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Round 12

Sunday, 18 October 2009

Autopolis International Circuit, Japan

Hammam Claims the Championship on the Final Lap

In a nail biting ending to the GT3 Asia 2009 season, the Championship was won and lost right on the final lap of Round 12. Melvin Choo claimed another spectacular win, this time from pole to flag and was followed across the finish line by Siu Yuk Lung and Tunku Hammam.

Choo drove a clean and consistent race and was rewarded with his second win of the weekend. The Singaporean driver was happy with the results and is looking at the possibility of joining the Championship for the whole season next year.

“I think I got lucky today. I was in the lead and managed to get clear laps in front of me and clocked some good times to pull a lead, after that I just maintained my pace.

“The rest of the drivers were battling behind me which kind of slowed them down, so I was lucky I had a clean track in front.

“I really enjoy driving here and if it fits in my schedule, I will join the season next year, but it will be a very busy year for me” said Choo at the post race press conference.

It was a battle all the way for six of the top seven drivers in the first part of the race. Choo opened up a gap early on in the race leaving the battle from second to seventh to Tunku Hammam, Francis Tjia, Eddie Yau, Frank Yu, Eric Cheung and Siu Yuk Lung.

The positions changed throughout the race with Yu taking both F.Tjia and Hammam on lap three and picking up the pace to chase race leader, Choo. Behind them, F.Tjia made his move on Hammam to take third leaving the Malaysian to defend his position from Yau and Siu Y.L.

Then on lap nine, Siu Y.L. took Hammam for fourth leaving the Malaysian to defend against the fast approaching Yau for fifth.

As the race neared the end, all eyes were focused on the battle for second between the Ginetta of Frank Yu and the Ferrari of Francis Tjia. Unbeknownst to F.Tjia, if he finished the race in third he would have won the Championship but he tried one last time to take Yu before the finish. They touched and spun, leaving the trio of Siu Yuk Lung, Tunku Hammam and Eddie Yau to pass.

Yu managed to recover after the spin to reclaim one spot but was unable to finish on the podium while F.Tjia managed to rejoin further behind to finish in tenth. This meant that F.Tjia lost what would have been his Championship victory thereby leaving him as overall Runner-up.

“I feel a little bit deflated. I think the issue is that there is a military base nearby and we are not allowed to use the pit-to-car radio. So all I knew was that I was ahead of Tunku but I didn’t know how many positions or points.

“So in my mind I still need to go for every single point and with two laps to go, Frank and I had a little touch. It was a relatively soft touch but unfortunately we both spun and that was it, Tunku went by”.

Although dejected, F.Tjia still looked at the 2009 GT3 Asia season positively “I’m second, my teammate Wayne is in third. Its mostly part to the great team we’ve got. Freddie and Pierre have done a great job and the whole team always made sure that the cars were running and fast and ready. Racing is a team sport and you need the whole team to get to where we are. I’m very happy” he ended.

Yu finished the race in fourth, followed by Yau in fifth and Wayne Shen, whose team managed to fix his drive shaft in time, in sixth.

Finishing the race in second place, Siu Yuk Lung, did not have a good start, dropping two places to seventh and was in a closely fought battle with four drivers before the last lap incident that propelled him to into second.

“In the first few laps I just followed the cars in front, then I took a chance and managed to overtake one car and then another. Actually I am lucky today because the two cars in front had a spin, leaving me to take second

“This year the GT3 Asia is really good because there were many great competitors and we managed some wins alongside the losses. It was a good season” ended a very happy Siu Y.L.

A surprised Hammam was glad at the turn of events which awarded him with third place and cited he was fortunate to win the Championship despite a handling problem.

“My pace wasn’t there today because I was carrying a lot of ballast and the car was ill handling, I don’t know what went wrong.

“I am pleased to get third because it means that I’ve won the GT3 Asia Challenge Championship” said Hammam at the post race press conference. When asked if he realized that he nearly lost the championship, he replied, “I actually didn’t realize it. I thought if he was just two places in front of me that I would still win the Championship. That’s why on the last two laps I was trying to take Siu. But in the end it turned out well.

