Ma Qing Hua To Get Third Running With HRT At Abu Dhabi

HRT’s development driver, Ma Qing Hua, will receive further track action during the opening practice session for this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, as the Chinese driver replaces Narain Karthikeyan for the opening practice session on Friday. This will be his third outing for HRT, after competing at the Italian and Singapore Grands Prix.

Throughout the course of the 2012 season, HRT have opted to allow both reserve driver Dani Clos and development driver Ma Qing Hua valuable track time behind the wheel of the F112 at the beginning of various race weekends. Each time, both Clos and Ma have replaced Narain Karthikeyan and partnered Pedro de la Rosa for the opening 90 minute session. This weekend will be the same as the rest, with Karthikeyan scheduled to return to his driving duties Friday afternoon for practice two.

“I’m delighted to have another chance to drive again during a Grand Prix weekend with HRT F1 Team” Enthused Ma Qing Hua, “After my two Friday outings in Monza and Singapore, I’ve continued to work hard both physically and mentally to be well prepared for opportunities like this one.

“To be able to continue gaining experience in a Formula 1 car and adding more miles to my tally is essential for me right now and I want to thank the team for making it happen. I’m getting to know the car and the engineers more each time and this makes me more confident every time I step in the car. My target now is to keep on progressing and learning from the team.”

As the HRT F1 Team prepares for this weekend’s race, only one of their drivers has any true knowledge of the Yas Marina circuit. Pedro de la Rosa carried out extensive testing work for Pirelli several years ago, however neither of their current drivers have partaken in a Grand Prix around the tricky circuit. Only Dani Clos has any true racing knowledge, however HRT have decided to give Ma Qing Hua the running on Friday instead of the Spaniard.

Picture Copyright © HRT F1 Team

Ma Qing Hua To Drive Once Again In Practice At Singapore

HRT’s development driver Ma Qing Hua will once again get behind the wheel of the F112 at an official F1 event next time out at Singapore, as the Chinese driver continues his valuable learning experiences with the Spanish-outfit. The 24-year-old made F1 history last time out in Monza, becoming the first Chinese-born driver to race in the sport.

After initially partaking in HRT’s Young Driver Test at Silverstone back in July, Ma Qing Hua is now preparing to participate in his second official practice session in F1. Many teams up and down the paddock have utilized the opening practice session of the weekend to run their reserve drivers, such as Valtteri Bottas [Williams] and Jules Bianchi [Force India] making regular appearances for their respective teams. With HRT set to introduce several new upgrades at the Singapore Grand Prix, Ma Qing Hua will be instrumental in testing the new updates.

“I’m very happy to drive the F112 for a second time in a row and I really appreciate the opportunity HRT is giving me.” Explained Ma Qing Hua, “It will be very exciting to drive an F1 [car] around the streets of Singapore. It’s a very demanding track for all of us, but it will be even more of a challenge for me as this is only the second time I will be driving the car at a race weekend. I have prepared myself in the simulator as well as doing some specific exercises to be used to driving at night. This is yet again another step in my career and I look forward to getting more experience at the wheel of a Formula 1 car as well as doing my best to help the team to prepare for the race.”

Ma Qing Hua will once again replace Narain Karthikeyan for the opening session of the weekend, before the Indian driver makes a return behind the cockpit of the F112 for the second practice session later in the afternoon. Narain Karthikeyan has also never raced around the Marina Bay street circuit, and will be eager to utilize the 90-minute second practice session to learn the track.

Picture Copyright © HRT F1 Team

Pedro de la Rosa: “I’m More Than Satisfied With The Result”

Pedro de la Rosa enjoyed a relatively successful 100th Grand Prix earlier today, even though he and his team-mate Narain Karthikeyan once again brought up the rear of the order. After starting the race from 23rd on the grid alongside the Force India of Nico Hulkenberg, de la Rosa was able to complete a one stop strategy to finish 18th.

Although the HRT duo ended the race one lap off the leader, the Spanish-outfit remain confident as they continue to improve as the season enters its closing stages. With HRT set to introduce several new upgrades to their F112 car at the next race in Singapore, they are confident a further step forward can be achieved. Narain Karthikeyan, who had not raced around the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza since his debut season back in 2005, finished the race in 19th position. The Indian driver out-qualified team-mate de la Rosa for the first time this season, however he was unable to translate such a result through to the race.

“I’m more than satisfied with the result, especially keeping in mind how we started the race.” Explained Pedro de la Rosa, “The start wasn’t easy but I did what I could because the medium tyres didn’t work well. In the second half of the race, on hard tyres, I started to run well and I’m happy with our pitstop because it was very good. I’m happy with this 100th Grand Prix although I would have liked to have done it better. We have to continue improving and in Singapore we hope for the planned upgrades to help us take that step forward.”

