Aussie David Trask Third At Sharjah F1 GP

Brisbane Formula 1 driver David Trask has finished the 2007 UIM F1 World Championship on a strong note by taking third outright in the Sharjah GP.  The Trask Development Corporation driver cross the line just 8 seconds behind the winner, after 50 gruelling laps.

Coming off a spectacular crash in the Abu Dhabi GP round just one week prior, the Trask Development Corporation team summoned all of their resources in a Herculean effort to take three broken boats to get two race units to the start dock.
                   
“We had spent a full month racing the F1 circuit through the Middle East,” said Bob Trask of the Trask Development Corporation team.  “Both Dave and I sustained serious hull damage to our boats through the lead up rounds.  The situation was so bad that we flew in boat builders from GTR Race Boats in Brisbane, to get our team back into shape.”

As it turned out the effort paid handsome dividends.

In qualifying David Trask once again reached the top six shootout to eventually start the Sharjah round in pole position five.  Bob who scored points at the Abu Dhabi round again did well in qualifying to take pole position number twelve in a field of some twenty six F1 powerboats.

When the lights turned from red to green to start the Sharjah GP, Dave Trask was right up the front of the pack asserting himself alongside the best Formula 1 drivers in the world.

Starting midfield Bob Trask had traffic all around him right from the start.  Italian driver Fabrizio Bocca literally drove across the top of Bob Trask on the opening lap, with the result that Bocca’s boat barrel rolled out of the event.  The damage to Bob’s boat not only slowed him but eventually forced his retirement on lap 16.

This left David Trask to fly the Trask Development Corporation team flag.  At various stages through the 50 lap GP, David held down second place and at times moved back to fifth.   An inspiring drive saw David remain at the front of the pack when it counted to eventually come home in third position and take his place on the podium.

“This was one tough race,” David said from the podium. 

“I had to work really overtime to achieve this result in a boat the crew worked so hard to get to the start line.  To have finished with our busted up, patched up team was one thing.  But to be on the podium once again proves that we Aussies have the equipment, hulls and talent to match it with the best in the Formula 1 world.”

At the conclusion of the 2007 UIM F1 World Championship, the Trask brothers once again improved on their previous results.  David finished 7th on the Drivers World Championship Points table while Bob was in 19th place.

“As we consistently get closer to the front of the pack, we gain a clearer picture of what has to be done to win a World Championship,” Bob Trask said. 

“We have to be a little faster, but more importantly we have to be consistent.  World Champion Sami Selo from Finland scored points in every round of the 2007 series – he was the only driver to do so and as a result he is World Champion.”

“Over the coming months we have refinements to make to our Brisbane built GTR race hulls and we will be looking for more power and better propeller performance.  We will continue to test and we will race the Australian F1 series to keep ourselves in top racing tune.”

“Dave and I can’t wait for the 2008 series to roll on,” Bob Trask concluded.