“I’m definitely joining the Championship next year but I am not sure what car yet but it has to be something very competitive” said the newly crowned Championship winner.

They were followed by Shogo Amamoto, one of the three Japanese guest drivers, who claimed the win for the GT4 category. The gruff looking man broke into a smile as he said “This is my first time here in Autopolis and frankly I didn’t expect to be here on the podium but its just great to have the three Japanese drivers on the podium today. I really hope to be back in the series again in future”.

Amamoto’s Direction Racing teammate, Akira Mizutani crossed the line in eighth, ahead of the second of the Ginettas, driven by Eric Cheung and F.Tjia.

For Mizutani “this weekend was brilliant. One of the best experience for me. First of all, an all Japanese podium is great and Amamoto and I have been teammates for two years, its great to have him on the top step of the podium”.

The third of the GT4 category podium finisher, Gen Emoto, finished the race in eleventh followed by the remaining finishers, John Shen, Noel Becker, David Lai, Sasha Chu, Marce Tjia and Siu Tit Lung.

Emoto said during the press conference of his third place finish “In the race yesterday I had a puncture and it burst and I went out. Today I spun in the second lap and I almost gave up, but it turned out well for me finishing third. I didn’t expect it and its just amazing for me”.

The race ended with two non-finishers including the GT4 category Championship winner, Christian Chia and Samson Chan. Adrian Fu was the only non-starter of the day when his car suffered some mechanical problems before the start of the race.

This is the final race of the GT3 Asia Challenge 2009 season but drivers in the series will be joined by other guest drivers in Macau during the Macau Grand Prix on 20-22 November 2009 for an invitational race before the Championship presentation dinner.

Round 11

Saturday, 17 October 2009

Autopolis International Circuit

Choo Wins Round 11 as Hammam Takes Championship Lead

It was a neck and neck finish for Round 11 of the GT3 Asia, where Melvin Choo took the win in his first race with the series. Choo crossed the line just centimetres ahead of the new Championship leader, Tunku Hammam in a battle filled race.

For Choo, the win was a great group effort “It was excellent. I’m happy to be here today and I would like to thank my sponsors, especially my Japanese sponsors, Raybrigs. They have been great supporters, this win is for them”.

“Naturally I had to be careful but I also knew that Hammam had to be careful too, even more than I did. We had a good race, it worked out well and it was almost a photo finish, everyone panicked a little” he laughed.

For Hammam, although he was not able to get the win, taking the Championship lead with just one race to go was great. “I’m very pleased with the result and I am leading the Championship” said a beaming Hammam.

Choo and Hammam were fighting for position right from the start of the race, with Hammam leading for the first two laps before being overtaken by the Singaporean. From there Hammam kept right on Choo’s tail and they changed positions two more times before crossing the line almost side by side at the chequered flag.

“I think on the third or fourth lap, Melvin went on the inside, I had no room and had to give him way, but I was very close to him. On the tenth lap on turn 11, I passed him but I made a mistake on turn 15 or 16, where I went a bit wide so Melvin took me back.

“I didn’t want to take any risks because the Championship is at stake and Melvin is not a contender. I thought I’ll stay with him and if there’s an opportunity, I’ll try and win. Then again he was fast today and second is very good” said Hammam.

Eddie Yau Junior took third for Team Machine as Frank Yu, who ran third for the first half of the race, spun out on lap eight. The Hong Kong driver drove a fantastic race and managed to keep his cool despite the pressures from the trio of Eric Cheung, Francis Tjia and Sui Yuk Lung behind him.

“I had a tough time trying to get the tyres up to temperature. I started in seventh and I had a really good start and was up to third at one point in time but I don’t know what happened if it was me or the car they pulled away from me. I then had cars behind me and I was pressured the whole way.

