TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK

DOHA TEAM Qatar’s Khalid Saleh al Shamlan and Khalid Abdullah al Kuwari are making their final preparations for this weekend’s F1 H20 Nations Cup race, according to reports coming from Khor Fakkan in the UAE.

The brainchild of H20 Racing, the promoters of the UIM F1 H20 World Championship, the Nations Cup was born last November with a successful first race in Singapore’s Marina Bay and this weekend’s Khor Fakkan race meeting is the first of two or three similar events planned for the 2012 season.

Shamlan and Kuwari finished second and third in Singapore, but Team Qatar was pipped to the Nations Cup title by Team Abu Dhabi’s Ahmed al Hameli and Majed al Mansoori, courtesy of their first and fourth places.

Qatar’s main Emirati rivals field a revised driver line-up for the Khor Fakkan race, with Rashid al Tayer teaming up with his Class One racing partner al Mansoori to provide the strongest threat to the Qatar challenge, according to Khalid Bin Arhama al Kuwari, head of formula racing at the Qatar Marine Sports Federation (QMSF).

“The Nations Cup is a great opportunity to prepare drivers who may go into F1 in the future,” said Kuwari,.

The two sprint races are scheduled on Friday afternoon.

“Our drivers were both on the podium in Singapore and I am confident that they can go even better this weekend.

Normally drivers are racing for themselves, but the format of the Nations Cup means that they are representing their country. That puts a greater responsibility on their shoulders to perform and achieve success.”