Cao and Zhang Z.D. are champions in TCR China and TCR Asia
The Macau Guia Race event was also the season finale for the TCR China and TCR Asia championships and awarded the respective titles to Hyundai N drivers Martin Cao Hong Wei and Zhang Zhen Dong.
In the Chinese series, Cao won Saturday’s race and finished second to Martin Xie Xin Zhe in Sunday’s race; with his rival Jason Zhang Zhi Qiang forced to retire during the last lap of Race 2, Cao secured the title with a margin of 42 points, while Xie climbed to third in the standings.
Zhang Z.D. was victorious in TCR Asia’s Race 1 and clinched the title, as his teammate Max Hart was involved in the first-lap pile-up. Sunday, Zhang retired early in the race after a collision and Hart stopped from the lead after hitting the barriers; this propelled Indonesian driver Dypo Fitramadhan to his maiden win. In the standings, Hwang Doyun benefitted from Hart’s troubles and moved into second ahead of the Irishman.
Race 1 – Cao and Zhang Z.D. had been fastest in Qualifying for TCR China and TCR Asia respectively. They both escaped the carnage between turns 3 and 4 that eliminated several drivers, including TCR Asia title contender Hart and TCR China’s Andy Yan Cheuk Wai, Juan Carlos Zhu Hu An, Wu Yi Fan, Jamie Lai Jing Wen and Xie. When the race resumed behind the safety car, Cao was running in sixth position overall, with title rival Zhang Z.Q. in eighth; soon Cao was passed by Rob Huff and then Dušan Borkovič overtook both Cao and Zhang. The two of them kept on running eighth and ninth overall, split by a couple of seconds and finished in the order while David Zhu Dai Wei completed the podium ahead of Zhang Z.D. who was victorious in TCR Asia. In the final part of the race, Sunny Wong Yat Shing’s pace fade and he dropped from 12th to 16th overall, while Lo Sze Ho overtook Hwang and Rainey He Xiao Le, moving up to 12th and fourth in TCR China; Hwang was second in TCR Asia.
Race 2 – Yan and Cao were on the front row of the reversed grid and led the race at the start behind the safety car, with Yan letting his teammate through in lap 3, while Cao’s rival in the title fight Zhang Z.Q. was running fourth in TCR China, but way behind the two leaders in 11th position overall. In lap 4, Zhang Z.Q. advanced to third when his teammate Zhu D.W. handed him the position. Meanwhile Zhang Z.D., who was leading in TCR Asia, retired after a collision and Hart inherited the first place. As the track began to dry, Cao and Yan were soon passed by the top drivers of the World Tour and dropped down the order. At the same time, those who had chosen slicks outpaced them. In lap 8, Hart and Xie passed Cao, but soon afterwards Hart hit the barriers and stopped causing a safety car period. The race resumed for one last lap, with Xie winning in TCR China ahead of Cao and Yan. In TCR Asia, the victory went to Fitramadhan ahead of Benny Santoso.
Macau – Race 1
- Martin Cao Hong Wei (Hyundai N, Hyundai Elantra N), 11 laps
- Jason Zhang Zhi Qiang (Teamwork Motorsport, Lynk&Co 03), 2.103
- David Zhu Dai Wei (Teamwork Motorsport, Lynk&Co 03N), 7.955
Macau – Race 2
- Martin Xie Xin Zhe (MacPro Racing, Honda Civic Type R FL5), 12 laps
- Martin Cao Hong Wei (Hyundai N, Hyundai Elantra N), 5.290
- Andy Yan Cheuk Wai (Hyundai N, Hyundai Elantra N), 9.350
Championship points – TCR China
- M. Cao H.W., 430 pts; 2. J. Zhang Z.Q., 388; 3. M. Xie X.Z., 318
Championship points – TCR Asia
- Zhang Z.D., 376 pts; 2. Hwang D., 330: 3. M. Hart, 317
Picture: WSC/Jun Qian Motorsport