Ma Qing Hua made his official F1 debut during first practice on Friday.

Luis Perez-Sala was content with his teams performance after the race, after a successful weekend which began by creating F1 history as the team allowed development driver Ma Qing Hua to drive during opening practice. The 24-year-old became the first Chinese-born driver to compete in an official F1 event, and coupled with de la Rosa’s 100th Grand Prix the team are confident the upgrades at Singapore next time out will be yet another boost for the Madrid-based outfit.

“I’m happy with how the race went; we experienced no problems and the car proved its good reliability.” Said HRT’s team principal, Luis Perez-Sala. “We’ve closed the gap to the head of the field at a circuit that we knew would benefit us. Overall it’s been a positive weekend with Ma’s debut and Pedro’s 100th Grand Prix, and now we’re looking forward to Singapore, where I hope we will be able to continue progressing.”

Picture Copyright © HRT F1 Team

Ma Qing Hua To Make F1 Debut At Monza Practice

HRT’s development driver, Ma Qing Hua, will make his first track appearance at an official Formula 1 race at this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix when he becomes the first Chinese-born driver to race in the sport. He will replace Narain Karthikeyan for the opening session on the Friday, and will team-mate Spaniard Pedro de la Rosa.

Throughout the majority of the season, HRT have elected their reserve driver Dani Clos to take part in numerous Friday practice sessions, however this weekend will see a slight change as 24-year-old Ma Qing Hua gets behind the wheel of the F112 for the first time since the Young Driver Test at Silverstone back in July. The Shanghai-born driver completed 483.062km during the Silverstone test, and greatly impressed the team as well as securing himself a Formula 1 Super License which enables him to partake during official race weekends.

“This is a very important step towards my dream of becoming a Formula 1 driver.” Explained Ma Qing Hua, “It will be my second time in the car, after the Young Driver Test in Silverstone, and I’m very excited about driving at a circuit like Monza. The objective of this session is to continue advancing with my programme, rack up more miles and experience at the wheel of an F1 car and help the team with whatever they need. I’m excited but also calm about it because I’ve been training hard in the past months to be prepared when the opportunity presented itself. I’ve also worked on the simulator to get to know the circuits a bit better and how a Formula 1 car reacts.”

This weekend will see Ma Qing Hua make F1 history as he becomes the first Chinese-born driver to race in the sport, after Dutch-born Chinese driver Ho-Pin Tung tested for Williams and Renault as well driving in the GP2 Series. This will be the second time HRT have made F1 history this season, the first coming at the Spanish Grand Prix when it was announced that Dani Clos would be driving for them alongside Pedro de la Rosa in first practice. This therefore created the first ever all-Spanish line-up in a Spanish F1 team at all places, Spain.

“Personally, it fills me with satisfaction to be able to give Ma the opportunity to make his debut at a Grand Prix, and to do it in FP1 at a classic circuit like Monza makes it even more special.” Said HRT’s team principal, Luis Perez-Sala. “Since we started working with him in March everything has been very quick but he’s responded and overcome every phase accordingly. From tests with World Series or GP2 cars, passing through sessions on the simulator, to the Formula 1 tests in Silverstone where he completed 500 km with no problems. He’s shown to us that he’s on a good level and has transmitted the necessary confidence to take the next step, which is to make his debut at a free practice session of a Grand Prix.”

Narain Karthikeyan, who will sit out the opening practice session for Ma Qing Hua, will naturally make a return behind the cockpit of the F112 during the second practice session in the afternoon. Just like at Spa-Francorchamps last time out, this will be the Indian drivers first appearance at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza since his debut season in 2005 with Jordan.

Picture Copyright © HRT F1 Team

Ma Qing Hua: “It Was A Fantastic Experience”

Chinese driver Ma Qing Hua got his first taste of Formula 1 machinery on Thursday, as the 24-year-old partook in day one of the Silverstone Young Driver Test. The HRT driver completed 82 laps throughout the day, nearly surpassing 500 km with a personal best time of a 01:37.829.

Ma Qing Hua became only the second driver from China to get behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car, with fellow countryman Ho-Pin Tung testing for Williams in 2003 and Renault in 2010. However, a Chinaman has yet to start an official Grand Prix and Ma Qing Hua is certainly on the right track to one day changing that stat.

With HRT only fielding one driver throughout the Young Driver Test at Silverstone, Ma Qing Hua enjoyed a whole day testing for the Spanish outfit. The Chinese driver was thrilled with the experience, as he completed various challenges throughout the day including short stints, qualifying simulations, long stints and pit stop practices.

