A 4 WAY BATTLE EXPECTED FOR CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE!!
"LOOK" TEAMMATES FOR 3 OF THE 4 TOP TEAMS!!

Lausanne, Switzerland, May 1: With all the talk of the new players in this years U.I.M. F1 World Championship series, one team has remained unchanged, the winning one! The Rainbow Belco Avia Racing team of defending World Champion American Scott Gillman and former World Champion Fabrizio Bocca of Italy, have come to terms and are exceited about teaming up again to challenge the World. I'm elated that Fabrizio and I are back and working together againî, stated the World Champion, " got along great a year ago and expect even a closer relationship this year", stated the Basalt, Colorado resident.

The teaming of Bocca and Gillman marks one of the few times in the history of F1 racing that two World Champions have worked side by side on the same team. Gillman, will have a heavy load to carry this season as he races his hull that won last seasonís title, marking this the 4th season for the Seebold built boat. Scott will take over the #1 on his hull emblematic of the World Championship while Bocca will inherit the #2 on his new hull.

For the 5-time World Champion Guido Cappellini of Como, Italy, giving up the #1 is something new and something he will do his best to get back as he puts together a super team with fellow Italian speedster Massimo Roggiero on the Laserline Racing team. It will mark a return for Roggiero to the Italian team as he comes to grips with his Cappellini built DAC hull, one which he only got into in the final half of the 1997 and seemed to gain his confidence back and better results.

You can bet that Cappellini, who continues to build the most popular hull in the series, as well as being one of the legends of the sport, will be ready from the ìget-goî at the start of the season. Guido will dedicate himself to reestablishing himself as the leading driver in the series and having Roggiero as his teammate can only help his efforts.

One of the worldís most talented drivers starting only his 3rd full season in F1 racing is Finland's Pertti Leppala leading the Star Racing team. Itís hard to believe Leppala is still looking for his first victory while he has finished runner-up in the championship the last two seasons. Pertti, who led 3 races last season, is teaming with another North American driver, Mexican Javier Amtmann. For the driver Amtmann, it is his first return to the World Championship since Hungary in 1996.


The team that could surprise the most at season's end shouldn't be a surprise to anyone who knows the sport. The newly formed Dragon F1 Racing team led by 3-time World Champion Jonathan Jones of Wales will link up with F3 World Champion Rudolf ìRudyî Mihaldinecz of Hungary. Rudy is known for his special F3 season in 1996 when he won all 7 races in the schedule and had a perfect 140 points at seasonís end. Jones knows his way to winnerís platform and is coming off a season to forget hi-lited by numerous incidents on the race course. Jonathan is most dangerous when coming back from a less than sparkling season and will be ready to battle for the World title.

Other drivers ready to make their mark in 1998 will be Swedish star Goran Karlof leading the Baba Racing team taking three top 5 finishes in the last half of 1997. With the veteran Karlof looking to stay in the top 5 in every event, Italian hotshoe Francesco Cantando will be looking to continue his sparking brilliance that finally came to the forefront at seasonís end with a 2nd in Abu Dhabi. Francesco will once again team up with Swede veteran Thomas Ericsson on the Singha Team with Ericsson also coming on strong at seasonís end.

With talented drivers such as Frenchman Philippe Desertenne lead driver of the Fuchs Team, Argentinian pilot Carlos Maidana of the Sprint Racing team and Andrew Elliot of England with the A.C.E. Racing looking for a shot at winning the World title the caliber of the 1998 season will be one of the strongest ever as the season gets underway May 10th in Cagliari, Sardinia in Italy.