Asked if he has a chance to get back on the podium for tomorrow, “I will try my best, there is a possibility. Autopolis is a great circuit, the best so far and if I have a chance I would certainly come back again”.

Yu finished the race in sixth and although disappointed with the outcome, he is looking forward to the final race tomorrow. “I was at the hairpin and all of a sudden Tunku and Melvin slowed down a little bit, I tapped on the brake and the back just came loose and I spun out. Fortunately I rejoined the race but on the same lap, because the tyres were dirty, I went out again. There was just no grip, it was my mistake. But I had a really good fight for the first seven laps and if I didn’t spin, one more lap I would have been able to pass Tunku, just one more lap” he ended.

Fourth placed finisher, Francis Tjia credited luck, good and bad, for his finish and has now climbed up the Championship leaderboard to second. “My qualifying was a disaster, I was on a really really fast lap and I had to pass a back marker and I got a little bit off line and ended up spinning out, which is a shame because I think we would have been close to pole.

“Then at the start of the race, my teammate broke a drive shaft, which made me ninth, then it was a long battle. One of the Ginettas spun as well, so eighth, then the rest was passing people. I finished fourth and I am happy with it, it could have been a lot worse”.

Siu Yuk Lung finished fifth, ten seconds ahead of Yu who was followed across the line by Akira Mizutani and Shogo Amamoto of Direction Racing. The duo, claimed the podiums for the GT4 series along with Christian Chia whose ninth placed finish almost secures his Championship title in the class.

Chia was happy with both the race and the results. He was also very impressed with his Japanese rivals. “The race was very exciting. Adrian, Amamoto and myself were dicing all the way through the race. It was just back and forth and it was a tight race, very tiring.

“I’m very happy. I was hoping for a solid finish to the season and the plan worked out. The Japanese drivers are formidable competitors and I have much respect for them”.

Eric Cheung, Adrian Fu, Sasha Chu and Marcel Tjia completed the list of finishers for the day. Samson Chan was running in eighth before he crashed into the tyre barrier on lap eleven. David Lai, Gen Emoto and Siu Tit Lung all spun out and were unable to continue the race.

The Shen brothers, Wayne and John, from Modena Motorsport, both suffered from the same problem with broken drive shafts right before the start of the race,. As for Noel Becker, the Team SPS Racing driver did not start the race due to a transmission problem.

Round 8

Sunday, 21 June 2009

Sepang International Circuit

Sam Yau Strengthen Championship Lead While Malagamuwa Fought from the Back for GT4 Win

It was a fantastic battle right from the start during the GT3 Asia Round 8 race where Sam Yau claimed his second consecutive win of the season. The Team Machine driver crossed the line ahead of Tunku Hammam

Sulong and Francis Tjia of Modena Motorsports to strengthen his lead on the championship points table. The track conditions remained slippery even after the 12 laps of the Formula V6 Asia race held right before, leaving a few of the drivers to slip and spin in the first few laps of the race.

Hammam once again had a great start, pushing Yau right from the beginning but Hammam’s Porsche could not brake as late as the Lamborghini of Yau giving the Hong Kong driver the advantage and the lead into turn 1. Yau then immediately set out to open up a gap between him and Hammam.

“The first corner was quite tough. Tunku as always had a good start off the line. He was right next to me all the way down to the 100 meter mark but fortunately for me he had to brake a little early, so I was able to get in front of him and hold my lead. But it was a tough start.

From there, Yau concentrated on keeping a consistent laptime and to maintain a gap from the second placed man. “I was just focusing on one corner at a time. The track was very slippery today and at turn 9 a couple of times I almost spun. The race was good and I was watching behind me for a good five to six laps and I saw Tunku, Francis and Siu having some kind of a battle” said a happy Yau after the race.

The fight for second between the trio began from the first lap when at turn four, Hammam was outbraked by Siu Yuk Lung leaving him down in third just ahead of Tjia. But Siu was not able to stay in second for long, he made a mistake on the next lap taking the last turn wide, leaving Hammam a chance to reclaim second.

