Guido Cappellini

Guido Cappellini (born 7 September 1959 in Mariano Comense) is an Italian motorboat racer and the most successful driver of all time in the F1 Powerboat World Championship, with ten world titles.[1][2] He has also raced in other classes of boat racing, notably the Class 1 offshore championship, since his retirement from Formula 1 at the end of 2009.[3]

Guido Cappellini
NationalityItalian
Born (1959-09-07) September 7, 1959
Mariano Comense, Italy
Retired2009
F1 Powerboat World Championship
Years active1990-2009
TeamsDAC Racing
Best finish1st in 1993-96, 1999, 2001-03, 2005, 2009
Previous series
1986-89
1985
1983
FONDA Formula Grand Prix
Formula 3 World Championship
S850 Class

Career

Cappellini began his motorsport career not in a boat, but on four wheels, racing in karts. In 1981 he won the 135cc Italian Championship, and repeated the feat in 1982, alongside victory in the 135cc European Championship as well. During 1982, Cappellini was given the chance to try out a Dallara-Toyota Formula 3 car and took pole position in his first race, showing real promise. However, in 1983 he made the switch to boats, and in the 100 Miglia del Lario that year, he took victory in the S850 class. Cappellini also triumphed in the F3 Inshore category at the Six Hours of Paris in 1983, and in 1985 he finished fifth overall in the F3 Inshore World Championship.

FONDA Formula Grand Prix

Making his debut in the Formula Grand Prix series in 1986, Cappellini started off driving a Mercury-engined Molinari hull, and during the year enjoyed a best result of two fourth-place finishes in Hanover and Singapore. Whilst Formula 1 disappeared as a world championship and moved entirely to the United States, Cappellini continued to compete at the top level in Europe with DAC Racing, the factory team of the DAC hull manufacturing business. In 1987, a third place in Miami brought Guido his first ever podium and in 1988 he scored three second-place finishes at Augusta, Dublin and Singapore, ultimately finishing the year fourth overall in the final standings. 1989 would bring Cappellini his first race victory in the series, in Italy, at the race in Como.

Formula 1

Further victories would follow for the Italian in 1990 at Budapest as the Formula Grand Prix series was renamed the Formula 1 World Championship, and in 1991 at Penang. Guido was narrowly beaten to the title in 1992 with a much-improved boat, as fellow Italian Fabrizio Bocca pipped him to the championship. For Cappellini though, things could only improve. From 1993 to 1996 he took four straight F1 drivers' titles, a record that has yet to be matched. Another title would follow in 1999, before Guido once again asserted his dominance over the sport, winning another three championships in a row from 2001 to 2003. During this time Cappellini's main rival was Scott Gilman, and over the following seasons the two would share in the success, with Gillman winning in 2004, Cappellini taking his ninth title, and 50th career victory, in 2005,[4] and then Gillman winning once again in 2006. From this point Cappellini's form began to decline somewhat within the sport, as other drivers came to the fore, such as Sami Seliö and Jay Price. But, determined to secure an unprecedented tenth world title, Cappellini persisted, and secured it in style with an excellent run of form in the second half of the 2009 season, overcoming Seliö, Price, Thani Al Qamzi and early frontrunner Jonas Andersson.[2] With his milestone secure, Cappellini declared he would be retiring from F1, and turned his focus to other classes on the water.[3]

Later life

Following his retirement from F1, Cappellini moved to the Class 1 offshore category and became team manager for the DAC Racing team, which runs boat No.74. Beginning in 2010, Guido has enjoyed moderate success within the class, though for 2013 has stepped aside from driving duties, with Tomaso Polli taking over, due to a dispute over technical regulations, with Cappellini stating that when the rules are even for all the teams, he will gladly re-enter the cockpit.[5]

