Shanghai. PICC Team StarChase driver Alexandre Imperatori returned to the dominant form which saw him take the 2012 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia championship, as he swept to a convincing win in Round 3, held in support of the Chinese F1 Grand Prix in Shanghai. Starting from pole, Imperatori wasted no time in pulling out a gap from second-place finisher Martin Ragginger of Porsche Holding, crossing the line 3.666 seconds ahead of the Austrian at the end of the 12-lap race. Third was defending champion Earl Bamber of LKM Racing who had started from fourth on the grid and shaved more than a second of last year’s fastest lap in the new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (Type 991).
In Class B, talented Malaysian youngster Alif Hamdan of Nexus Racing took his second class victory this season, learning from his error in Round 2 which saw him finish down in 12th. Behind Hamdan a pitched battle saw OpenRoad Racing’s Francis Tjia prevail after a prolonged and thrilling chase with Round 2 Class B winner Yuey Tan of Dorr Havelock Racing.
Round 2 race of the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia yesterday was nothing short of spectacular. LKM Racing’s Earl Bamber took a thunderous victory, charging ahead of the battling field to cross the line more than six seconds ahead of Porsche Holding’s Martin Ragginger who drove a thunderous race from fifth on the grid after a puncture in qualifying.
Third across the line after one of the most eventful and exciting races in the series’ 12-year history was PICC Team StarChase driver Alexandre Imperatori followed by China’s Tung Ho-Pin of Budweiser Team Absolute Racing.
The fight for the Class B win was just as enthralling, with Dorr Havelock Racing’s Yuey Tan taking a superb victory, fending off a final late challenge from Clearwater Racing’s Mok Weng Sun. Third in the class was Round 1 winner and category pole-sitter Alif Hamdan of Nexus Racing who did well to climb back through the field after a spin on lap four dropped him down the order.
After a truly momentous start to its 12th season, with three races in support of the Formula 1 World Championship in Malaysia last month and Shanghai this weekend, the Porsche Carrera Cup turns south to China’s Pearl River Delta Region for a double header at the country’s first purpose-built motorsport facility, the Zhuhai International Circuit. With neighbouring Hong Kong, Macau and Guangzhou, along with Zhuhai, all passionate fan bases of the series, Rounds 4&5 from May 9 to 11 are guaranteed to be a true celebration of the very finest in racing technology and sporting excellence.