Sail-World.com : Selio and Roggiero team for U.I.M. F1 2008 season
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Selio and Roggiero team for U.I.M. F1 2008 season |
They have been long time friends, long time work mates and now they will take their friendship and work ethic to the worldwide stage of the U.I.M. F1 World Championship for power boating.
Newly crowned World Champion Sami Selio leader of the F1 Team Energy group will welcome Italian veteran Massimo Roggiero as his new teammate beginning with the opening round of the 2008 tour at the Grand Prix of Qatar on the 28th and 29th of March.
'We have been working successfully with Massimo in the past and now we will become teammates,' said the 2007 Champion. 'We will also combine our operations with Baba F1 Racing which make us a 'factory' team. Next season also the manufacturer's title will be a definite goal for us.'
Roggiero, who owns the Baba F1 boat factory, was excited about joining his friend full time for 2008, 'The deal is fantastic. Sami Selio has developed into the best F1 boat driver in the world. So it makes our cooperation even more solid and makes more sense. I believe Sami will win more championships in the future,' said Massimo.
The veteran Roggiero with 101 career starts has a solid background as a driver having won 3 times in his career the first coming at the Grand Prix of Stresa, in his native Italy back in 1998. Massimo has 7 overall pole positions and did well in qualifying in his two appearances in 2007 with a 6th in Abu Dhabi and a 3rd in Sharjah in the final two starts of the year in the United Arab Emirates last month.
The team will be based out of the Baba factory in Busto Arsizio, Italy. Strategically located to both Melpensa Airport and downtown Milan, it is also close to testing areas with surrounding water available for quick evaluations of equipment if necessary.
The first test runs will take place in Italy at the end of January. Sami is expected to start the season with last year's championship winning hull. The new, faster and lighter catamaran will be ready for the Grand Prix of Portugal in Portimao in early May.
All in all, this team has thrown down the gauntlet to the defending team champions Emirates squad and the remainder of the field for the 2008 season. Two talented drivers ready to make a real statement in '08. This sounds truly great! Only time will tell if the equation is correct for greatness.
by Steve Michael
2:15 AM Tue 8 Jan 2008 GMT
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2008 U.I.M. F1 World Championship
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