Sharjah’s F1 team to participate in first World Championship in Saudi
sharjah — Sharjah F1 powerboat team will represent the Emirate in international tournaments the Sharjah International Marine Club announced. The team will participate in the 2019 season of the F1 and F4 World Championships in eight rounds being held in Dammam, Saudi Arabia from March 28-30.
This will be followed by a tour in Portugal from May 17-19 and the third in France from July 5-7. The team will then follow the worldclass races in China, India and other countries and conclude their tours in Sharjah from Dec. 18-21.
Ali Salem Al Midfa, Chairman of Sharjah International Marine Sports Club, said that the formation of the Sharjah Formula One team is in line with the strategic objectives of the Government of Sharjah in terms of sports and youth activities.
“The formation of teams for sports that align with Sharjah’s values and aspirations supports the Emirate’s goal of achieving excellence in sports and establishing its presence in global forums,” he said.
For his part, Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Vice-Chairman of SIMC, pointed to the Emirate’s stellar record of hosting the Formula One World Championship, for nearly two decades. The annual championship every year attracts top international champions, as well as local and international tourists to the Emirate.
Ahmed Al Hosani, Director of the SIMC, said that the Sharjah F1 team consists of 25 members including technicians and other support staff. He said that 20 persons are participating in F1 while 10 persons are participating in F2.
Sharjah’s Formula One team is led by Finn Sami Celio, who has more than 21 years of F1 racing experience and has twice been the world champion. Celio has confirmed the readiness of the Sharjah squad, which includes world-class racing professionals with more than 30 years of experience.
Referring to what the technical team possesses of advanced equipment for boats and engines, he said that the team has 10 F1 engines, each with 400 horsepower, four F2 engines, with 200hp each.