CHINESE DUO CONFIRMED FOR SANDOWN F3 SUPERPRIX
TWO YOUNG CHINESE racing stars of the future will add further
international relevance to the final round of the Formula 3 Australian
Drivers Championship - The F3 SuperPrix - at Sandown next week.
18-year-old Zhang Shan Qi and 16-year-old Li Zhi Cong will drive a pair
of F304 Dallaras entered by R-Tek Motorsport, the Adelaide based team
that this year has run cars for Jesse Wakeman and Roger I'Anson.
Both young drivers are part of the PTRS Racing Team, a well known
Chinese-based operation that has run cars in Asian Formula Renault,
Formula 3 and other series.
Members of the PTRS team will be present at Sandown to work with with
the R-Tek crew in assisting their young proteges adapt to the rigours of
Formula 3 competition, as both drivers will be making their respective
F3 debuts at Sandown.
"I am very excited as it's going to be my first F3 race," Zhang Shan Qi
said.
"It is also going to be my first time visiting Australia so I'm very
much looking forward to it! I am grateful to have this opportunity to
take part in this great event in Australia and also the chance to be
able to race with the other drivers from different parts of the world.
"I will definitely do my best and try to gain as much experience as I
can for my future racing career."
Both Shan Qi and Cong have recent experience in the Asian Formula
Renault championship, giving them an ideal preparation for the step into
a more powerful Formula 3 car.
"Both drivers have got wings and slicks experience which will make the
transition easier for them at Sandown. From a team perspective we're
really looking forward to having the two guys join the team," R-Tek team
owner and F3 chairman Ian Richards said.
"The Formula 3 Australian Drivers' Championship has been working hard
this year to increase our penetration in the Asian market and the
response we have had for Sandown is remarkable. People are seeing
Australian Formula 3 as a cost-effective and competitive way to go
Formula 3 racing and the Sandown grid will be proof of that."
The Sandown F3 SuperPrix grid will now feature seven non-Australian
drivers, hailing from the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Indonesia and
China.
The international interest generated in the participation of the young
overseas stars has extended to major Chinese broadcaster CCTV 5 showing
an interest in covering the event, and the progress of their two
countrymen.
The final round of the Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship will
also feature an epic showdown between Tim Macrow and Joey Foster for the
CAMS Gold Star award and the Australian Drivers' Championship title.
For Macrow, it will be an opportunity to secure a second Gold Star
whilst Foster seeks his first crown and back-to-back titles for Team
BRM.
The Sandown F3 SuperPrix will be held over 22-laps of Sandown Raceway in
Melbourne on Sunday, November 29th, in a programme that also features
a 12-lap sprint and a Formula 1-style Knockout qualifying session on
Saturday.
-credit: formula3.com.au
