Veteran Roggiero joins F1 champion Sami Selio
Long time friends and work mates, Finnish world Formula 1 champion Sami Selio and Italian veteran driver Massimo Roggiero, are to join forces in this year’s Formula 1 series.
As leader of the Team Energy group, Selio will welcome Roggiero as his new teammate at the opening round of the 2008 championship, the Qatar Grand Prix on March 28 and 29.
“We have been working successfully with Massimo in the past and now we will become teammates,” says the 2007 Champion. “We will also combine our operations with Baba F1 Racing making us a “factory” team. The manufacturer’s title will therefore be a definite goal for us.”
Roggiero, who owns the Baba F1 boat factory, is excited about joining his old friend in 2008.
“The deal is fantastic. Sami Selio has developed into the best F1 boat driver in the world. This makes our cooperation even more solid. I believe he can easily win more championships in the years ahead,” said Massimo.
The veteran Roggiero with 101 career starts has a solid background as a driver having won three times in his career the first coming at the Grand Prix of Stresa, in his native Italy, back in 1998. Massimo has seven overall pole positions and did well in qualifying in his two appearances in 2007 with a sixth in Abu Dhabi and a third in Sharjah (UAE) in the final two starts of the year last month.
The team will be based out of the Baba factory in Busto Arsizio, Italy. Strategically located to both Melpensa Airport and Milan. An area of water for testing and quick evaluation of equipment is also close by.
The first test runs will take place in Italy at the end of January. Sami is expected to start the season with last year’s championship winning hull. A new, faster and lighter catamaran will be ready for the Grand Prix of Portugal in Portimao in early May.