Racing record

Complete Formula 1 Powerboat World Championship results

Year Entrant Hull Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 WDC Points
1993 Laserline DAC Mercury 2l THA
1
ABU
11
ITA
2
FRA
2
GBR
3
ITA
2
HUN
1
THA
2
ABU
Ret
1st 133
1994 Laserline DAC Mercury 2l HUN
Ret
ITA
2
FRA
2
GBR
3
ITA
1
MAL
3
THA
2
ABU
9
1st 108
1995 Laserline-Castrol DAC Mercury 2l ITA
Ret
HUN
2
GER
2
FRA
1
RUS
1
ITA
2
CHN
1
ABU
9
1st 107
1996 Laserline-Castrol DAC Mercury 2l ITA
1
HUN
1
RUS
1
FRA
1
GRE
1
CHN
1
ITA
13
ITA
1
ABU
1
1st 160
1997 DAC Racing DAC Mercury 2l HUN
2
RUS
DSQ
FRA
2
GRE
Ret
ITA
2
RUS
1
ITA
1
CHN
3
ABU
13
3rd 97
1998 Laserline Racing DAC Mercury 2l ITA
1
RUS
Ret
FRA
1
FIN
Ret
GRE
1
ITA
Ret
HUN
4
RUS
3
ABU
Ret
2nd 81
1999 Laserline Racing DAC Mercury 2l POR
1
ITA
1
RUS
C2
FRA
1
HUN
1
RUS
2
TUR
23
AUT
14
ABU
1
1st 130
2000 Laserline Castrol Racing DAC Mercury 2.5l POR
1
BEL
1
HUN
1
LAT
Ret
FRA
1
ITA
Ret
POL
DNS
BUL
DNS5
TUR
1
ITA
1
AUT SHA ABU
2
3rd 135
2001 Assicom Team DAC Mercury 2.5l MAL
Ret
POR
1
HUN
1
LAT
1
ITA
1
ITA
Ret
GER
3
AUT
DSQ
SHA
1
ABU
5
1st 119
2002 Zepter Team DAC Mercury 2.5l POR
1
ITA
1
FIN
Ret
HUN
1
ITA
1
GER
1
MAL
2
IRE
2
SHA
DSQ
ABU
Ret
1st 130
2003 Zepter Team DAC Mercury 2.5l POR
1
FIN
2
ITA
1
GER
Ret
MAL
2
SIN
2
SHA
Ret
ABU
3
1st 97
2004 Tamoil F1 Team DAC Mercury 2.5l IND
2
KSA
4
POR
4
ITA
Ret
ITA
1
CHN
2
SIN
Ret
MAL
Ret
KOR
26
SHA
Ret
4th 68
2005 Tamoil F1 Team DAC Mercury 2.5l POR
1
ITA
1
SIN
Ret
QAT
1
ABU
3
SHA
1
1st 92
2006 Tamoil F1 Team DAC Mercury 2.5l QAT
Ret
POR
1
ITA
1
CHN
6
ABU
1
SHA
Ret
2nd 65
2007 Tamoil F1 Team DAC Mercury 2.5l POR
2
FRA
Ret
CHN
2
CHN
1
QAT
2
QAT
1
ABU
2
SHA
Ret
2nd 100
2008 Tamoil F1 Team DAC Mercury 2.5l QAT
5
POR
Ret
FIN
1
RUS
Ret
CHN
Ret
CHN ABU
Ret
SHA
Ret
10th 27
2009 Zepter Team DAC Mercury 2.5l POR
1
10
POR
2
Ret
FIN
1
1
FIN
2
4
RUS
1
Ret
RUS
2

Ret
CHN
1
7
CHN
2
2
CHN
1
1
CHN
2
Ret
QAT
1
1
QAT
2

1
ABU
1
1
ABU
2
Ret
SHA
1
3
SHA
2

3
1st 153
  • ^1 The first 1993 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi was halted after less than half distance following two separate crashes, one of which claimed the life of John Hill. Half points were awarded.
  • ^2 The 1999 Grand Prix of Russia was halted after 12 laps with results annulled and no points awarded.
  • ^3 The starting grid for the 1999 Grand Prix of Turkey was formed on the basis of current championship standings following the İzmit earthquake, with the race held as planned on Sunday 22 August.
  • ^4 The 1999 Grand Prix of Austria was stopped after seven laps, with the results taken from the completion of the seventh lap, and no points awarded.
  • ^5 The 2000 Grand Prix of Bulgaria was declared null and void following drivers' protests after the qualifying session that the course was too narrow and the water too shallow to be safe enough to race on. The race was declared an exhibition race and those drivers who hadn't lodged protests agreed to take part, with no World Championship points awarded.
  • ^6 The 2004 Grand Prix of Korea was run under the 'match race' format, and the event thus did not count towards the final championship standings and no points were awarded.

Career summary

Season Win Pod Pole Plcd
19931st
19941st
19951st
19961st
19973rd
19982nd
19991st
20003rd
20011st
20025471st
20032661st
20041331st
20054351st
20063332nd

Class 1 results

YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventNotes
2010 Offshore powerboat racing Stresa 2nd Race 1
2nd Race 2
Offshore powerboat racing Rio de Janeiro 3rd Race 2
Offshore powerboat racing Uddevalla 3rd Race 1
Offshore powerboat racing Dubai 3rd Race 2
2011 Offshore powerboat racing Cernobbio 2nd Race 2

See also

References

  1. "World Powerboating Champions". hickoksports.com. Archived from the original on 17 May 2012. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
  2. "Cappellini's late Charge Leads to 10th World Title!!". F1H2O. 31 December 2009. Retrieved 21 March 2013.
  3. "Cappellini announces his retirement from the F1H2O World Championship". F1H2O. 9 April 2010. Retrieved 21 March 2013.
  4. "Cappellini Captures 50th Career Win In Sharjah". F1H2O. 16 December 2005. Retrieved 21 March 2013.
  5. "TOMASO POLLI STEPS IN FOR GUIDO CAPPELLINI". Class 1 Promotion. 14 March 2013. Retrieved 21 March 2013.
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