The 2026 Xiaomi · CTCC China Touring Car Championship kicked off from April 24–26 at the Shanghai International Circuit. Lynk & Co Teamwork Motorsport, fielding the all-new Lynk & Co 03+ TCR, dominated the two rounds of the TCR China Championship. David Zhu (#1) secured a win and a third-place finish to lead the Drivers’ Standings. Zhang Zhiqiang (#36) claimed victory in Round 1, while Sunny Wong (#12) delivered consistent performances, finishing fourth and fifth to secure vital points for the team.
Round 1: A Fierce Comeback Victory
During Saturday’s qualifying, all four drivers advanced to Q2. Sunny Wong clinched pole position with a blistering 2:11.795, narrowly beating teammate Zhang Zhiqiang by a mere 0.001 seconds. Star driver Elvis Han, making his team debut, impressed with a ninth-place qualifying result. David Zhu was left in 12th after an incident prevented him from setting a hot lap.
In the opening race, Zhang Zhiqiang overcame a difficult start to fight his way back to the front by mid-race, holding the lead until the checkered flag. David Zhu executed a steady climb to finish third.
While Sunny Wong followed in fourth. Unfortunately, Elvis Han was forced to retire early after a collision.
“This was the first race for our new car, so I was conservative at the start,” Zhang Zhiqiang noted. “After navigating safety car periods and some very clean, intense battles, I saw my opportunity to take the lead and bring it home.”
David Zhu credited the crew’s relentless effort: “I had a tough break in qualifying after an incident left me without a timed lap. Going into the race, my pace was actually quite strong. After a good start, I managed to carve through the field to bring home third for the team. This year, we’ve switched to a TCR car developed in-house by our domestic team, so everything is brand new. The crew has been working late into the night for the past two days. Starting the season with two wins and a podium is a fantastic result.”
Steady Execution and Continued Dominance
Sunday’s race was marked by high tension and multiple safety car deployments. Starting from the middle of the pack, David Zhu aggressively pushed forward, overtaking several cars in the closing stages to take the win. Sunny Wong maintained his strong form to finish fifth. Thanks to these stellar performances, Lynk & Co Teamwork Motorsport secured the Team Trophy for both rounds, while the Lynk & Co 03+ TCR swept the Model Trophy titles.
Despite the drivers’ successes, Zhang Zhiqiang was taken out in a collision at Turn 14 while charging to the front on the opening lap, and Elvis Han was sidelined by mechanical issues.
David Zhu highlighted the weight of the victory: “Starting from tenth on the grid, I chose a clean line off the start to gain several positions. I then focused on maintaining my pace, making clinical overtakes until I reached the front. It’s been a really tough weekend for the team, so this feels great. This is a Chinese-built TCR car, and winning with it during the 10th anniversary of the Lynk & Co brand is incredibly meaningful.”
With a successful start in Shanghai, the team now looks forward to the second round of the CTCC at the Ningbo International Speedway in late May.
