For the tenth F1 Boat Grand Prix of Qatar, on 10 March in Doha, Philippe Chiappe had to contend with serious competition, with in particular the return to the starting grid of twice world champion Sami Selio who had recovered from his serious accident of last October in China. The French driver of team CTIC China, for which Motul provides its technical support, secured a sixth place in the trials, pole position being held by the fighting fit Ahmed Al Hameli, covering the 2 km of the circuit at an average of 160 km/h. Right from the beginning, Ahmed took the lead ahead of Sami Selio, Philippe Chiappe managing to settle into fourth place. But on the 39th lap, Philippe pulled off one of the best manoeuvres of his latest races by managing to pass two drivers in one go, which brought him to second place which he kept to the finish.
This is his best position since his beginnings in F1 Boat, after his second place in China in 2010. 'I was extremely pleased with my Moore today,' commented Philippe. 'It performed really smoothly and I was lucky to pass Shaun and Sami at the end. That was one of the most exciting moments of my career!'
With this magnificent beginning of the season, Philippe Chiappe and team CTIC China have bagged 15 precious points towards the championship total, the next event being held in Kazan, Russia, on 23 and 24 June.
F1 Boat Standings
01// Ahmed Al Hameli (Baba Mercury) - 20 pts
02// Philippe Chiappe (Moore Mercury) - 15 pts Motul
03// Sami Selio (Baba Mercury) - 12 pts
04// Shaun Torrente (Gran Prix Mercury) - 9 pts
