Martin FOO/Thomas WONG (Car No.11) both showed great competitiveness in the Geely Super Cup event at Zhejiang International Circuit in Shaoxing. LIU Xiaohua (Car No.12) faced challenges over the course of the three-race weekend, which limited his opportunity to score additional championship points.
Qualifying
During the qualifying session, the series rookie Thomas WONG piloted the No.11 car, making an outstanding first appearance in the Geely Super Cup. He showed an excellent flying lap skill in qualifying, placing his car 9th on the grid for Race 1, while LIU, the runner up in 2023 season of Geely Super Cup, finished the qualifying with 14th place.
Race 10
WONG made his championship debut in race 1, the young driver lost a couple of positions after the first lap. Then a huge accident at Turn 16 brought out the safety car. WONG managed to stay away from the hazard and gained some places at first part of the race. Then he kept a steady pace, brought the car home in 9th place, making the No.11 car a front row start in the next race.
LIU started the race in 14th place. The No. 12 entry was making great progress, moving his car up to 12th place at the race start. However, car No. 12 encountered a technical problem after the safety car period and stopped on the circuit. LIU made all his efforts to restart the car and back to the race, finishing the race in 13th position in the end.
Race 11
Overtakes, crashes and spinnings filled the second race of the Shaoxing event, but Martin FOO did an amazing job in this chaotic race. From second on the grid, FOO’s start was fancy and he got an opportunity to challenge the car in the lead. Sadly thought, FOO lost some positions after being blocked by competitors.
FOO was able to make adjustments to his race pace, recording a personal best lap time of 1:49.435. As the 12-minute countdown commenced, a multi-car incident prompted the deployment of the safety car. Fortunately, FOO was able to navigate through the situation without sustaining any damage to the vehicle.
Given the need for track clearing operations, the Race Director determined it was necessary to conclude Race 2 under the safety car. Despite these circumstances, FOO was able to take the checkered flag in 4th position, earning valuable championship points for the team.
It was an unfortunate race for LIU. He lost positions at the start but continued to look for opportunities to challenge the cars running at the front. Partway through the race, LIU reported an issue with the car over the team radio regrettably. He then returned to the pits, where the crew worked diligently to try and resolve the problem. Despite the team’s best efforts, there was insufficient time to fully address the issue. LIU had no choice but to accept retirement from the second race at Shaoxing.
Race 12
The final race of the weekend presented significant challenges for Teamwork Motorsport. The endurance race on Sunday afternoon took place under the scorching sun. All drivers were required to complete a 45-minute race with a mandatory pit stop.
As the five red lights extinguished, Race 3 commenced. Thomas WONG would handle the first stint in car No. 11, while LIU Xiaohua behind the wheel of No. 12 car for the whole race. Unfortunately, a concerning rollover accident occurred at Turn 6 on the opening lap prompted the first red flag of the weekend.
After a suspension of more than 20 minutes, the race was restarted. WONG was running in 4th place but was able to make an excellent late-braking overtake in Turn 13 to advance to 3rd position. Prior to the mandatory pit stop, WONG managed to climb up to 2nd place. However, the subsequent safety car deployment during the pit stop window reduced the gap between the cars on track. When Martin FOO took over car No.11, rejoining the race towards the back of the field.
FOO drove determinedly to recover positions, posting qualifying-level lap times throughout his stint. Ultimately, car No.11 crossed the finish line in 12th place. Regrettably, LIU Xiaohua faced a challenging race in car No.12 with technical issues interrupting him. He was forced to retire on Lap 3 due to an engine issue.
It was undoubtedly a difficult race weekend for Teamwork Motorsport in Shaoxing. However, all three drivers demonstrated outstanding performance during the races, which bolstered the team’s spirit. The series will be back on August 30-September 1 at the Ningbo International Circuit.
