Round 9 Race Classification
| POS | NO | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | LAPS | TIME | BEST |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Karun Chandhok | IND | Team E-Rain | 12 | 18:18.189 | 1:30.812 |
| 4 | 42 | Matt Halliday | NZL | Team Meritus | 12 | 18:18.946 | 1:30.681 |
| 3 | 85 | Hanss Lin | TPE | Team E-Rain | 12 | 18:22.611 | 1:31.008 |
Zhuhai, China, October 20, 2006 – Team QI Meritus champion racer Marchy Lee of Hong Kong overcame tyre problems to stamp his class on qualifying for this weekend’s final rounds of the Formula V6 Asia by Renault series at Zhuhai International Circuit today.
His pole position aspirations were scuppered by a mysterious vibration problem in his front wheels and, as a result, Lee was fourth fastest in qualifying for tomorrow’s Sprint Race over 12 laps, and then third fastest for Sunday’s Super Sprint as qualifying action returned to the track in the afternoon.
“My second qualifying session was an improvement from the first, but I was still having vibration problems, which I experienced in the morning’s session. It’s been a little frustrating, but I’m still completely focused,’’ said the QI Meritus star.
Lee added: “I don’t think the problem is with the car. It’s with the tyres. Every time we run a new set of tyres, the vibrations start. The wheels shook a lot and it was affecting my vision, especially when I was going round corners. Hopefully we will rectify the situation before this weekend’s races.”
Lee finished the second qualifying session behind series FV6 series leader, Karun Chandhok of India who clocked 1:30.195. Lee’s Meritus teammate Matt Halliday was second quickest on 1:30.219, ahead of Lee who posted a time of 1:30.500.
“It’s great to see him at the front end of the grid, despite the issues we had today. The team will be working feverishly to find a solution prior to the start of the first race,’’ said Richard Zinkiewicz, Corporate Director of Finance and Administration and Resident Director, China for the QI Group.
The mystery vibrations began not long after the start of the first qualifying session, but the 30-year-old driver was still upbeat about his chances tomorrow. “I qualified for the FV6 for the first time so that’s good news. I was actually second fastest in qualifying until the last lap or so. I am not disappointed because I know I can win from position number four. It’s still looking good for me. I am not far behind the series leaders and they have been racing all season,’’ said Lee.
Lee came out with all guns blazing right at the start of the first session and was already lying second behind Chandhok before the car began to shake violently: “I am still learning about the car but I am improving all the time. I can only get better with time. Finishing fourth is not a bad result because I can still win the race from this position,’’ said Lee.
Lee clocked 1:30.629 for his best lap time, which was 0.596 seconds behind Chandhok, who posted the best qualifying time of 1:30.033. Second fastest was Halliday and third fastest was Taiwanese driver, Hanss Lin Po-Heng.
QI Meritus principal Peter Thompson was full of confidence in his driver, who has been warmly welcomed back by the team: “Marchy is a better racer than he is a qualifier. He’s a great driver and he showed in the [2004] Formula BMW Asia championship that he can still win races outside of pole position. He was not on pole all the time when he won 12 out of 14 races that year he clinched the title,’’ said Thompson.
“Marchy is learning all the time – and fast! He was second fastest at one stage but the others got better times right towards the end.”
Chandhok comes to Zhuhai with an eight point lead in the championship over Indonesian Ananda Mikola. Lee cannot win the overall championship as a first-timer in the series.
Lee has reunited with Team Qi Meritus and is confident of success in this weekend’s two Sprint and two Grand races.
Team Meritus has captured more than 20 titles in the last 20 years, making it one of the most successful Asian racing teams in history. The Irish-Malaysian outfit has helped two of its protégés – Takuma Sato of Japan and Indian racer Narain Karthikeyan – reach Formula 1, the pinnacle of international motorsport. In addition, newly-crowned 2006 German F3 champion Ho Pin Tung and Team Meritus took the 2003 Formula BMW Asia championship in such dominant style that Tung was awarded with a coveted Formula 1 test by BMW Motorsport.
New this season, the introduction of Formula V6 Asia by Renault means that, for the first time, Southeast Asian-based drivers will be able to progress from karting, through the ranks of junior single seaters, and step up to a programme specifically designed to groom them for Formula One. For drivers from outside the region, the series provides a cost-effective alternative to the World Series by Renault, as well as the opportunity to make a name for themselves in the booming economies of Asia.
