FORMULA 1 - VICTORY AND STRONG SWEDISH EFFORTS IN CHINA

The Swedish Formula 1 drivers Jonas Andersson and Erik Stark put in fantastic efforts in this weekend's competition in China and hold first and second place in the World Championship table in boat racing's Formula 1.

The Grand Prix of Zhengzhou 2023 was a great success for Jonas Andersson who mastered the messy conditions on the Huang He (Yellow River) better than anyone else. First by capturing pole position in Saturday's qualifying. Then by keeping all 19 competitors behind all the way from start to finish on Sunday.

 

The victory in China was Andersson's eleventh in a race where Erik Stark also had a great performance and a run from twelfth to fourth place. This after a rough start to the competition weekend, to say the least, with fever, cough and engine trouble.

 

- The engine lost power and I didn't have much to contend with in qualifying. It became a tough struggle for the team to first find the error and then fix it. After a heroic effort with work all night until the day of the competition, we still managed to get to the start, says Erik Stark.

 

Stark got off to a good start and picked up placement after placement. After 38 laps, he had passed no less than eight boats. Something that does not belong to the usual in the context of Formula 1.

 

- I felt early on that there was good speed in the stuff and I have probably never driven better than this. Everything was correct with propeller selection and set-up in general. Then I wanted to take revenge after a miserable qualification, says Erik Stark.

 

With Andersson's victory and Stark's fourth place, the Swedes climb up to a first and a second place in the hunt for the World champion title in Formula 1. Third in the table is the Polish veteran Bartek Marszalek, who took his first victory in the season opener in Indonesia in February but was forced to retire In China.

 

Reigning world champion Shaun Torrente (Team Abu Dhabi) grabbed second place and is now fourth overall in the table.

 

Next up is the Grand Prix of France in Macon on June 30 - July 2.