TCR China and TCR Asia met for the first time this weekend (26-27 August) at Shanghai International Circuit with 20 top class-drivers from the region racing together for the first time together.
With Teamwork regular Paul Poon unable to compete this weekend, Former WTCC and Formula E driver Qing Hua Ma stepped in to join the team.
Qualifying saw the team firmly in the top eight with the Grantt VW Golf TCRs. Alex Hui lead the way in the first round of qualifying with the third fastest time followed by Alex Fung and Felipe Souza in sixth and eighth respectively. This translated to second, third and fifth in the TCR China category.
The second round of qualifying saw Sunny Wong third overall from Hsieh and Hui in fifth and seventh. First, third and fifth in the Chinese class.
The opening race of the weekend took place in cool conditions and saw Alex Fung make a great start to vault third by the first turn. Alex Hui meanwhile lost ground with a clutch problem. Even more unfortunate was the former CTCC driver, who was taken out by a competitor at the end of the long back straight resulting severe damage and had to retire on lap two. Meanwhile Fung and Souza were dicing and chasing each other among front-runner, eventually finished in overall sixth and seventh, third and fourth in the TCR China class.
The second round on Sunday morning proved to be a thriller with Sunny Wong on TCR China Pole, Samuel Hsieh and Alex Hui in third and fifth in class. All three made good starts with the two Team Engstler cars from the Asia series were leading overall with Andy Yan was leading in the China series, closely followed by Sunny Wong and Samuel Hsieh and Alex Hui just a couple positions behind.
The battle behind Yan’s Audi featuring Wong and Hsieh proved intense and on lap five they all arrived at the hairpin together resulting in Yan and Hsieh getting together. Wong found his opportunity to pass both cars and ultimately brought home Teamwork’s first TCR China win. Hui worked his way up the order and finished right behind Wong. Hsieh meanwhile was forced to retire with radiator damage.
The third and final race saw #62 Alex Fung start from Pole and #31 Alex Hui in fifth. The #26 car was unable to start due to damage.
Intense battles and multiple positions changes in the first half of the race saw the #31 moved up to P4 but #62 dropped down the order to fifth. After the drivers change, both Teamwork Grantt VW TCR successfully undercut couple cars and moved up to second and third. Qing Hua Ma was on the pace and quickly caught the leading car but out of time to make the move, had to be content with second position, just 1.5s shy of the race winner. Wong completed the podium in the #62 entry.
After the second round of TCR China, Teamwork currently stand second in the Teams’ Championship and first and fourth for the #62 & #31 in the drivers’ standings. The third round of the championship will be held in Zhejiang, on 6-8 October.