20/08/2016

Shanghai International Circuit, China

Rnd#9/10, 2016 GT Asia Series - 19-21 August, 2016

 

• GT Asia Series arrives in Shanghai with the most competitive field of the season

• Audi emerge as the fastest team from the three official practice sessions

• Eight tenths of a second separates the top ten teams, and all seven marques

 

It has been billed as an epic round of the GT Asia Series, and with good reason. Already 2016 has proven to be the most competitive season on record, the addition of some impressive new entries has only bolstered that reputation, and after official practice at Shanghai International Circuit, there’s next to nothing separating the top teams heading into qualifying.

 

In fact all seven marques are separated by just eight tenths of a second around the 5.451-kilometre Formula One venue, and whilst Audi can perhaps claim credit for topping all three sessions, their margin of advantage is too slight to lay down any predictions.

 

Interestingly it was two-time 2016 race winner Marchy Lee who topped the opening session, punching out an impressive 2:05.796 in the opening laps of the first session, just eight one thousandths faster than his Phoenix Racing Asia team-mate Alex Yoong, the two Audi veterans laying down the gauntlet for their rivals, who were ultimately unable to match them.

 

That experience - especially of the Shanghai circuit - was the feature of day one, the local stars and experienced GT Asia Series crews the ones who emerged on top at the conclusion of the three 60-minute sessions. In the end, despite some spirited driving and some qualifying simulations late in the day, Lee’s opening session best was the fastest of the day, Yoong retaining P2 overall, whilst their Nurburgring 24-Hour team-mate Franky Cheng in the Absolute Racing Audi R8 LMS, was fastest in sessions two and three to finish fourth fastest for the day.

 

Another local crew too was keeping the new teams honest, Anthony Liu and Davide Rizzo in the BBT Ferrari showing just how quick they can be at their home circuit, putting in some blistering times to really push the Audis, however a technical issue in the final session saw them unable to record a time, but as former winners and pole-sitters, they still provide one of the greatest threats this weekend.

 

Points-leaders Lamborghini too were fast, but it was the established pairing of Andrea Amici and Edoardo Liberati who were quickest despite the experience of the team’s second [#15] entry of Richard Antinucci and Jeroen Mul, they - like the highly-rated AMG factory drivers - were finding out first-hand just how quick the GT Asia Series regulars can be.

 

Fresh from back-to-back podiums in the USA last weekend, 2016 race winner Adderly Fong was quick too during the opening session, the Hong Kong Bentley driver looking for more in session two, but he ultimately paid the price after a spin and heavy contact with the barriers in the final corner. That contact forced the second red flag of the session (the first for debris) whilst safety crews recovered the stricken Bentley which had suffered significant damage to the right front corner.

 

Fong was understandably disappointed, with data supporting the fact that apart from running slightly wide on the exit, he’d done little wrong. Perhaps the vagaries of international flight though may have impacted his usually impressive reaction time.

 

With Fong and Kim back in the garage for the following session, the Bentley charge was left in the capable hands of two-time 2016 winners Keita Sawa and Jonathan Venter, the popular Japanese-Australian pairing sixth fastest in session two, immediately ahead of the first of the AMG GT3 pairings of Nico Bastian and Matt Solomon.

 

Making their maiden appearance in GT Asia, and with typical German precision (the local AAI team are being supported technically from Germany), the two pristine white AMGs spent their three sessions establishing a strong baseline setup from which to push during qualifying, whilst also ensuring that new recruit Zhang Wenhe could take as much time behind the wheel under the guidance of team-mate Maro Engel.

 

In the end the team pronounced themselves happy with their pace, whilst some suggested the successful international marque were ‘foxing’ ahead of qualifying, a not uncommon sight in world motorsport, however qualifying - the most important session of the weekend - usually gives a better indication of where the performance really lies.

 

As the fastest driver in the two prior visits to Shanghai for the GT Asia Series, Craft-Bamboo Racing’s Richard Lyons was also in the mix, however the reigning driver’s champions were still looking to extract more performance from their Porsche GT3 Rs, so too the [now] two-car GruppeM operation who added 2014 podium-placegetters Zhang Dasheng and Li Chao to their driver roster.