“I was second but coming into turn four I made a little bit of a mistake and one of the Siu brothers passed me. I chased him and on the second lap I got him on turn nine when he made a mistake.

“By then Sam was quite far in front. I pushed very very hard and although the track felt slippery, I still pushed hoping that Sam would make a mistake, but he didn’t. He drove really well” said Hammam.

Drivers were all fighting for traction on the very slippery track. Once Hammam made his way past Siu, the Team SPS Racing driver once again made a mistake on the next lap, on turn 9, running wide on to the grass and getting caught in a spin, leaving Tjia to take third.

“It was a great race. I was a bit worried about starting in fifth and I was definitely aiming for a podium. At the first turn after the start, Wayne Shen was in front of me and he went a bit wide which allowed me to sneak in to finish the first lap behind Tunku and Siu Yk Lung.

“Then the battle between the three of us was on and it went for about three laps or so and it was exciting. Tunku made a really good pass on Siu right in front of me. I was very happy driving where I was because it was very entertaining, the guys were side by side for a good half a lap, then it was my turn to pass Siu” Tjia commented.

In the GT4 category, Dilantha Malagamuwa had a fantastic drive making his way from the tail end of the grid all the way to seventh overall and claiming victory in the GT4 category. The Sri Lankan driver took his Porsche 997 GT3 Cup M up the grid in the ten lap race, overtaking the rest of the pack, one by one.

“I had to start from the back and I didn’t know the setup of the car because we didn’t get any time during the week. We just took a gamble and it was a fantastic race” said an elated Malagamuwa after the podium ceremony.

Canadian driver Christian Chia took second for Team Road & Track in the category while Australian Paul Tresidder from VRD Motorsports finished in third.

A very happy Chia said “The race was fantastic it was a big battle throughout. Dilantha is too quick and I had a problem with too much oversteer but I finished second in class and I can’t complain”.

Tresidder was also happy with the outcome of the race this weekend, “The first part was good but I got boxed in by a couple of the Lamborghinis which wasn’t a lot of fun, so trying to chase down Christian was a bit difficult.

 Round 7, Saturday, 20 June 2009

Sepang International Circuit

Sam Yau Claims his First Win and the Championship Lead

Sam Yau claimed a spectacular win and the championship lead in a race filled with battles up and down the field in Round 7 of the GT3 Asia at Sepang International Circuit on Saturday.

The Team Machine driver claimed his first win of the season after climbing on the podium three times so far to collect second. S.Yau started in pole position but lost his lead at the start to Tunku Hammam who had a blistering pace off the line.

Hammam, who started the race in fifth on the grid set off brilliantly and manoeuvred in between S.Yau and front line starter, Wayne Shen, and took the lead into turn 1. But the slippery track conditions from a late morning downpour coupled with brakes that were not in perfect working condition, left Hammam to lock up at turn 9 of the opening lap and leaving a gap which allowed S.Yau and W.Shen to reclaim their positions.

“Nothing bad happened to me at the start, it was just that Tunku was super fast off the standing start as always. I was fortunate that Tunku locked a bit on the hairpin so I was able to gain my spot back. I was watching my rear view mirror for Wayne and Tunku very closely.

“I was just trying to keep my distance and lead. It was not an easy race and the track conditions were not as good as qualifying. It was a little bit slippery, maybe because of the rain this morning, so I was watching Wayne all the time” said S.Yau.

W.Shen of Modena Motorsports also commended Hammam on his brilliant start and was unable to push further towards the end of the race due to the rising temperature of his car. “My start was reasonably good but as Samsaid, Hammam is way too fast at the start. I could see him coming and I know there is no way I can defend, so I basically moved over and let him through to try and keep it clean and he took the lead.

“Lucky for us, Tunku locked up a little bit so we managed to pass. After that I was basically trying to keep up with Sam but it was obvious he was much faster and he was keeping a safe margin.

