Guido Cappellini eyes glory for Team Abu Dhabi and tips Thani Al Qamzi to be a world champion

Cappellini was appointed the manager earlier this year and says his goal was to prepare the two drivers to win the world team title this year and aim for the drivers’ title next year.

Team Abu Dhabi will be racing on their home turf with the F1 Grand Prix race scheduled for Friday at the Abu Dhabi Breakwater. Raffaello Bastiani / H2O Racing

ABU DHABI // What Guido Cappellini could not achieve as a powerboat driver he now wants to accomplish as a manager: to win both the team and drivers’ UIM F1 H2O World Championship titles for Team Abu Dhabi.

The Italian won the F1 title a record 10 times from 1993 to 2005 before he retired in 2013.

Cappellini was appointed the manager of Team Abu Dhabi earlier this year and says his goal was to prepare the two drivers – Emirati Thani Al Qamzi and Italian Alex Carella – to win the world team title this year and aim for the drivers’ title next year. The Italian had just 20 days to prepare for the opening race of the series in Qatar on March 14.

“I am happy with the progress we have made since we got together to prepare a strong new team,” Cappellini said yesterday at the pre-race news conference to announce Friday’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the penultimate leg of the series. “For me, Team Abu Dhabi is a big player in the F1 circuit. As a driver, I won five Abu Dhabi grands prix races, but unfortunately I couldn’t win for them as a driver, even though I was willing to race for them.

“Now I have been provided with the opportunity and will give all my energy to push very, very hard to win it for them as a manager.

“This is my first year and we are not 100 per cent because it’s not easy to prepare a winning formula in a short time. However, I must say our level is very good and the goal is to win the world team title this year and the world drivers’ title next year.”

Carella has twice won in Abu Dhabi while racing for Team Qatar but Al Qamzi has yet to win on home waters.

The Emirati is one of the most experienced drivers on the circuit having raced for 15 years. He is among the nine drivers in with a chance to win the world title with two races remaining, at Abu Dhabi and Sharjah on December 18.

“Thani rode an excellent last race to finish second in China and I strongly believe he can get close in ending the drought in Abu Dhabi,” Cappellini said, adding that “he has all the potential to become the world champion, if not this year, perhaps next year.”

Al Qamzi has raced against Cappellini several times in the past and now enjoys working under the Italian. “You can’t get anyone better than Guido for motivation,” he said. “You only need to look at his record as a driver.

“His record is incredible. I think Team Abu Dhabi has finally go the winning formula together. I have finished second and third in Abu Dhabi previously and, God willing, I will try to win this time for Guido.”

There are 40 points on offer to the winner of both the events in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. Technically, there are nine drivers with an opportunity of winning the world title. The Frenchman Philippe Chiappe leads the points table on 55 followed by American Shaun Torrente (39), Youssef Al Rubayan of Kuwait (36), Swedes Jonas Andersson (29) and Erik Stark (27), Al Qamzi (20), Finland’s Filip Roms (19), and Carella (19).

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