SHANGHAI (NOV 23): Thailand based driver James Grunwell turned on the style to win the Formula V6 Asia title at the Shanghai International Circuit today.
Grunwell, who was born in Holland to British parents, took a step closer when he won the sprint race on Saturday and today made sure of the overall crown when he won the Grand Race in the morning, followed by another Sprint Race in the afternoon.
In the evening's final Grand Race of the season, Grunwell failed to finish the race which took place in treacherous conditions.
"After winning the first three races of the weekend, James was guaranteed of winning the drivers' crown and his three victories had also assured The Pizza Company Team Qi-Meritus of the team championship," said team manager Firhat Mokhzani.
"We would have liked to have made it four wins but the weather was treacherous and James spurn on the first lap and could not recover.
"There was fog and mist and he opted to play it safe instead of pushing as both titles were already won. It was a pity as we were confident we could have won all four races but it was not to be."
Grunwell's teammate, Earl Bamber, finished runners-up despite not racing in China, as he was in Sepang, Malaysia for the A1 GP. The drivers' and team crowns now means Meritus Racing Team have won 32 Asian championships in the past 12 years.
Born to a English father and a Dutch mother, Grunwell has lived most of his life in Thailand where his dad has a construction business. He speaks Thai, loves Thai food and naturally began his racing career in Thailand.
"I have learnt so much at Meritus and I will always be grateful to the team. Especially to the team founder (Peter Thompson). I have been with him since 14 and he has taught me everything I need to know about racing; about life and about character building.
"But I need to move on and get as much experience as I can elsewhere. Motorsports in Asia is still growing and maybe after five years elsewhere I can still come back here.
"But now I need to get a feel of racing in other parts of the world. The United States is a good option and the Indy car series sounds exciting. But wherever I go in the next step of my racing career I know I will be equipped with some sound knowledge of what it takes to succeed in the very competitive world of racing," said Grunwell.
Whatever lies ahead in his racing career in the years to come, Grunwell knows he will forever owe a note of thanks to the folks at the Meritus Racing Team.