“My car in Sepang has always been a bit difficult, the water was overheating and after really pushing for 3-4 laps the temperature was already 115 degrees. So I had to start short-shifting and at that point in time, I just wanted to nurse my car to the finish and fortunately for me, I did that” said a happy W.Shen after the race.

It was slightly disappointing for Hammam after the fantastic start he had but starting from fifth and finishing on the podium was still a great accomplishment, considering the close racing that the GT3 Asia drivers are capable of. “As the lights went out, I put on the gas and found myself in the lead. But unfortunately, in the heat and the haze,

I braked a little too late into turn nine and locked up and I went wide. I was almost in the grass. That was when Sam and Wayne took me and another car as well, but I managed to squeeze myself back into third.

“The whole of today I had some brake problems and I was worried because throughout the race I couldn’t brake properly going into corners and at times I just stepped and the pedals went in right through. So that’s why I had toease off and make sure that I finish. If not I may just go into the gravel or something” he concluded.

For the current Championship leader, when asked if he will be able to claim a second win in the race tomorrow, S.Yau said “Its hard to say if I can stay ahead because as I said, these guys are fast and anybody can win the race. But I will try my best and keep it consistent especially with my laptimes and hope the rolling start will be abit better for the Lamborghini”. Christian Chia from Team Road & Track claimed the win in the GT4 category ahead of VRD Motorsports, Paul Tresidder and Team Road & Track teammate, Nicholas Thomas. “It’s a great feeling to win in my class. The  challenge was pretty big and we had Dilantha Malagamuwa in our class, who is a fantastic driver.

“The team has been very strong and has supported me and the car was great. The start was very hectic and I was quite lucky because a couple of the Ginettas and some of the Lamborghinis had a difficult start and I had a very very good start, so I was able to gain about 3 positions from the start” said an elated Chia after the podium ceremony.

Round 7 also saw some of the most heated dog fights seen in the series this season where another group battled it out for position. A trio comprising of a Lamborghini Gallardo GT3, a Ferrari 430-GT3 and a Porsche 997 GT3 Cup S kept it nose to tail with one another throughout the race. In the end the Lamborghini of Siu Yuk Lungcrossed the line in fourth ahead of Francis Tjia’s Ferrari and David Lai’s Porsche.

Round 6, Sunday, 31 May 2009

Sepang International Circuit

A Memorable Double Weekend for Mok

On form Mok Weng Sun made it a memorable weekend at the Sepang International Circuit as he sealed a double win in the GT3 Asia Round 2 which was part of the Asian Festival of Speed. The Singaporean driving for Porsche Club Singapore Racing won Race 2 with a total time of 23:27.662s, 1.271s ahead of Team Machine’s Eddie Yau.

Coming in third was Malaysian Tunku Hammam Sulong who recorded a total time of 23:30.387s.

Mok showed his supremacy again by pulling out a lead even after the safety car came out to regroup the pack as SPS Racing’s Siu Tit Lung spun out.

“I did not change the setting of the car from Race 1’s win and in this round had a good start and had a good run throughout the race. However after the safety car was deployed I was ready for some competition from the back,” said Mok. “I kept my head down and continued to push as hard as I could. Overall, I had a one pole position and two wins so it has definitely been a good weekend for me,” said Mok.

As for Yau the second place finish was the best he could manage as Mok was too fast to catch and Tunku Hammam kept pressing him.

“I had a really good start. I was close to Mok but Tunku Hammam kept the pressure up so I had to do whatever I could to stay second even after the safety car went in,” said the Hong Kong driver.

As for Tunku Hammam, the podium finish in Race 2 made his weekend worthwhile after a drive through penalty bogged down his hopes in Race 1.

“Today was definitely better than yesterday. After Turn 2 I was third and I pushed the car but not too much as I had to keep my tyres. After the safety car was deployed I tried hard to make it to second but I couldn’t and I also didn’t want to lose the third position.,” said Tunku Hammam.“There have been a few mishaps this weekend but overall it was great and I’m looking forward to the rest of the season,” he added.