“It was a fantastic experience and it’s really hard to put into words everything I felt when I got into the Formula 1 car.” Explained Ma Qing Hua, “It was very special but also productive; a great day. Everything went perfect; the weather was on our side, it didn’t rain and we were able to carry out the established programme without any trouble. It was intense because we practically didn’t stop but that enabled us to cover a lot of miles and finish with a good time.”

Ma Qing Hua was terribly excited with the prospect of driving a Formula 1 car, and explained how he struggled to sleep the night before the test. After his first run in the morning session at Silverstone, Ma Qing Hua had to wipe away his tears of joy at becoming the first Chinese-born driver to drive a Formula 1 car.

“I must confess that the night before I struggled to sleep a bit because it was an important test and I didn’t want to make any mistakes.” Said Ma Qing Hua. “But everything went well and we basically did everything. Short stints and qualifying simulations with both tyre compounds, long stints, start simulations, pit stop practices…it was a very intense but productive experience.”

Ma Qing Hua joined HRT three months ago, and has greatly impressed the Spanish outfit in the short space of time in which he has been with them. Ma Qing Hua’s aim now is to continue working and progressing and to be prepared for his next outing with the Spanish outfit.

Picture Copyright © HRT F1 Team

Chinese Formula 1 Driver Clarification

There has been a debate over the social networking site Twitter as to whether history was made yesterday when HRT’s Ma Qing Hua took to the Silverstone circuit on day one of the Young Driver Test, with some believing the Chinese driver was the first from his nation to drive a Formula 1 car. Others, however, believe Ho-Pin Tung was the first Chinaman to drive an F1 car back in 2003 with Williams.

The debate stems from belief that Ma Qing Hua, who on Thursday drove an F1 car the first time with HRT, is the first Chinaman to drive an F1 car, thus creating history. However, the official stat will show you that Ma Qing Hua is the first Chinese-born Chinaman to drive a Formula 1 car, and not the first Chinaman altogether in Formula 1.

That stat rests with Ho-Pin Tung, even though he was born in Velp, Gelderland (Netherlands). The Chinese-Dutch driver made his Formula 1 debut with Williams in 2003, during a test session around Jerez in Spain. Some might argue with this stat, however hardly anybody argues about the fact that Nico Rosberg carries the German flag, even though the 27-year-old competed for Finland in his earlier career and has a Finnish father.

Ho-Pin Tung made his Formula 1 debut with Williams in 2003

So the clarification is that Ma Qing Hua is the first Chinese-born driver to race a Formula 1 car, whereas Ho-Pin Tung was the first Chinese driver to race a Formula 1 car outright. Either way, a Chinese driver has yet to start an official Formula 1 race, and Ma Qing Hua is undeniably on the right course to one day change that stat.

Picture(s) Copyright © HRT F1 Team & Alastair Staley/GP2 Series Media Service

Texas Motor Speedway Decline Offer To Host IndyCar Finale

The Texas Motor Speedway, which recently hosted round seven of the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series, has declined an offer to host the season finale, after the Chinese Indy Qingdao 600 was cancelled last week. Since the cancelation of this event, IndyCar officials have been searching for an alternative venue to keep the season at 16 events.

Although Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage confirmed that IndyCar was interested in returning to the daunting 1.5-mile oval towards the end of the season, the track would be fully focusing on its NASCAR event in November.

“We appreciate IndyCar reaching out to us for that opportunity, but there were numerous issues and obstacles to overcome to successfully promote the event like the past 23 IZOD IndyCar Series events we have hosted here,” explained Eddie Gossage. “Our focus during that period – ranging from operations to marketing – is squarely on the November 1-4 AAA Texas 500 NASCAR triple-header weekend, especially with it being a key Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race. We couldn’t justify dividing resources between the two events to make it happen and it would be an injustice to both due to the scheduling.”

However, IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard is still searching for an alternative venue, with IndyCar still talking to various tracks about the possibility of hosting the season finale. With the Texas Motor Speedway still not confirmed for 2013, many members within the IndyCar paddock are hopeful that the track remains part of the 2013 IndyCar schedule.

Picture Copyright © AP Photo

Chinese Indy Qingdao 600 Cancelled

The proposed IndyCar race around the Chinese port city of Qingdao has been cancelled, after complications between the city officials and IndyCar lead to the race running out of time to be planned. This was to be the first time IndyCar had ventured into China, with most races run in either Canada or America.

The event was scheduled to take place on August 19th, however race promoters in China cancelled the event. This means the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series calendar is now a race short, with IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard currently investigating the possibility of a replacement event which would keep the Series at 16 events.