 

So what could we take from official practice.. Ultimately the heat affected the performance of some cars during the middle of the day, whilst the morning session saw the fastest lap times of the day, a time of day when qualifying will take place, and with what teams uncovered during their extended three hour sessions, you could perhaps expect a low 2:04-minute lap time to take the top spot.

 

As for the racing, practice proved what everyone expected - that the competition will be tight - with less than a second covering ten cars over a two-minute lap, this weekend could belong to anyone, but keep an eye on the established teams to dominate the podium, although don’t be too surprised if the international stars make an impression, that’s certainly their intent..!

 

Teams now prepare for qualifying at 9:40am (CST time) on Saturday morning with two 15-minute sessions separated by a ten minute break, ahead of the opening round in China at 4:05pm, in the peak of the heat of the day where temperatures are expected to hit 37 degrees with some chance of an afternoon storm. Round ten (race two at Shanghai) will be held at 2:00 on Sunday afternoon, with increasing chances that thunderstorms will hit during the day.

 

This season Fox Sports Asia and Star Sports in China will broadcast every event of GT Asia Series live (race two in full, with highlights of the opening race), whilst the series itself will also live-stream every round with commentators Jonathan Green - the voice of GT Asia - joined by Steve Martin to call both live television and live streaming.

 

Details of the streams and the broadcast times will be available on the GT Asia Series website - www.gtasiaseries.com - and through social media; www.facebook.com/GTAsiaSeries will also post news, video clips, images and updates, and you can also get involved in the conversation on www.twitter.com/GTAsiaSeries 

 

Shanghai International Circuit, China (19 August, 2016)

Official Practice#1 (60-minutes)

1. 5. Lee/Thong (Phoenix Racing Asia Audi R8 LMS GT3) - 2:05.796

2. 6. Yoong/Au (Phoenix Racing Asia Audi R8 LMS GT3) - 2:05.804

3. 37. Rizzo/Liu (BBT Ferrari 488 GT3) - 2:05.839

4. 7. Fong/Kim (Absolute Racing Bentley Continental GT3) - 2:06.267

5. 55. Liberati/Amici (FFF Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3) - 2:06.329

6. 13. Cheng/Sun (Absolute Racing Asia Audi R8 LMS GT3) - 2:06.612

7. 66. Bastian/Solomon (Mercedes-AMG GT3) - 2:06.948

8. 68. Engel/Zhang (Mercedes-AMG GT3) - 2:06.964

9. 12. Bhirombhakdi/Van Dam (Singha Motorsport Ferrari 458 Italia GT3) - 2:07.086

10. 8. Venter/Sawa (Absolute Racing Bentley Continental GT3) - 2:06.307

11. 91. O’Young/Bhirombakdi (Craft Bamboo Racing Porsche GT3-R) - 2:07.342

12. 9. Tappy/Inthraphuvasak (Absolute Racing Bentley Continental GT3) - 2:07.707

13. 88. Lyons/ Yu (Craft Bamboo Racing Porsche GT3-R) - 2:07.750

14. 15. Antinucci/Mul (FFF Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3) - 2:08.065

15. 96. Zhang/Li (GruppeM Racing Porsche GT3-R) - 2:08.614

16. 98. Sugden/Lester (GruppeM Racing Porsche GT3-R) - 2:08.815

17. 90. Lin/Chen (Team FIST with AAI Lamborghini Super Trofeo) - 2:13.637

 

Official Practice#2 (60-minutes)

1. 13. Cheng/Sun (Absolute Racing Asia Audi R8 LMS GT3) - 2:06.026

2. 37. Rizzo/Liu (BBT Ferrari 488 GT3) - 2:06.192

3. 88. Lyons/ Yu (Craft Bamboo Racing Porsche GT3-R) - 2:06.381

4. 5. Lee/Thong (Phoenix Racing Asia Audi R8 LMS GT3) - 2:06.441

5. 66. Bastian/Solomon (Mercedes-AMG GT3) - 2:06.551

6. 8. Venter/Sawa (Absolute Racing Bentley Continental GT3) - 2:06.767

7. 68. Engel/Zhang (Mercedes-AMG GT3) - 2:06.928

8. 91. O’Young/Bhirombakdi (Craft Bamboo Racing Porsche GT3-R) - 2:07.272

9. 55. Liberati/Amici (FFF Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3) - 2:07.512

10. 12. Bhirombhakdi/Van Dam (Singha Motorsport Ferrari 458 Italia GT3) - 2:07.532

