Press Conference - R-L - Nasser Khalifa Al Attiya - Nina Prinz- Niki Kovacs- Paola Cazzola

Doha, Nov 10th 2011 – Qatar Motor & Motorcycle Federation presented the two teams that will take part in Doha 8hours, QERT I & QERT II. This edition of 8Hours is very important and has a lot of significance as it will be the first time that a team is 100% formed by women riders taking part in such a race.

With the support of the FIM ‘Women in Motorcycling’ Commission, the Qatar Endurance Racing Team entered an extra team, composed with 3 female riders alongside their regular team. The QERT Suzuki # 96 motorcycle has three
European women, with German rider Nina Prinz who has proven herself in the IDM, the International German Superbike championship, as well as in the European Superstock Women’s Championship. Prinz has the support from Italian Paola Cazzola who has also made a strong impression in the European Superstock Women’s Championship as well as in the ‘Feminine Italian Championship’. Hungarian lady, Nikolett Kovacs performed well enough in the European Supersport Championship to receive a wild-card ride for the World
Supersport championship round in Misano.

With the technical support of the regular QERT team, the feminine trio obtained the 22nd best time on the provisional starting grid. ‘’I love the Losail racetrack”, said Nina Prinz, “but none of us knew the track so we can only improve our lap times tomorrow”. When asked about the difficulties of an 8 Hour race for a
woman, Paola Cazzola replied “…for this kind of race, the mental strength is as important as the physical strength”and “…this adventure is important for all women riders”, added Nikolett Kovacs, “…and our target is to reach the end of the race”.

In the press conference held this afternoon at Losail International Circuit a part from the riders and Mr. Nasser Khalifa Al Attiya, there were also the presence of FIM Women Commission:  Mrs. Brigitte Zufferey, as FIM Women commission Coordinator and Mrs. Marielou Cruz and Mrs. Andrea Zolyomi also from FIM Women Commission.

Hungarian rider Nikolett Kovacs

Mr. Nasser Khalifa Al Attiya, QMMF President and LIC General Manager, is very pleased to have the two teams in the Doha round and it is a dream for QMMF and the family of motorsport to have a female team competing in this international championship.

“I hope there is a tomorrow for women riders and not only this event. I will continue to promote the motorsport in women riders and I will do my best to take women riding sport to a higher level”, expressed Brigitte Zufferey, FIM Women Commission Coordinator.

All three women riders are very excited towards this race and for this opportunity that QMMF has given them. “I like the track very much and it matches my riding style. I hope to have good results and take the QMMF flag very high” the German rider Nina Prinz stated at the conference.

German rider Nina Prinz

Niki Kovacz thinks that this is a good opportunity for all the team and all female riders to take part in this race and her target is to finish the race as she knows that finishing a endurance race is a big result.

” I think I can finish the race and the most important factor in a endurance race is the brain power rather than the strength or physical fitness. We will have a technical meeting to see how we will face the race and I think we will do shifts of 40-45 minutes each rider,” Paola Cazzola said in the conference.

The Qualifying practice 2 will be tomorrow Friday 11th from 10:00 to 11:50.