Dubai: Frenchman Philippe Chiappe will be eyeing an early birthday present as he prepares for a final assault in the pursuit of a maiden world crown at this weekend’s Sharjah Grand Prix – the fifth round of the F1 Powerboat World Championship.
Chiappe will turn 51 on December 21, two days after the final race of this season and will no doubt be looking to finish ahead of the two Qatar Team drivers Alex Carella and Shaun Torrente.
The drivers are locked in a three-way battle for individual honours as the race heads towards yet another mouth-watering finale on the Khalid Lagoon along the Buhairah Corniche of Sharjah on Thursday and Friday.
Representing the CTIC China Team, Chiappe holds a narrow three-point lead at the top of the drivers’ standings ahead of the Qatar Team duo of Carella and Torrente, who follow with 47 and 44 points respectively.
Since making his debut in 1998 at the French Championships, Chiappe will be competing in his 90th powerboat race. After 12 podium finishes in his career, including two second places and one win in Abu Dhabi last month, the Frenchman finds himself in a position to vie for the title itself.
Carella is in second overall with 47 points, while his Qatar teammate is close in third with 44 points. With just 20 points on offer to the winner of the race, the final round is bound to be a tussle for the top spot between these three talented drivers.
The team honours have already been wrapped up with Qatar Team reigning at the top with 91 points, thanks to the double assault from Carella and Torrente. The CTIC China team is in second with 55 points, while Mad-Croc Baba Racing team is in third with 37 points.
2014 has been an interesting season for the top three drivers. Chiappe won the fourth round in Abu Dhabi, but finished in second in the two Doha rounds along with a retirement in Liuzhou, China.
Carella started strongly winning on home waters in March and in Liuzhou in October before being disqualified for the third round in Doha followed by a fifth place in last month’s round in Abu Dhabi. His team-mate Torrente retired in the Doha opener, took a fourth place in China, won the third in Doha before finishing behind Chiappe in the UAE capital last month.
