Despite having clinched the AFOS Formula BMW Asia championship earlier this month in Japan, Chinese Champion Marchy LEE Yin-Kin (HKG) cannot wait to hit the track again at the upcoming Sinopec Chinese Grand Prix, where Formula BMW Asia is a supporting race. The Monarch Lubricants Red Bull Team Meritus driver sees this Shanghai race as his second home race, following a previous event at the Goldenport International Circuit in Beijing.
This time, however, the crowds will be over 120,000 strong, and he will have the added incentive of performing in front of the F1 teams, who already noticed Lee's talent earlier this season at the Bahrain Grand Prix where Formula BMW Asia was also a support race.
"I'm delighted to have won the championship, but this is the event I have been waiting for all season. This new circuit is amazing, and to race in front of the massive Chinese crowds will be a unique experience. The Chinese are getting so excited about motor racing, and I want to give them a Chinese racer to cheer for," said Lee.
Lee has dominated the 2004 Formula BMW Asia series, winning 9 races out of 10 so far, giving him an insurmountable points lead with 4 races to go including two this weekend in Shanghai. This strong performance puts him in good stead for next year, as he is aiming for the inaugural GP2 season to further his career. To help with this and future plans, Lee and his manager Peter Thompson will be meeting with a few F1 teams over the course of the weekend.
"Marchy has clearly shown he is one of the most talented Chinese drivers around, and I am confident that with the right support he will be competitive in GP2. This is what we will be working on this weekend," said Thompson, who is also Founder and President of Meritus Racing.
Meritus' other drivers are also looking forward to the Shanghai race. Moroccan Mehdi Bennani, who has all but clinched the Rookie Cup title, has stepped up his preparation in order to regain second place in the overall drivers' standings, behind team mate Lee.
"I have been training really hard for the last few weeks, and have been doing lots of research on this new Shanghai circuit. I've even practiced on a racing computer game!" said Bennani.
Meritus' other full-time driver, Malaysian youngster Nik Iruwan, is looking to overcome his disappointing last race, where he was penalised for creeping at the start. Iruwan has nevertheless made rapid progress in this his first year in car racing, proving his competitiveness against the fastest in the field. His target of a podium finish cannot be far off.
"I have been getting faster and faster at each race, despite my penalty in Japan. This Shanghai circuit will be challenging because it is very long and quite technical, but I am confident that everything I have learned this season will help me put in a good performance," said Iruwan.
The popularity of the Shanghai race has meant Meritus will be running two extra cars this weekend. Eurasian rookie Tobia Kipper (half German, quarter Chinese, quarter Thai) makes his debut in the Formula BMW Asia series, after carrying out very positive pre-season tests in the car with Meritus back in January. This event will be a prelude to Kippers intention to join the full season in 2005.
"I can't wait to get back into the Formula BMW. It's very different to karting, with much higher G-forces, but I proved to myself I can adapt quite quickly when I tested in January. I will still have to learn a lot, such as the new circuit, driving the car in race conditions etc., but it will all help me with my full attack next year," said Kipper.
Filling the fifth car will be South African-American businessman Mark Patterson, who has raced in various formula and sports car events around the world. Patterson is Chairman and co-Founder of MatlinPatterson Asset Management, a global acquirer of bankrupt companies which runs about US$3.85 billion in capital.
"I was originally going to Shanghai to watch the F1 race, but then I got in touch with Peter [Thompson], and he offered me the chance to race at the event too! I might not be fighting for the win, but it should still be a great experience," said Patterson.
With 4 races to go in the season, Meritus has once again won the team championship, and is already working on 2005. Driver evaluation and pre-season testing will run from October to March at the Sepang F1 circuit in Malaysia, with testing starting at US$1,500 per day. Scholarship programs will be available for the full season of Formula BMW Asia in special cases.
