Teamwork Motorsport narrowly missed out on a podium finish in what was a hugely encouraging debut in the new-for-2016 TCR Asia Series at the Korea International Circuit (14-15 May).
Teamwork Motorsport started its newest programme in the TCR Asia Series with cooperation from Revo Technik and a new and experienced driver line-up consisting of Kevin Tse and Bill O’Brien, and the outfit possessed a great speed throughout the weekend in South Korea.
Pace in free practice was carried into the two-part qualifying session, where the strategy was to breeze through Q1 on worn tyres and reserve the fresh rubber for Q2.
Both Tse and O’Brien did just that and the former was quick to set a fast lap for provisional pole position, before being demoted to P2 in the final classification by Thailand’s Tin Sritrai.
O’Brien, meanwhile, was satisfied in eighth, aware that it would translate into the race two reversed grid pole, but the position was lost at the very last minute and, with no time to respond, the Teamwork driver was resigned to P9.
Round 1 of the newly inaugurated TCR Asia Series started in cool and sunny conditions and a solid getaway from the front row saw Tse take the initiative on the inside line into Turn 1, while poleman, Sritrai attempted to fend off the advancing Andy Yan on the outside.
However, Tse span out of the lead later on the opening lap and faced an uphill battle back through the field, as O’Brien attempted to recover ground lost when he stalled on the grid.
At the mid-point of the race, Tse was sixth and closing in on the top five, but the gap was unbridgeable in the time remaining and he held position to take the chequered flag as the highest-placed Teamwork Motorsport driver, while O’Brien finished on the cusp of the top ten in P11.
The top eight qualifiers were reversed for Round 2, therefore Tse and O’Brien started seventh and ninth respectively.
Good starts by both Teamwork drivers allowed them get right in the thick of some interesting fights. Tse was in P4 and shadowing the top three by the fourth lap, sitting and waiting for an opportunity, but the Macanese driver would remain in position to win the Amateur driver award, while O’Brien rounded out the top ten.
The TCR Asia Series moves on to the Chang International Circuit in Buriram, Thailand on 11-12 June.