Aidan Read got his 2016 season off to a promising start, as the 17-year old from Perth in Western Australia took his Eurasia Motorsport-prepared single-seater to a fourth and a pair of third-place finishes in the opening round of the Formula Masters China Series (FMCS) at the Shanghai International Circuit (21-22 May).
Returning for a second full season in the FMCS and hoping to make a title challenge in his burgeoning single-seater career, the young Australian showed he has taken a step forward from last year by surging to the top of the timesheets in practice, held in dry conditions.
In contrast, Read struggled to maintain his pace in a wet qualifying session, but still posted times good enough for fourth and third on the grid for the weekend’s two main races, giving him the prospect of achieving decent results.
The wet conditions remained for race one on Saturday (21 May) and the spray from the open-wheelers was immense as Read battled through to second place at the start, before struggling for grip compared to his closest rivals and slipped back to fourth spot at the flag.
Race two – a shorter sprint race – saw Read line-up fifth on a grid determined by the lap times set in the first FMCS encounter, but the Aussie teenager showed well and passed race one winner Kim and regular frontrunner Zheng to run third and achieve his first podium of the 2016 season proper,
The final race, held over 12 laps, proved to be a hard-fought affair. Starting third, Read held position at the start, but fell back into the clutches of Phillip Hamprecht, only to pass Kim once again and step back into the podium places.
“It has been a very useful couple of days of racing in Shanghai,” said Read. “The inconsistent nature of the weather and track conditions required an ability to adapt quickly. In such a competitive environment, this is very challenging and important for developing further race experience. I’m happy with the results, with two podiums and solid points, and I’m looking forward to my next outing.”
A brand new challenge now beckons for Read, who heads straight to Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit with mentor and driver coach, Oliver Gavin – a five-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner – to race an LMP3 prototype for the first round of the all-new Asian Le Mans Sprint Cup (27-29 May).
A new concept by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, the Asian Le Mans Sprint Cup encompasses three rounds at the Sepang International Circuit – the home of the Formula 1 Malaysian Grand Prix, where Read has enjoyed considerable success in the past, most notably achieving a triple win in the FMCS Winter Series earlier this year.
The switch to LMP machinery is part of an ongoing development process, mapped out for Read to gain experience in a variety of different formulas in one-off outings, rather than full championship campaigns.
“I’m very excited about competing in the Asian Le Mans Sprint Cup with Eurasia Motorsport at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia,” said Read. “I will be driving in the LMP3 category and I see this as a great chance to expand my understanding of motorsport in the GT/LMP endurance racing arena. I’m looking forward to returning to Sepang after it was resurfaced and using my skills and track knowledge to make the most of this opportunity.”