After seven months’ training and an elimination process, Geely has proudly announced its GDDP (Geely Group Motorsport Development Driver Program) winners for the 2022-2023 season – the Group A winner is ZHU Yuan Jie, and Group B’s is GENG Rui. Both drivers will join the TCR series next year.
- About the GDDP Geely Group Motorsport Development Driver Program
The GDDP has been monitored closely by Geely Group Motorsport, Geely Holding Group Co. Ltd. While Shell Teamwork Lynk & Co Racing provided technical and mechanical support on the race cars and hosted the outings. ZHANG Zhi Qiang, along with other professional racers and colleagues were in charge of running the classroom training material. During the GDDP, the Geely Binray Cool and the Lynk & Co 03 TCR were used for training and endurance races. The idea was to select the best candidates and nurture them into some of the best drivers, in an affordable way.
- CEC (China Endurance Championship) victories
The 2022-2023 GDDP was divided into Group A & B. After the first audition of each group, ten drivers were selected into the first phase elimination, where only four would enter the second phase and this concluded with a CEC race. The entire process incorporated; theory, physical fitness, public relations and race simulation. Drivers from both groups did well in the TCE class of their CEC races. Group A claimed a victory in Zhuzhou, and Group B scored a win and second place at Ningbo International Speedpark.
The winner of Group A, ZHU Yuan Jie, has over five years of racing experience before he joined GDDP. The winner of Group B, GENG Rui, was the winner of the 2021 Geely Super Cup. Both drivers will make their appearance as official GDDP drivers in 2023.
QUOTES
ZHU Yuan Jie said: “This is a dream come true! I first experienced racing in 2016. Over the years I raced in CFGP, F4, Geely Super Cup, Lynk & Co Cup, and coincidently they were all linked with Geely. The GDDP is going to be a new chapter for me, and racing in a Lynk & Co 03 TCR will be a great challenge in 2023.”
GENG Rui said: “Words can’t express how happy I am to become an official GDDP driver. I first took up racing as a hobby, I was lost at some point and didn’t how far I would go or what I wanted to become. Then I joined the Geely Super Cup, and step by step I thought I am capable to give it a try in the GDDP. Now I am really looking forward to the next challenge. I’ve known many friends through the GDDP and I cherish every moment of it.”
CHEN Jun, Geely Group Motorsport Director said:
“I hereby, on behalf of the GDDP judge committee, congratulate ZHU Yuan Jie and GENG Rui for becoming the official GDDP drivers. During the training and elimination process, they’ve shown their potential and qualities as professional drivers. Next, we will promote them to the TCR series and we hope to see them taking on new challenges and tackling them one by one. It’s going to be fantastic to witness how they grow.”