11. 98. Sugden/Lester (GruppeM Racing Porsche GT3-R) - 2:07.981

12. 15. Antinucci/Mul (FFF Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3) - 2:08.062

13. 9. Tappy/Inthraphuvasak (Absolute Racing Bentley Continental GT3) - 2:08.123

14. 6. Yoong/Au (Phoenix Racing Asia Audi R8 LMS GT3) - 2:08.389

15. 96. Zhang/Li (GruppeM Racing Porsche GT3-R) - 2:09.665

16. 7. Fong/Kim (Absolute Racing Bentley Continental GT3) - 2:10.626

17. 90. Lin/Chen (Team FIST with AAI Lamborghini Super Trofeo) - 2:16.737

 

Official Practice#3 (60-minutes)

1. 13. Cheng/Sun (Absolute Racing Asia Audi R8 LMS GT3) - 2:05.971

2. 6. Yoong/Au (Phoenix Racing Asia Audi R8 LMS GT3) - 2:06.110

3. 9. Tappy/Inthraphuvasak (Absolute Racing Bentley Continental GT3) - 2:06.184

4. 5. Lee/Thong (Phoenix Racing Asia Audi R8 LMS GT3) - 2:06.245

5. 66. Bastian/Solomon (Mercedes-AMG GT3) - 2:06.297

6. 88. Lyons/ Yu (Craft Bamboo Racing Porsche GT3-R) - 2:06.409

7. 8. Venter/Sawa (Absolute Racing Bentley Continental GT3) - 2:06.509

8. 68. Engel/Zhang (Mercedes-AMG GT3) - 2:06.674

9. 55. Liberati/Amici (FFF Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3) - 2:06.801

10. 15. Antinucci/Mul (FFF Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3) - 2:07.162

11. 12. Bhirombhakdi/Van Dam (Singha Motorsport Ferrari 458 Italia GT3) - 2:07.477

12. 98. Sugden/Lester (GruppeM Racing Porsche GT3-R) - 2:07.550

13. 96. Zhang/Li (GruppeM Racing Porsche GT3-R) - 2:08.166

14. 91. O’Young/Bhirombakdi (Craft Bamboo Racing Porsche GT3-R) - 2:08.604

15. 90. Lin/Chen (Team FIST with AAI Lamborghini Super Trofeo) - 2:15.024

NTR. 7. Fong/Kim (Absolute Racing Bentley Continental GT3) 

NTR. 37. Rizzo/Liu (BBT Ferrari 488 GT3)

 

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This season Fox Sports Asia and Star Sports in China will also broadcast every event of the GT Asia Series live (race two in full, with highlights from the opening race), whilst the series itself will also live-stream every round with experienced commentators Jonathan Green - the voice of GT Asia - joined by Steve Martin to call both live television and live streaming action as it unfolds. 

 

Details of the streams and the broadcast times will be available on the GT Asia Series website - www.gtasiaseries.com - and through social media; www.facebook.com/GTAsiaSeries will also post news, video clips, images and updates, and you can also get involved in the conversation on www.twitter.com/GTAsiaSeries 

 

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Jiading, Shanghai, China

Track length: 5.451-kilometres

Corners: 16

Rotation: clockwise

Designer/Circuit first opened: Hermann Tilke, 2004

GT3 Lap record: 1:47.107 - Race (Richard Lyons, 2015), 1:46.985  - Qualifying (Richard Lyons, 2015)

Support classes: TCR Asia Series, Asian Formula Renault, Clio Cup China

Number of times GT Asia Series has competed at Sepang previously: 2 (2014/2015)

 

2016 will see the third visit by the GT Asia Series to the Chinese Formula One venue. During the Series’ first visit, local stars Anthony Liu and Davide Rizzo claimed pole position for both races and the first ever victory at the 5.5-kilometre venue. For the second race the local Ferrari stars were in the mix again, but contact with the debuting Absolute Racing Bentley ended their run at the front, allowing Clearwater Racing’s Mok Weng Sun and Keita Sawa to claim a victory which would all but seal Mok’s third championship crown.

 

Last year Liu and Rizzo claimed second in race two at Shanghai, but again they were right in the mix, but it was Craft-Bamboo Racing’s Darryl O’Young and Daniel Lloyd who claimed back-to-back wins.. the interesting point being that the Shanghai winners on Sunday in both 2014 and last year have both gone on to claim the championship crown.. an ominous sign perhaps!!

