NEW DRIVERS SHOW "FACE" TO U.I.M. F1 POWERBOAT SERIES!
DEFENDING CHAMP GILLMAN LEADS "3" FOR INSIDE TO '98 TITLE!

Lausanne, Switzerland, May 1: Next week ís opening event of the U.I.M. F1 World Championship in Cagliari, Sardinia in Italy, will show a lot of new faces in the paddock and even the veteran watchers of the sport will need to grab a line-up card to identify all the new faces. Seven new drivers, led by one of the most noted drivers in F3 history, Rudolf Mihaldinecz of Hungary, will try to take up the charge in being the 2nd rookie in two years to win the World Championship title.

A year ago, 3-time U.S.A. Champion, Scott Gillman of Basalt, Colorado, came to the series and with little notoriety captured six straight pole positions and won 4 of the first 5 events to win propel him to the World Championship title. As he and his two main rivals Pertti Leppala of Finland and Italian Guido Cappellini return in hopes of winning the 1998 crown, the question for 1998 will be if Mihaldinecz can do the same, running with veteran and 3-time World Champion Jonathan Jones of Cardigan, Wales on the Dragon F1 Racing team. With an F3 title in his back pocket hi-lited by a perfect 7 wins in 7 races in 1996, Rudy is looking to copy Gillman to the crown and will make the new duo one to watch for 1998.

Along with Rudy will be French driver Frank Revert who brings his S3000 succes alongside upcoming star Philippe Desertenne in the all-French Team Fuchs F1 team. One of two Russian drivers that will see a lot of action on the water in 1998 Andre Berenitsine will join Argentine driver Carlos Maidana in the Sprint Racing team. Maidanaís success in the last third of last season was the talk of 1997 and his experience should help the Russian find speed throughout the season.

Young Yugoslovian pilot Alex Radovanovic will get back into a drivers seat joining English veteran Andrew Elliot in the A.C.E. Racing team after spending most of last season working in the pits as a crew member. Norway will be represented this year as driver Frode Sundsdal joins Italian Franco Leidi in the Mare Magnum Racing team. Austrian pilot Rupp Temper will link up with young Chineese driver Lin Wu Peng on the new RTR team.

The current World Champion wonít be the only North American driver on the dock in Cagliari, as Mexican hotshoe Javier Amtmann teams up with series runner-up Pertti Leppala of Finland on the powerful Star Racing team. Javier is making his first appearance on the World Tour since the Huganrian Grand Prix back in 1996.

All told it should be a year of learning and some surprises as new faces show their way to the new year and hopes of another "Surprise" for the U.I.M. F1 World Championship of Powerboat racing for 1998!

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