Local racer Andy Chang Wing Chung was crowned champion of this year’s Sands China Formula 4 Macau Grand Prix beating fellow local driver Charles Leong Hon Chio, winner of the previous two F4 races in Macau into third place, while Hong Kong debutant Gerrad Xie Yong Lin came second.
Xie, 16, was the youngest racer.
Chang, 26, had come in second to Leong, 21, in the previous two F4 races in Macau.
This was the third year running that local drivers have won Macau’s F4 race.
F4 is an open-wheel racing car category intended for junior drivers. There is no global championship, but rather individual nations or regions can host their own championships in compliance with a universal set of rules and specifications, according to FIA.
Yesterday’s F4 races came from the China region, i.e., the mainland, Macau, Hong Kong, and Taiwan (officially known as Taipei, China).
At a post-race press briefing, Chang described his victory as “unbelievable”, adding that he was behind at the beginning of the race, but kept pushing and finally managed to overtake the front car at the Mandarin Oriental Bend thanks to “better tracking and late braking”
Chang also said during the press briefing at the Macau Grand Prix Building that he was disappointed with his start yesterday, adding that he had less racing experience and therefore less racing practice this year in the runup to the Macau Grand Prix.
Chang expressed his gratitude to his team, which tuned a “very competitive car” for him this time, adding: “All the adjustments were made very well.”
Meanwhile, Leong, who failed in his bid for a triple crown, said that the race did not live up to his expectations, pointing out that it was “really difficult” to win a third consecutive title, and that this year he had a problem with straight-line speed and that in all the races in the mainland this year he had never been slower than other drivers by more than “a second”.
Leong pointed out that his car was “obviously” not as fast as Chang’s, so it was difficult to compete against his car.
Leong said he hoped that the local drivers could strive for better results, which is why he waved to give way to Chang when he found that his car had some engine power problem.
Macau’s Andy Chang Wing Chung celebrates after winning the Formula 4 Macau Grand Prix race at the 69th Macau Grand Prix yesterday.
– Xinhua
