But it's bad luck for the defending champion, as Selio loses prop six laps from finish
American Jay Price, competing under the Qatar flag, chased down defending world champion Sami Selio from Finland to win the opening round of this year’s Formula 1 World Series on Doha Bay in Qatar on Saturday.
Selio, who started in pole position, stayed ahead of Price by a margin of between one to two seconds until his propeller failed.
He ended his day in disappointment while the crowd of thousands cheered the Qatar drivers for a great start to a ten-month long season.
“We hounded Sami all day and were never going to give up,” said Price. “True, bad luck for Sami but racing works that way, sometimes it’s your day.”
For the Mad Croc Team, Selio couldn’t believe his bad luck: “I was coming into the third corner with less than six laps to run when my engine suddenly stopped.”
“When we pulled the boat out of the water the propeller shaft was gone.”
Racing now shifts to Europe for one of the most anticipated grand prix of the year in Portimao.