“We wanted to give the China race every opportunity to move forward and be successful, but IndyCar has been notified by the promoter that the event is cancelled for 2012,” explained Randy Bernard. “We were informed that the promoter was trying to move the event to a different date and location. After ongoing discussions regarding alternative dates, as well as doing our due diligence in exploring alternate venues in China, the promoter cancelled the event. A decision had to be made to allow IndyCar and its participants to plan accordingly for the second half of the season.

“We are working with our promoters that host events in the second half of our calendar to keep them apprised of how the date of a potential new race could impact our current schedule,” continued IndyCar’s CEO.

After the loss of the Indy Japan 300 at Twin Ring Motegi last season, and the cancellation of the Indy Qingdao 600 in China, the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series will only visit three different nations this season in Brazil, Canada and America. However, IndyCar officials are not “closing the door” on a future race in China in years to come.

The next race on the IZOD IndyCar schedule is this weekend, at Milwaukee for the Milwaukee IndyFest. Will Power currently leads the Drivers’ Championship, ahead of his nearest rivals Scott Dixon and James Hinchcliffe.

Picture Copyright © Chris Jones/IndyCar 

Ma Qing Hua To Take Part In Young Drivers Test With HRT

Chinese driver Ma Qing Hua will complete his first outing in a Formula 1 car with HRT at the Young Drivers’ Test at Silverstone in July, as the Spanish outfit opt to take part at the Silverstone test in July instead of the traditional Abu Dhabi test later in the year. The test will take place the week after the British Grand Prix, between the 10th-12th of July.

The 24-year-old Chinese driver is part of HRT’s young driver programme, and has already completed valuable steps towards his career ambition of one day becoming a Formula 1 driver. Ma Qing Hua has tested in World Series by Renault and Formula 3 cars as well as carrying out tests in the teams simulator.

“I’m very happy and fortunate to have the opportunity to drive a Formula 1 car at the Young Driver Test and do it with HRT Formula 1 Team.” Said Ma Qing Hua, “I’ve dreamed of this all my life and am aware of the great responsibility that comes with it as I’ll be the first Chinese driver ever to take part in the Young Driver Test. I hope that with the backing of all my compatriots, both in China and elsewhere, the commitment and link between my nation and the pinnacle of motorsport grows stronger every day.”

The young drivers test has traditionally taken part towards the end of the season, at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi. However, in 2012 the young drivers test will take place both at Silverstone in July and Abu Dhabi later in the year, with teams split over which venue to test at. This event has seen many up-and-coming drivers test Formula 1 machinery, including GP2 and World Series by Renault drivers.

There has never been a Chinese driver in Formula 1 before, and Ma Qing Hua could well be on the road to becoming the first. His three days in the F112 in July could well be the beginning of a new era in Chinese sport.

Picture Copyright © HRT F1 Team

Chinese Driver Ma Qing Hua Joins HRT’s Young Driver Programme

Only several weeks away from the Chinese Grand Prix, HRT have announced that Chinese driver Ma Qing Hua has joined their young driver development programme, alongside their test driver Dani Clos. This could see the 24-year-old partake in the Young Drivers’ Test in in the F112 towards the end of the year.

Ma Qing Hua has most recently taken part in the Chinese Touring Car Championship, and has won 4 races and qualified on pole-position 4 times. Throughout his career he has also taken part the Superleague Formula for Team China, as well as A1GP for Team China. This move is a big step for the youngster, which could see him one day become China’s first F1 driver.

“I’m very honored to form a part of the driver development programme at HRT Formula 1 Team since, with work and effort, it will allow me to become the first Chinese Formula 1 driver.” Explained Ma Qing Hua, “It’s a very special moment for me and it’s hard to express how happy I am. I’ve dreamt of becoming a Formula 1 driver since I was very small. I started in the karting world when I was 8 years old and I worked really hard to learn and become quicker every time. Driving an F1 car will be the most incredible experience and I’m going to work hard to earn it.”

“We are working so that one of the team’s signs of identity is to serve as a platform to launch young drivers, both nationally and internationally.” Said HRT team principal, Luiz Perez-Sala, “Ma Qing Hua is one those talents in which we believe and we want to help him in his career so that he can make it to Formula 1. We like his conditions and we want to take part in his formation by incorporating him to the team’s Driver Development Programme so that he can participate in races and private tests, with the objective of him being able to take part in the Formula 1 tests reserved to young drivers.”

Ma Qing Hua’s first role as a member of the HRT team will be at a press conference on Thursday 12th April, prior the 9th running of the Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit.

Picture Copyright © HRT F1 Team