On 8th and 9th July, the second race weekend of the 2017 China GT Championship will take place at the Zhuhai International Circuit. Let’s find out how everyone is doing ahead of the race days.

KINGS Racing

“It’s been a while since we’ve been at the Zhuhai track. It’s very likely that we will have to face rainy conditions this weekend. Although we’re not as experienced with the rain, we’re hoping that we’ll still have a good run over the weekend in Zhuhai. Last year Martin Rump came third in the Audi R8 LMS Cup, but I believe we can do even better this year. We’re currently at the top of the leader board and hope to stay there.”

Driver: Xu Jia

“Pre-race preparations are crucial. In the few days leading up to qualifiers, we will be strategising new ways to gain the advantage. The weather hasn’t been good recently, but we’re using this as an opportunity to test the cars and make adjustments before the weekend. We’re feeling very confident in the run-up to the next race. I really Zhuhai – I’ve been here many times before, so I hope we can win this time.

This is the second year that I’ll be behind the wheel of the latest Audi R8 LMS. This is a very fast car and I’ve been building a relationship with it.

I’m aiming for top four in this race. I’m going to try my best and go for it without any regrets. I believe in myself and my team, and hope we can do well this weekend.”

Driver: Martin Rump

JRM

“My co-driver and myself will be behind the wheels of a new car and this will present a challenge. However, we are confident about this upcoming weekend. I’ve driven this car before in Thailand, and both my partner and myself will take full advantage of the practice sessions to make sure the car has a good set up ahead of the race. This weekend, we want to go beyond podium and aim for a win.”

Driver: Will Bamber

“I’ve been preparing for the Zhuhai race by spending the last fortnight in the gym doing stamina training. I always want to make sure that I’m in the best shape possible before a race. Despite my preparations, I know that the intense heat in Zhuhai will be a challenge. My main goal for the race is to go home with a podium finish.”

Driver: Pan Chao

“We arrived in Zhuhai a few days ahead of the weekend. The cars have already been tuned and everyone is in position. Our preparatory work is basically finished. We may make some small adjustments to our line-up of drivers, but the total number of cars competing hasn’t changed. We’re hoping for good weather this weekend so we can keep our eyes on the prize.”

Team Manager: Li Dayuan

FAW T2M

“We’ve successfully completed all our preparations for the race, including plans for all types of weather. After carrying out tests, our cars are in excellent condition, and just need a few last minute tweaks. Our drivers are all happy with the states of their cars, and are ready for the rain. Our goal for this race is the same as ever: for all our cars to make it onto the podium.”

Driver: Morris Chen

Bentley Team Absolute

“We have a long history and a vast amount of experience racing at the Zhuhai International Circuit. The Bentley Continental GT3 can show off its advantages here. We’ve already carried out thorough pre-race checks and adjustments and are hoping to put in a good performance over the Zhuhai race weekend. Adderly Fong has an advantage on this track, and while Weiron Tan and Andrew Kim are racing here for the first time, we have high hopes for them. Alexandre Imperatori has abundant race experience and H.G. is also familiar with the track after having done a number of tests on the Zhuhai track. Our goal this weekend is to win the gold of course!”

Driver: Fabien Fior

"It's been a while since the Kickstarter round of China GT held in Beijing last May, which went quite well for Absolute Racing I might add. Our focus as a team hasn't changed, the goal is of course to come out on the top step of the podium this weekend. Whilst the team have been working hard on preparing the cars for Zhuhai, I have been doing my part too as a driver, keeping fit and ready to perform at my best this round. I believe we can do well here too and improve from our previous results. Very much looking forward to Zhuhai this weekend! "

Driver: Weiron Tan

Audi Hong Kong

“We just finished a race in Japan with good results. Coming into the China GT, we hope that we can do even better this weekend than we did last time. A lot of teams here are very familiar with the Zhuhai track, so we’re hoping that BoP can even the playing field a little bit. It seems as though some of our competitors will have the advantage on the straights, but as far as we’re concerned, doing our best is still the most important.

We’re feeling very prepared as we have lots of experience here. I think we should be able to finish the race without any problems, and I hope that my teammates also do well. Of course we’d love to get onto the podium, but winning is the main goal.”

Driver: Marchy Lee

Spirit Z-Racing

“Spirit-Z started making preparations over a month before the second race weekend, including maintenance and restoration work. We have also got technical experts working on the cars to make everything run even more smoothly.

There are a lot of differences between the 4.3 km track of the Zhuhai International Circuit and the 2.39 km track of Beijing Goldenport Motor Park. Zhuhai has many high-speed straights and turns, but very few low-speed turns. The Beijing track is quite the opposite in that regard. Naturally, we had to make some adjustments to the cars’ suspension and down force.

