From October 16 to 18, the TCR China Championship held a fiercely contested round at the Chengdu Tianfu International Circuit. Deploying an all-star lineup of four fierce drivers—Robert Peter Huff, David Zhu, Zhang Zhiqiang, and Sunny Wong—the Lynk & Co Teamwork Motorsport delivered a dominant performance. They clinched the pole position in qualifying and secured one victory, two runner-up finishes, and one third-place finish across the two races, completing a crucial campaign ahead of the season finale with remarkable results.
Rob Huff made his return to the Chinese battlefield, piloting a Lynk & Co 03+ TCR car in TCR China for the very first time; meanwhile, David Zhu, Sunny Wong, and Zhang Zhiqiang held down the top three spots in the Drivers’ standings, serving as the core contenders in the championship battle.
During the qualifying at the Chengdu round, the Lynk & Co Teamwork Motorsport immediately showed its competitive edge. Zhang Zhiqiang clocked the fastest lap of 1:25.719, edging out Huff by a margin of 0.06 seconds to secure TCR China’s very first pole position at the Chengdu Tianfu International Circuit. Robert Peter Huff followed closely behind to take second. David Zhu and Sunny Wong finished fifth and fourteenth, respectively.
Lynk & Co 03+ TCR Conquers Chengdu on Debut, Securing P1 and P2
In Race 1, front-row starters Zhang Zhiqiang and Huff engaged in a fierce wheel-to-wheel battle right from the start. When the lights went out, Huff showcased a sharper reaction to seize the initiative, charging into Turn 1 to take the lead before controlling the overall pace with steady rhythm. Facing persistent pressure from Zhang Zhiqiang, Huff fully displayed a world champion’s poise, ultimately being the first to take the checkered flag in P1, closely followed by Zhang as the two crossed side-by-side to lock out the top two spots for the Lynk & Co Teamwork Motorsport.
Huff expressed high satisfaction with his comeback in China: “This was a fantastic race. There was almost nothing between Zhang Zhiqiang and me, and locking out the top two positions is the best possible outcome for the team. I was involved in a lot of the R&D and testing work for the Lynk & Co 03+ TCR car, and I’m thrilled to drive it in competition this weekend.”
Zhang Zhiqiang commented: “I’m very happy to have the opportunity to team up with Huff, and we previously participated in testing the new car together. This is the Chengdu debut for the Lynk & Co 03+ TCR car. The car performed exceptionally well at the start of this weekend and showed great pace in qualifying, though we still need to accumulate more mileage. At the race start, Huff and I swapped positions, but racing alongside him felt completely stress-free. As teammates, we knew maximizing the team’s result was paramount, so we avoided overly aggressive battles and brought the car home steadily.”
Additionally, David Zhu and Sunny Wong drove steady races in their debut in Chengdu, finishing fourth and fifth respectively to secure valuable points for the team.
Breaking Through Adversity, the Duo charge back to the Podium
In Race 2, the Lynk & Co Teamwork Motorsport maintained its steady performance. Due to the reverse-grid rules, Huff and David Zhu started from ninth and sixth places respectively. Following the start, David Zhu and Huff rapidly climbed through the pack, breaking into the front positions within the very first lap. David Zhu climbed to third place, with Huff closely following in fourth. As the race progressed, the pair advanced further, both breaking into the overall top three.
Ultimately, David Zhu and Huff claimed two more overall podium finishes for the Lynk & Co Teamwork Motorsport. David Zhu secured second place, while Huff took third.
David Zhu shared after the race: “Today’s start went smoothly, and I quickly made up positions. The overall speed of the car was fantastic. Afterward, I moved up to second and pushed at a relatively steady pace. I’m delighted that Lynk & Co 03+ TCR cars locked out the top four positions of this race. This is TCR China’s first time held at the Chengdu Tianfu International Circuit, and we’ve achieved stellar results. I hope we can maintain this strong momentum in the future. Thanks to the hard work of the Lynk & Co Teamwork Motorsport, and thanks to Lynk & Co for their support.”
Zhang Zhiqiang also delivered a stellar performance in this race; starting from tenth, he carved his way through intense battles to cross the finish line in fourth place. Sunny Wong secured ninth place, adding valuable points to his tally.
The fierce battles of the Chengdu round have concluded, and the Lynk & Co Teamwork Motorsport returns home fully loaded, driven by consistent teamwork and exceptional performances. The Lynk & Co 03+ TCR car showcased extraordinary strength with a dominant display.
From October 23 to 25, TCR China will head to the Zhejiang International Circuit for the season finale. Currently, the Lynk & Co Teamwork Motorsport leads across the board in the Drivers’, Team’s, and Model’s standings. The team has already locked up the Team’s and Model’s championship with one round to spare, and is now poised to make its final push toward Zhejiang to claim ultimate championship glory. Stay tuned!
