Porsche Carrera Cup Asia
Shanghai International Circuit, April 16-18, 2010
Qualifying – Round 1
Reigning Champion Takes Charge
Reigning Porsche Carrera Cup Asia champion Christian Menzel of Team StarChase threw down the gauntlet today to his fellow 22 competitors with a scorching, pole-setting qualifying lap of 2:07.725 at the 5.5km Shanghai International Circuit.
The German was the only driver to lap in less than two minutes, 8 seconds, with the second fastest on track two-time champion Darryl O’Young of Hong Kong.
The LKM Racing driver will line up alongside Menzel for the start of the opening round of the 2010 season.
The second row will see Red Bull Racing’s Marchy Lee of Hong Kong line up alongside Team PCS Racing’s Craig Baird.
Quickest in the Class B category, for non-professional drivers, was Singapore’s Mok Weng Sun of Team PCS Racing, with an impressive lap of 2:09.605. Mok will line up next to Team Jebsen’s Rodolfo Avila of Class A for the start of the first 12 lap race.
Team Kangshun’s Ringo Chong was second fastest by the end of the session, with series newcomer Francis Tjia of OpenRoad Racing third. Menzel has got his title defence off to an excellent start at the 2010 Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai, collecting one point for pole position: “My experience tells me that all points are important in this series. My car was very good, and this is a result of good team work. I enjoyed every minute.”
He set his fastest lap right at the start of the session, explaining: “From my experience, the first five minutes on track are very fast if the Formula 1 cars have been out just before.” However, he remained tight-lipped on his race strategy: “Don’t ask about strategy as it is changing moment by moment. And anyway, it’s a secret!”
For O’Young, this weekend is his first outing in the new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car having missed the official test last month. Despite several podium finishes, he is still chasing an elusive win on the Shanghai track: “To win here would be fantastic. It’s a tough circuit for me. The car feels quite different, with a lot more power. The grip seems to be a tough one this weekend too.”
Lee wrestled with setup this weekend, as well as preparing mentally after an 8-month hiatus from racing: “My race pace will be good, and the setup is OK now. It wasn’t good enough before, but starting from the second row is OK.”
With a bumper Class B field this season, the competition is fierce, and a heated rivalry is already developing between Mok and Chong. Said Mok: “I’m happy with my qualifying. I had a good first session, and then I came in to see how everything was going. When I saw Ringo doing well on an old set of tyres, I said to my mechanic, ‘put a new set of tyres on and let me go!’” It worked, and Mok improved on his best time.
Said friendly rival Chong: “Mok is getting too quick, so I guess I have to drive faster. Mok and I are going to try and keep up with the front group. The goal is to keep looking forward and not look back!”
Newcomer Francis Tjia impressed on his Porsche Carrera Cup Asia debut, and is looking forward to both the race and the season ahead: “It’s going to be a great year, and there’s always going to be someone to battle with. In my case it may be my brother (Christian) as he’s two positions behind me!”
Supporting the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia are two of the most recognised names in international motorsport, Mobil1 and Michelin. Mobil and Porsche have been partners since 1996. Close co-operation in research and development has led to every new Porsche engine being filled with Mobil1 high-performance lubricant. Porsche Carrera Cup Asia drivers also have the advantage of racing on cutting-edge tyres supplied by series partner Michelin. The consistent performance and leading technology of Michelin tyres constantly improve the performance of many teams in international motorsport.
The partnership between Michelin and the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia has emerged from a worldwide agreement signed between Porsche AG and the Michelin group. The Porsche Carrera Cup Asia is organised and promoted by Malaysian based Motorsport Asia Ltd.
Round 1 Qualifying
| Pos. | Comp No. | Driver | Cls | Entrant | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 99 | Christian MENZEL (GER) | A | Team StarChase (CHN) | 2:07.725 |
| 2 | 55 | Darryl O’YOUNG (HKG) | A | LKM Racing (HKG) | +0.292 |
| 3 | 38 | Marchy LEE (HKG) | A | Red Bull Racing (HKG) | +0.852 |
| 4 | 32 | Craig BAIRD (NZL) | A | Team PCS Racing (SIN) | +1.237 |
| 5 | 20 | Rodolfo AVILA (MAC) | A | Team Jebsen (HKG) | +1.550 |
| 6 | 33 | MOK Weng Sun (SIN) | B | Team PCS Racing (SIN) | +1.880 |
| 7 | 11 | Ringo CHONG (SIN) | B | Team Kangshun (CHN) | +3.061 |
| 8 | 21 | Francis TJIA (HKG) | B | OpenRoad Racing (HKG) | +3.527 |
| 9 | 5 | Yuey TAN Yuhian (SIN) | B | Wimobilize McElrea Racing Team (SIN) | +4.297 |
| 10 | 25 | Christian CHIA (CAN) | B | OpenRoad Racing (HKG) | +4.370 |
| 11 | 8 | Michael CHOI (HKG) | B | Dyna Ten Motorsport (TPE) | +4.846 |
| 12 | 7 | Jeffrey LEE (TPE) | B | Team Pauian Archiland (TPE) | +4.887 |
| 13 | 64 | Jean Marc MERLIN (FRA) | B | Team J2M Racing (FRA) | +5.522 |
| 14 | 16 | Wayne SHEN (HKG) | B | Modena Motorsports (HKG) | +5.554 |
| 15 | 12 | Morris KU (HKG) | B | Team DAYCRAFT (HKG) | +5.835 |
| 16 | 98 | Max CHEN* (TPE) | B | Max Chen (HKG) | +5.991 |
| 17 | 68 | MAK Hing Tak (HKG) | B | OMAK Team (HKG) | +7.194 |
| 18 | 2 | Kenneth LAU (HKG) | B | Dyna Ten Motorsport (HKG) | +8.092 |
| 19 | 28 | John SHEN (HKG) | B | Modena Motorsports (HKG) | +8.303 |
| 20 | 77 | Jacky YEUNG (HKG) | B | Jacky Yeung (HKG) | +8.422 |
| 21 | 18 | Marcel TJIA (HKG) | B | OpenRoad Racing (HKG) | +8.979 |
| 22 | 59 | Philip BRIANDET (SIN) | B | Shift2Neutral Racing (SIN) | +9.537 |
| 23 | 88 | Ross LAU (HKG)* | B | Ross Lau (HKG) | +13.247 |
*Non series registered
For information and images of Porsche Carrera Cups worldwide, including Asia, please visit www.porsche.com/carreracup
April 17, 2010. Issued by PR Plus Limited on behalf of Porsche Asia Pacific Pte Ltd. For further information please contact Nikki Kemp at PR Plus in Hong Kong on telephone (852)+25756995 or email: nikki@prplus.com.hk .