Round 5,Saturday, 30 May 2009

Mok Claims the Win from a Great Starting Battle

Despite a slow start Singapore based Mok Weng Sun proved too strong for the rest of the GT3 Asia grid and drove to an impressive Round 5 win during the Asian Festival of Speed at the Sepang International Circuit.

Mok driving for Porsche Club Singapore Racing, lost the lead in off the startline due to the impressive start by Malaysian Tunku Hammam Sulong, his long time nemesis.

Turn 12 on the first lap, Mok managed to overtake Tunku Hammam and from there it was a race from him to lose.

“Firstly, the heat in Sepang was unbearable and I was disappointed with myself that by three laps to go, I should be used to it,” said Mok. “However, after regaining the lead from Tunku Hammam I kept my head down and just worked my way to the chequered flag despite the scorching heat,” said Mok who was 26.181s ahead of second place Sam Yau of Team

Machine.

At third after two laps, Hong Kong driver Yau was lucky to have finished second as Tunku Hammam was awarded a drive through penalty for having his mechanics work on the car on the grid after the allotted time.

“I had a problem with the clutch at the start of the race and was working hard to keep up with Mok and Tunku Hammam. Lucky for me I gained one place but Mok was too far to chase so I made sure I kept my position,” said Yau, whose total time of 22:34.282 in the 10 lap race was 28.257s ahead of third place Siu Yuk Lung of SPS Racing.

The 54-year-old Siu capitalised on lady luck apparently riding with him as he gain two positions from running fifth until lap 6 when third place Dilantha Malagamuwa spun out followed by fourth place Siu Tit Lung a lap later.

“My strategy was simple which was to follow the car in front and avoid any crashes. As for Race 2 tomorrow this will be the same plan as the car has yet to find the pace Mok and Tunku Hammam have,” said Siu. Team Machine’s Eddie Yau clocked 22:36.809s to finish fourth while Francis Tjia of Modena Motorsports was the fifth place finisher with a time of 22:42.516s

Round 3 & 4, Sunday, 3 May 2009

Shanghai International Circuit 

Tjia Made it Two for Two at Shanghai 

Francis Tjia made it two for two this weekend at the Shanghai International Circuit for the GT3 Asia race when he claimed his second win in an incident filled race outing. The Modena Motorsports driver in his Ferrari F-430 GT3 crossed the finish line in 36 minutes and 47.859 seconds, a 21.528 second lead from second placed man Siu Yuk Lung.  

At the rolling start, Tjia had his car in second gear and was waiting for the green lights to come on when he hit the rev limiter, giving Wayne Shen the opportunity to get past him.  

Singaporean driver, David Lai’s Ferrari F360 Challenge encountered a mechanical failure and had to park the car on Turn 4 in a dangerous spot, causing the Safety Car to be called out for two laps to remove the car.  

“It was not a great start, it was a rolling start and I was on pole position. It took a long time for the red lights to go off and so I was waiting and waiting and as I slowly went up in terms of revs, I started hitting the rev limiter just as it went green. So I had a bad start, Wayne passed me and I stayed in second position for most of the first lap and then the safety car came out” said Tjia at the post race press conference.  

At the restart, four cars overtook before crossing the start/finish line and were duly penalized with drive through penalties.  

“At the restart it was very confusing, as one of the cars at the back was not waiting for the start/finish line, so he went ahead and some other drivers instinctively followed him and that created some confusion. But I was sure that the stewards noticed it and sure enough the drivers had their drive through penalties.

“So I was driving around in second and third, happy to stay there and wait for them to take the penalty and then I was in the lead. It was a great weekend, I did not come here with such high hopes, but of course I wanted to do well and be on the podium but to get two wins in one day was great. I’m not complaining” said a very happy Tjia.  

The younger of the Siu brothers, Siu Yuk Lung( left) took the second placed podium despite having to take a drive through penalty for overtaking during the restart. He was relegated to fifth before making his way back up the ranks to second in the 15 lap race.  

