STRESA BUILDING UP FOR WEEKEND SPECTACULAR
Sunday, 19 September: The organisers of the Italian Grand Prix are gearing-up for what promises to be a spectacular weekend of racing, when Class 1 teams resume rivalries at the Italian Grand Prix (1-3 October) on the magical Lake Maggiore, Stresa, in 13-days time, where the first major title of the season, the European Championship, will be decided.
What the tens-of-thousands of spectators who are expected to descend on this stunning and picturesque venue will be craving is an Italian win on home waters, to emulate the last Italian success in Italy enjoyed by Edoardo Polli and Lamberto Leoni, 
winning in Tarranto back in 1997.
All eyes will be on Team Abu Dhabi’s Italian throttleman, Giovanni Carpitella, whose podiums in Norway alongside Giorgio Manuzzi and wins in Sweden with Rashed Al Tayer, have catapulted him into third place in the World Championship standings and to the top of the European Championship points table.
Standing in the way of his and Team Abu Dhabi’s title hopes are the World Champions and current overall Championship leaders, Arif Al Zafeen and Nadir Bin Hendi in Fazza, and their teammates Abdullah Al Sulaiti and Talib Al Sayed in Skydive Dubai.
There will be heightened local interest in the battle between the two Italian teams, headed by Giorgioffshore’s Nicola Giorgi and Primatist’s Guido Cappellini. The pair raced together in Norway and Sweden, but have since gone separate ways and will line-up in Stresa as rivals. Details of who will race alongside them will be confirmed in the next few days, along with news of a possible eighth entry.
After taking a battering last time out, both Norwegian outfits return to the fray, repaired and ready to race. Welmax’s Jorn Tandberg and Kolbjorn Selmer are chasing a hat-trick of wins in the Edox Pole Position, whilst Relekta’s Christian Zaborowski and Paul Gaiser will be targeting a season-best finish above fifth spot.
Adding spice to the European title decider will be the outcome of Victory Team’s appeal hearing – due to be heard in Stresa – over the post-race time penalty handed to them in Sweden that cost them their fifth race win of the season. And subject to the outcome, could reduce Team Abu Dhabi’s twelve-point advantage to a mere two points.
All articles and pictures in PowerboatPro´s UIM Class 1 news section courtesy of Class 1
