Ma Qing Hua Wins Chinese A1 Grand Prix Driver Selection

(Zhuhai, China – May 18, 2005) Ma Qing Hua has been chosen to be the first A1 Grand Prix driver in the world!Competing against 4 other Chinese drivers to drive for the Chinese A1 Grand Prix team, Ma Qing Hua won both heats to be the clear winner of them all.

FASC organized the driver selection, while FRD Motorsports provided all the cars and service needed for the day.FRD provided 6 Formula Renault s, all with the same setup to keep the cars all equal.Even though the drivers were allowed to change the set up, no one chose to as they all felt it was the ideal set up for the day.

Five drivers came to the competition Ma Qing Hua, Jiang Tengyi, Chen Xu, Zhang Jin and Liu Yang.The test was split into 4 sessions, first one being a 10min practice, and the second one being a 3-lap qualifying session with the drivers going on the track one at a time.Third and forth sessions were just a repeat of the first 2 sessions.

During the morning, the weather was great.The sun was up in the sky making the temperature quite hot.Hundreds of cameras from the media were all around the Zhuhai International Circuit snapping up all the photos they could.This was not just some race in China; this was going to be a milestone in Chinese motorsports history.

During the first practice, Ma Qing Hua recorded the fastest time, with Jiang Tengyi in second fastest.During the 3-lap test, Ma Qing Hua again got the fastest lap time, almost two tenths faster than Jiang Tengyi.

Around noon is when the weather started to become a bit unpredictable.Rain or shine, no one could guess as from minute to minute the sky would change from total sunshine, to pouring down rain.Rain tires were prepared by FRD just in case a quick rainstorm soaked the track.During the time between sessions, the drivers randomly drew car numbers again to switch cars in order to make sure the competition was fare.

Before the cars hit the track again, rain had fallen but the sky was clearing up again, making for a racetrack that was partially wet and partial dry.All the cars set out on slick tires and a dry setup as Vinay Basavaraja, FRD Test Driver and Chief Instructor/Engineer, predicted the cars would be faster this way and that the track would soon dry.He was right as the cars went faster and faster each lap.For this practice, Jiang Tengyi was a bit quicker than Ma Qing Hua.

Next came the moment everyone was waiting for the second and final 3-Lap qualifying test.With the track in drying condition, it was decided to let all 5 cars out at once in order to ensure equal track conditions for all drivers.All eyes and cameras were on the timing board displaying which driver was currently the fastest.At the end, it was Ma Qing Hua again at the top with Jiang Tengyi second.

Combining the results of the two tests, Ma Qing Hua was the clear winner, with Jiang Tengyi and Chen Xu coming in second and third.Liu Yang and Zhang Jin finished fourth and fifth.Considering the top 3 drivers come from FRD, it just goes to show the extraordinary level of training FRD provide with instructors Vinay Basavaraja and Hideaki Nakao.At the end, Ma Qing Hua had a few words to say, “I would like to thank FRD Motorsports, and FASC for conducting this test in a very fare and professional way.I am thrilled to represent China in the brand new A1 Grand Prix series.This will be a huge step up for motorsports in China and I am excited to be a part of it.”

Stay tuned to FRD Motorsports website, http://frdsports.com, for future updates on the Chinese A1 Grand Prix team.

By Vinay Basavaraja