2014年4月18日，上海将连续11年迎来F1大奖赛赛事，但是无论赛事本身会发生什么，这都有一种似曾相识的感觉。
Category Archives: Motorsport
China’s F1 antipathy a constant in season of flux
Formula 1 is a state of flux right now. Aside from all the massive rule changes for this season, Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali quit this week, there’s due to be a new US-based team from 2015 and three of the existing teams are reported to be meeting in Shanghai on Thursday to discuss how to make their engines louder, after those new regulations sucked some of the noise out of the sport.
But the one constant that remains is China’s antipathy to Grand Prix racing. The race at the Shanghai International Circuit on Sunday will be the 11th consecutive Chinese Grand Prix held there, with current or former world champions winning eight out of the previous 10 races. But after the initial buzz, reality set in.
Here are some of the problems:
Continue reading China’s F1 antipathy a constant in season of flux
Leo’s coming to Beijing!
Leonardo DiCaprio is on his way to Beijing. That’s because the Hollywood heartthrob has co-founded the tenth and final Formula E team – the new electric race car series backed by the FIA, which kicks off in the Chinese capital next year.
Chinese driver’s long road to Formula 1
Sun Zheng is arguably China’s best motor racing prospect right now. There are some much better Chinese drivers than him (like these two for example), but, at 21, Sun has time on his side. On Sunday, Sun became the first Chinese driver to race in the Macau Formula 3 Grand Prix, and drew quite a lot of attention as a result, including this lengthy interview published by CNN. Continue reading Chinese driver’s long road to Formula 1
Massive crash for Alex Yoong in Macau
Former Formula 1 driver Alex Yoong had a massive crash during the qualifying session on Saturday at the Macau race finale for the 2013 Audi R8 LMS Cup. Fortunately he was unhurt and walked away from the car.
China Sports Insider Ep. 1 – Motor racing in China
Welcome to the first of what will be a series of videocasts with the people who matter in the Chinese sports industry, everyone from athletes and officials to executives and agents.
We kick things off with a discussion with top Chinese motor racing drivers Franky Cheng Congfu and Adderly Fong about the state of motorsports in China today, how soon China can expect to see a team or driver in F1, and which drivers are better – those from Hong Kong or the mainland!
Hakkinen wins on return to motor racing in China [UPDATED]
Mika Hakkinen won his first race since 2007 on Saturday, despite having being away from competitive motor sport for two years. Hakkinen had partnered up with 17-year-old Hong Kong driver Matt Solomon at the GT Asia series stop in Zhuhai in southern China to represent Australia’s Erebus Motorsports in a one-off race weekend event to promote AMG.
Continue reading Hakkinen wins on return to motor racing in China [UPDATED]
Mika Hakkinen back on the track in China [UPDATED]
[UPDATE: Mika Hakkinen qualified in 7th position for Race 1, so still getting up to speed in the car. Matt Solomon qualified in 3rd place for Race 2 but he’s competing against all the other lower-ranked drivers, whereas Hakkinen’s times are compared against the pros. Hakkinen will start Race 1 and hand over to Solomon roughly half way through, and they will swap shifts in Race 2 on Sunday, with Solomon starting. UPDATE 2: AF Corse’s Ferrari was bumped to last on the grid for having an illegal exhaust, so Hakkinen starts in 6th on Saturday, while Solomon will start in 2nd]
I got the chance to interview two-time F1 world champ Mika Hakkinen in Zhuhai yesterday. He is there in his role as brand ambassador for AMG, but this time’s he’s actually racing. For the first time in two years – his last competitive race was also in Zhuhai – Hakkinen will take part in the GT Asia series, partnering with 17-year-old Hong Kong driver Matt Solomon.
Continue reading Mika Hakkinen back on the track in China [UPDATED]
Corruption crackdown in China provides road bump for luxury car makers
McLaren is the latest company to join the ranks of the top-end car market in China, two years after starting production worldwide. Dealerships opened in Shanghai 10 days ago, and in Beijing last week (pictures here), with new showrooms opening this week in Chengdu and Guangzhou.
With around 30,000 new millionaires in China created each year, plenty of people can afford these models, though the ultra-luxury market (which includes the likes of Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Aston Martin and Maserati) is estimated at 5,000 per year in China. Of more concern is the fact that growth – as fast as 100% annually in recent years – is expected to slow significantly. In addition, these car are often in the news for all the wrong reasons, another sign that sales may fall off. Continue reading Corruption crackdown in China provides road bump for luxury car makers
McLaren Automotive opens showroom in Beijing [PICTURES]
McLaren has arrived in China. The British-based race car firm opened its Shanghai dealership last week, before opening in Beijing this week. Further showrooms in Chengdu (September 24) and Guangzhou (September 27) will follow.
There are three models on offer:
- 12C Coupe (retail price: RMB 3,388,000/US$ 550,000
- 12C Spider (retail price: RMB 3,698,000/US$ 600,000
- P1 (retail price: RMB 12,595,000/US$ 2,055,000
I had the chance togo to the Beijing opening and all three look pretty special up close, as you would expect for those prices. The P1, named for the top position on the starting grid, is limited to 375 cars, hence the $2 million price tag. Pictures below are courtesy of McLaren.
Continue reading McLaren Automotive opens showroom in Beijing [PICTURES]