Cebu Pacific Air by KCMG rounded off Formula Masters China Series’ third event with a victory and a slew of podium finishes over the weekend at Inje Speedium. Represented by James Munro, Matthew Swanepoel and Dan Wells, the Hong Kong-based team endured motorsport’s highs and lows in Rounds 7-9 of the junior Asian formula series.
The event, which was held in one of Asia’s most physically demanding circuits, saw Cebu Pacific Air by KCMG deliver mixed results over the weekend. Friday’s first qualifying run saw Munro secure a front row position on the grid alongside polesitter Matt Solomon for Race 7. He proceeded to claim his fifth pole position of the season during the second qualifying session, with the best lap time of 1:32.586.
British teammate Dan Wells was not far behind and consistently put opposition under pressure during the two 15-minute sessions. Wells’ efforts in qualifying secured him third and second spots on the grid for Race 7 and 9. Meanwhile, Matthew Swanepoel’s competitive pace placed his #49 VW-powered Tatuus FA010 in the Top 6, completing qualifying in fifth and sixth positions.
The first action-filled round was held in fine conditions on Inje Speedium’s undulating layout. Shortly after the lights went out, the 10-lap affair was interrupted by a Safety Car period following Swanepoel and Yuan Bo’s collision on the opening lap. The incident forced the South African driver to retire early in the race.
Starting from second position in Round 7, Munro got off to a flawless start and managed to take the lead from Solomon. Following the first Safety Car period, the championship leader was off to another strong start and managed to pull a comfortable lead ahead of Wells and Solomon. After 10 laps and 2 restarts, Munro’s superb performance earned him his sixth consecutive victory in the championship.
Dan Wells was in a harrowing battle for second place against Matt Solomon after the first restart. His contender’s efforts came to naught as the second Safety Car was deployed on Round 7’s penultimate lap. Wells took the second spot on the podium, sealing an impressive 1-2 finish for Cebu Pacific Air by KCMG.
The team’s strong run in the series took a bittersweet turn after their streak of victories was disrupted in Round 8. Starting from pole position, Munro lost the lead to Solomon on the first corner and was unable to regain his spot. The 17-year-old driver wrapped up the race in second place – setting the fastest lap of 1:32.695 in the process.
Meanwhile, Wells was consistent from the start of the race and held his position until he crossed the finish line in third place. After the setback in Round 7, Swanepoel’s promising comeback in the second race resulted in a ninth place finish after starting from the back of the grid.
Formula Master’s final race of the weekend saw Cebu Pacific Air by KCMG receive major blows that cost the team valuable championship points on Sunday. Polesitter James Munro spun off-track after contact with Wells at Turn 1 and was forced to retire on the first lap. Swanepoel was also unable to finish the race after his car sustained heavy damage due to a collision with Akhil Rabindra on Lap 3.
With contenders challenging to take the lead, Wells successfully defended his position until the checkered flag dropped. Unfortunately, the British driver was served a 30-second penalty for a jump start, ultimately dropping him to eight place.
James Munro: “It’s been a tough weekend. We definitely had more than enough speed but it just didn’t go our way. Unfortunately in the third race, I had contact with another driver in the first sequence of corners on the first lap, which caused a lot of damage to the car. The car felt very good for that race and I think another win could definitely have been on the cards. It’s unfortunate that my championship lead has been cut but we will come back much stronger in Sepang. I am more determined now than ever.”
Matthew Swanepoel: “It was my first time in South Korea and what an incredible place with amazing people! It was a tough weekend with luck certainly not going my way, despite having some good pace. Sepang is up next and I cannot wait to get back on one of my favourite circuits! Thanks everyone for the continuous support, it’s greatly appreciated.”
Dan Wells: “It is great to get another two podiums on Saturday. I was really looking forward to the race on Sunday. It was quite tough to have gone through two safety car periods, a red flag, and get the job done with the fastest lap to boot in the final race. But that is racing and there were lots of positives to take away. I’d like to thank my investors and sponsors for making this possible and I’m looking forward to the second half of the championship!”
John O’Hara, KCMG Deputy Managing Director: “The race weekend was definitely a baptism of fire for our drivers. Inje presented new challenges and the entire team did a commendable job throughout the event. It’s quite frustrating that we weren’t able to maintain our winning streak, but that’s how it is in racing. Our aim is to come back stronger in the next event at Sepang, where we’re looking to extend our lead in the championship.”
Cebu Pacific Air by KCMG continues to lead the Team Classification standings with 191 points. James Munro stays on top of the Driver standings with 120 points.
The rescheduled Round 3 was postponed to a later date due to scheduling. To find out more about Formula Masters China Series, visit http://www.formulamasterschina.com/
For more information about KCMG, visit www.kcmg.com.hk. To keep track of latest updates, please like KCMG’s Facebook page or follow @KCMotorgroup on Twitter and Instagram.
Copyright: Thomas Lam|Formula Masters China Series