“At the restart, I made a mistake and overtook all the cars ahead of me, after that, I was given a drive through penalty and because my car had great pace, even though I came back out in fifth, I tried my best and managed to make my way to finish second” said Siu Y.L.   

For Wayne Shen(standing on right), claiming his second third placed finish for the weekend was a great result especially after a very uncertain start to the weekend and despite some recurring vibrations in his car.  

“The car was vibrating a lot, there was some other mechanical issues involved with the car so the car did not feel comfortable and it was understeering for some reason. But overall, the guys at Modenas Motorsports did a great job that allowed me to get on the podium twice today” concluded W.Shen.

Adrian Fu crossed the finish line with a total time of 38 minutes and 26.002 seconds to claim the win for the GT4 category in his Porsche 997 GT3 Cup for Dyna Ten Motorsports .  

Round 3

A Phenomenal Start Gives Tjia the Round 3 Win 

Francis Tjia claimed a phenomenal win in an action packed GT3 Asia Round 3 race at the Shanghai International Circuit today. After some fantastic manoeuvres at the start, Tjia climbed up from eighth to third by the end of the opening lap.  

Tjia then fought hard with Siu Yuk Lung of LKM racing before the younger of the Siu brothers was called in for a drive through penalty for a false start. From there, Tjia caught up to the battle between Siu Tit Lung and race leader, Wayne Shen. Tjia then made his move and managed to get past the elder Siu with ease on lap 3 before putting the pressure on his Modenas Motorsports teammate. Shen, who opted for a combined tyre set-up in anticipation of the rain, was fast losing grip and lost the position to Tjia on lap 4. 

“It was a fun race. We were warned early on that Sam Yau has a gearbox problem so he may have trouble getting away but we thought that’s good because it creates an uncertainty, but after that it was just a race.  

“The first lap had a lot of things going on, I managed to make my way through and at the end of the first lap I was already in third and then the battle really started.  

“After that, I was right behind Wayne and since he is my teammate, I knew that he had a kind of compromised set-up, a half rain and half dry while I went for all dry. I took a gamble starting so low. So I knew that my car was probably faster than his and I made my move as quickly as I could” said Tjia during the post race press conference.  

The gamble paid off as the tyre degradation on Shen’s car was more than expected and Tjia made his move with ease, leaving Shen to defend his position from the fast approaching Siu Tit Lung. Both drivers changed positions a couple of times as they both made mistakes at Turn 15 in the last few laps of the race. In the end, Shen made a mistake at the turn on Lap 7, leaving Siu to take the position all the way to the chequered flag.  

After the race, Siu T.L. was given a 30-second penalty for overtaking under the yellow flag and was relegated to sixth, leaving Wayne Shen to claim second while his elder brother, John Shen moved up to third.

 “I had opted for a softer set-up for the rain, unfortunately that was not the right choice. So, even on the out lap, I knew that my car was not handling well and to make matters even worse, we were expecting less traction, so we put in less pressure in the tyres. Basically, the tyre degradation was quite obvious and I knew it was going to be a tough task to hold Francis back.  

“As for the next race, I am going to keep this set-up but if it looks more or less like this or very light rain then I will probably stiffen my car up a bit more” said Wayne Shen during the post race press conference.  

For first time podium finisher, John Shen, it was a case of playing it safe that got him the podium finish. “It was interesting, it’s my first time on the podium so its very exciting and I may not be as fast but I tried to be very safe and this time luck was on my side and I’m third” said a very happy John Shen at the post race press conference.  

The GT4 category was won by Hong Kong driver, Eric Cheung in his Ferrari 360 Challenge. Adrian Fu in his Porsche 997 GT3 Cup crossed the line second and David Lai of Singapore in his Ferrari F360 Challenge completed the GT4 category podium in third.  

Pole sitter, Sam Yau’s hope of claiming a pole to flag win was dashed when he was faced with a transmission problem at the start of the warm up lap and was unable to get his car off the line.