Young Australian Racer Aidan Read concluded the Formula Masters China Series 2016 with three dominant victories at the Penbay International Circuit in Taiwan (16th, October 2016) and celebrated in style by emulating fellow Perth racer Daniel Ricciardo with the Australians signature celebration, the podium “shoey”.
Aidan’s performance was nothing short of perfect as he notched up his ninth series victory of the year from 16 starts to narrowly miss out on the Championship to rival Phillip Hamprecht by just 10 points.
This season has marked a major step forward in Aidan’s driving career as he balanced a final year of schooling with International Racing to good effect, with a concerted championship challenge and exceptional academic results.
Read’s 2016 FMCS campaign saw him take victories in China, Thailand, Malaysia and now Taiwan in the pan-Asian Championship that has been a proving ground for young talent, not just from Asia but from Australasia and Europe, spurning talents such as Antonio Giovanazzi (leader of the current GP2 Championship) and Mathéo Tuscher (on the cusp of an LMP1 championship in WEC).
“I was surprised to find out this morning that Philip (Hamprecht) wasn’t going to be starting. It’s a bit unfortunate. I thought it would have been another good battle as we’ve got the speed to win in all circumstances” a delighted Read said on his Penbay triple win. “I am really happy that I have taken double and triple wins both here and in Sepang, it’s perfect!
“It’s a real credit to the Eurasia team. I’ve been racing with them for two years now. I’ve progressed with them from being a real freshman with little experience to now, where I am winning by 18 seconds, driving some of the best races of my life. It’s a credit to them and a credit to the series as well. There is no better way to end this season, winning like that. It’s a great feeling!”
Team Manager of Eurasia Motorsport, whom Aidan drove this campaign for added “Aidan has come on a tremendous amount this season and has matured as a racing driver, which has been evident by his dominance in the series, winning the last 6 races. I am sure he has a very successful future ahead of him and look forward to having him back in a Eurasia car in the near future”
Aidan will now return to Australia to work on 2017 racing plans that will dovetail with the start of his University Engineering studies, but hopes to expand his racing experience and success with further outings in Prototype and GT racing machinery.