Cantando's Grand Prix of Austria victory was his second consecutive win in the UIM Formula One series.

Cantando's Grand Prix of Austria victory was his second consecutive win in the UIM Formula One series.



VIENNA, Austria — Francesco Cantando of Milan, Italy, driving his Mercury 2.5 Liter F-1 race outboard-powered DAC tunnel boat, won the Grand Prix of Austria September 9 on the Danube River. The race was round eight of the 2001 Union Internationale Motonautique Formula 1 World Championship series. The win, Contando's second consecutive victory on the Formula One circuit, moves him ahead of fellow Italian Guido Cappellini to lead the series points chase.

Rough water conditions and a strong current, forced race officials to employ a rolling start rather than a dock start, which is standard for the series. Cantando passed Cappellini at the end of the first straightaway and led the 24-boat field before the first of many yellow caution flags came out a few laps later.

Cappellini, coming into the championship with 92 points, was disqualified after taking out both turn buoys at the eastern most part of course. With the race under a caution flag, U.I.M. officials elected to shorten the course by eliminating the corner.

Cantando again took the lead on the restart and held off current World Champion Scott Gillman of the U.S. by three seconds. He then increased his lead to five seconds as Gillman, lead driver of the Emirates Team, did his best to stay with him.

Latvian driver Victor Kunitch, along with Swedish driver Jari Hankala, were closing on Gillman before the American got caught up and took out the last turn on the front straightaway. Gillman, like Cappellini, was immediately disqualified for eliminating the turn and both buoys. Gillman, who has had the worst season of his 16-year career, has managed to finish only two out of eight races this year.

Contando crossed the finish line first, completing the 45-lap race in 73:26:29. Victor Kunitch finished second Jari Honkala took third.

The 2001 U.I.M. Formula 1 World Championship for power boating continues its 20th anniversary season as it moves on to Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, October 12.