 

There is one difference in 2016 however, for the first time the Series will use the full 5.453-kilometre Grand Prix circuit unlike the shorter version (which eliminates turns 5 and 6) used in 2014 and 2015

 

2015 GT Asia Series - Rnd#8 (50-minutes - 24-laps) - 26 September

Pole position: Richard Lyons (Craft-Bamboo Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3) - 1:46.985

1. Darryl O’Young/Daniel Lloyd (Craft-Bamboo Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3) 

2. Carlo Van Dam/Piti Bhirombhakdi (TP12 Racing Ferrari 458 Italia GT3) +1.751

3. Keita Sawa/Adderly Fong (Absolute Team Bentley Continental GT3) +5.067

 

2015 GT Asia Series - Rnd#9 (50-minutes - 26-laps) - 27 September

Pole position: Daniel Lloyd (Craft-Bamboo Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3) - 1:47.292

1. Daniel Lloyd/Darryl O’Young (Craft-Bamboo Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3) 

2. Anthony Liu/Davide Rizzo (BBT Ferrari 458 Italia GT3) +9.310

3. Adderly Fong/Keita Sawa (Absolute Team Bentley Continental GT3) +10.946

 

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Schedule (CST - GMT +8)

 

09:40 - Qualifying #1 (15-minutes)

10:05 - Qualifying #2 (15-minutes)

16:05 - Race#1 (60-minutes)

 

14:00 - Race#2 (60-minutes)

 

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GT3 Championship points (after eight rounds of 12)

1. Edoardo Liberati/Andrea Amici (94-points), 3. Anthony Liu/Davide Rizzo (85), 5. Marchy Lee/Shaun Thong, Adderly Fong/Andrew Kim (75), 9. Piti Bhirombhakdi/Carlo Van Dam (71), 11. Jonathan Venter (68), 12. Vutthikorn Inthrapuvasak (66), 13. Keita Sawa (61), 14. Alex Yoong/Alex Au (58), 16. Duncan Tappy (51), 17. Frank Yu/Richard Lyons (50), 19. Tim Sugden (46), 20. Darryl O’Young/Naiyanobh Bhirombhakdi (41), 22. Mok Weng Sun (28), 23. Jono Lester (22), 24. George Miedecke (18), 25. Gianmaria Bruni (15), 26. George Richardson (14), 27. Ashley Walsh, Franky Cheng/JingZu Sun, Richard Wee (13), 31. Philip Ma (10), 32. Andrew Palmer (8), 33. Christer Jöns, Fabian Hamprecht (7), 35. Nathan Morcom (5)

 

Pro-Am Cup points (after eight rounds of 12)

1. Anthony Liu (96-points), 2. Shaun Thong (95), 3. Piti Bhirombhakdi (89), 4. Andrew Kim (85), 5. Alex Au, Vutthikorn Inthrapuvasak (76), 7. Frank Yu (63), 8. Naiyanobh Bhirombhakdi (58), 9. Philip Ma (25), 10. Mok Weng Sun (17), 11. JingZu Sun (16)

 

Pro Cup points (after eight rounds of 12)

1. Edoardo Liberati/Andrea Amici (94-points), 3. Davide Rizzo (85), 4. Adderly Fong, Marchy Lee (75), 6. Carlo Van Dam (71), 7. Jonathan Venter (68), 8. Keita Sawa (61), 9. Alex Yoong (58), 10. Tim Sugden (52), 11. Duncan Tappy (51), 12. Richard Lyons (50), 13. Darryl O’Young (42), 14. Jono Lester (22), 15. George Miedecke (17), 16. Gianmaria Bruni (15), 17. George Richardson (14), 18. Ash Walsh, Franky Cheng (13), 20. Andrew Palmer (8), 21. Christer Jöns, Fabian Hamprecht (7), 23. Nathan Morcom (4)

 

GT Cup points (after eight rounds of 12)

1. Kantasak Kusiri/Bhurit Bhirombhakdi (102-points), 3. Voravud Bhirombhakdi/Tin Sritra (34), 5. Aekrat Discharoen, Toshihito Funai/Masayuki Ueda (32), 8. Akihiro Asai/Ken Seto (28), 10. Suttiluck Buncharoen, (16)