago, maybe doing the same thing to the native of Como. Only time will tell with this prediction.

Australian Bob Trask took a well deserved 7th place despite his boat not arriving until early this morning off the container ship while his great XPV racing crew scrambling to get it ready in time for the 2nd qualifying session. This will be the Aussie’s best start ever.
Francesco Cantando had a myriad of problems in his Singha Racing Blaze boat as he settled for 8th with engine problems. Qatar native Mohamed Al Ali will begin in 10th position in his new BABA boat as he did a great job getting used to the new hull and qualifying his best ever run at the same time.

Twenty-three drivers from 11 different nations will start tomorrow’s 2nd Annual Grand Prix of Qatar around a rough 5 turn 1.93 kilometer course in the inner harbour of downtown Doha on the edge of the Arabian Gulf.

The opening round of the 2006 U.I.M. F1 World Championship for power boating is scheduled for a 15:00 local start and 12:00 GMT and 07:00 Eastern Daylight Time in North America.

For additional information, interviews or video footage please contact:

Philippe Stiernon
Press Officer
Philippe@f1boat.com