We hope the BOP for this Zhuhai race weekend will put each team and driver on equal footing. As we had some issues with malfunctioning components during the last race weekend, we ordered the new parts from Nissan Nismo in Japan over a month ago. We’ve got high hopes for the second race weekend, and hope that we can make up some lost ground.”

Team Manager: Liu Huihao

“I’ve done a lot of preparation for this race, both mentally and physically, and in terms of the team.

Zhuhai is my home track, and I have my own VIP room and driver lounge, as well as my own personal club outside. I’m determined to win this one!

I’m used to the weather in Zhuhai. I’ve been in Zhuhai for many years, and have always attended the races here. It could even be said that I know rainy Zhuhai like the back of my hand! I really hope it rains. It would be great to use that to my advantage and score a win on home turf. “

Driver: Qin Tianqi

TSRT Tianshi Racing Team

“We’ve just finished another race, so our preparations for the China GT have seemed a bit hurried. As the new cars we bought haven’t arrived yet, we’re temporarily using the old cars in the GT3 and GTC Classes. Our drivers have good stamina and have been working on their driving skills. Zhuhai International Circuit is also our home track, so we’re really pushing for the top spot.”

Team Manager: Lin Shuming

D2

“Zhuhai International Circuit is no stranger to us – we’ve already got two years of experience on this track. However, since we’ve got a new car this time, the car has a different feel to it, and I’m already working on looking for a new way to drive it. Consistency is still the most important factor for us. We want to keep up the good work from Beijing; finishing the race incident-free is our main goal.”

Driver: Huang Hsi Chan

True Visions

“This is my first race in Zhuhai. The track might seem easy but is full of challenges. My car is good to go. My aim this weekend is to make it to the top.”

Driver: Suttiluck Buncharoen

Top Speed Racing

“Because of some logistics issues, our car didn’t arrive in time for the Beijing race weekend. Now we’re in Zhuhai and are happy to see our Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo making its debut. We’ve already spent a week fine-tuning and checking the car in Shanghai, and the car is currently in tip-top condition. We can’t wait to make our bid for podium position!”

Team Manager: Gao Lei

DMS

“Our cars are pretty much good to go. We’re just making some final adjustments according to the results of the free practice. For this weekend we have two drivers, Lu Zhiwei and myself. We also have a new driver joining us at the next race.

Despite the fact that there are a lot of experienced drivers in the GTC class, I hope I can put in a good performance and get ready for the next race at the same time. The next race weekend will also take place in Zhuhai, so the experience and data accumulated this time will be very helpful. I hope the weather is a bit more predictable this weekend.”

Driver: Yan Kai

LEO109

“Last year, I attended China GT as the team manager, so I’m familiar with the championship. This weekend I will complete the whole race by myself in the GTC class. In order to race, I researched the 2017 rules and changed my workout regime in the two weeks running up to the event.

I am pretty familiar with the track and have grown used to my car through practice. This is my first time attending GT race meetings as a driver and I’m still learning the ropes. I just want to finish the race smoothly, and get better results each round.

Driver: Yuan Tingting

The Winning Team

Since we scored two victories last time, our car is running with 25 kg success ballast, with a total weight of 1545 kg, making it the heaviest car in this class. According to the weather forecast, it’s forecast to rain in Zhuhai all week. Since high-speed corners and wet tracks suit us, we should be able to avoid any accidents in these conditions. The drivers are in good condition and are confident that they can win here.

Team Manager: Feng Chong

Xtreme Motorsports

"The races this weekend are being held at a track which I know well. However, since it might rain, there are many variables. I want to concentrate on putting in a stable performance now. My co-driver this time is an old friend of mine: Lo Sze Ho. When he was very young, he put on a show of strength in the Macau Grand Prix. We hope he can bring some of this drive to China GT.

This is my first time participating the full season of the championship, so I’m hoping for good results. This doesn’t necessarily mean a podium finish - we are happy just finishing the race without an incident. Doing my best is the most important."

Driver: Chen Yinian

China Equity AMR

"Zhuhai International Circuit is a good circuit for testing your breaks. Due to some changes in the racing calendar, the next two race weekends will be held at Zhuhai, so I wanted to make sure that I was properly prepared. I familiarised myself with the tracks, learnt about their characteristics and acclimatised to Zhuhai’s humidity and rain. My Aston Martin has an advantage on the straights and the high-speed corners, and I see a real opportunity to take my place of the podium. I haven’t thought too much about the leader board yet – I’m mainly just focussing on myself right now."

Driver: Tian Xu

ZIA FEA Racing

We arrived in Zhuhai early to get ready for the races. Our cars are looking good, and even though it’s our first time on this circuit, we’re hoping that every driver in the team can finish the race safely.

Driver: Yang Zhiyi

The Zhuhai leg of the 2017 China GT Championship kicks off this weekend. We can’t wait to find out what will happen then!