It was 3 days of pushing the limit for Team StarChase at the Shanghai International Circuit as the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia launched the 2017 season with 5 testing sessions hosted throughout the weekend.
The sessions were led by Philip Hamprecht who joins Team StarChase for the first time from the Formula Masters China Series where the 20-year-old German won first place in the overall championship. Sponsoring the Team StarChase entry into the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia 2017 season is BASF’s Glasurit Automotive Refinish, who will work closely with the team to provide support throughout the year.
With several blistering lap times clocked throughout the weekend, Hamprecht’s debut with Team StarChase showed strong promise as the young driver displayed a natural talent behind the wheel of the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Car.
Achieving the second fastest time among all drivers for session one and two, Hamprecht clocked his personal best in session three on Saturday afternoon after registering a 2:08.728 time in lap 18. Wet tyres were brought out on Sunday afternoon as light rains wet the track for the final session of the weekend, giving Hamprecht a chance to test his skills on the Shanghai International Circuit under tough weather conditions.
Offering his personal perspective on the weekend, Philip Hamprecht said: “It was an interesting weekend for me, getting on the track for the first time this season. Obviously, I’m very happy to have made some strong times early on in the weekend and it gave me a good chance to get a feel for the car before Round 1. The cold throughout the weekend and the rain on Sunday were not necessarily ideal conditions, but the team was really helpful in pushing me toward my best performance.”
With the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia hosting 13 Rounds across 5 different countries in Asia, there is a long season of tough motorsport competition on some of the most technical tracks in the region ahead.
“We had a good start this weekend and I’m pleased with our results. The team performed very well throughout the three days, showing strong cooperation, quick analysis and insightful solutions during our comprehensive testing. I am confident in our ability to perform going into the first race” Robby Niermann, COO of StarChase said.
With just 4 weeks to go until the team returns to the Shanghai International Circuit for the Round 1 hosted alongside Formula 1, anticipation is high as Team StarChase pursues their 5th Championship win in Asia’s leading one-make series.
“After getting a feel for the car and track over the weekend, I’m ready to come out fighting for the Formula 1 race in April. My strategy is to get the best time during qualifiers so that we can stay ahead of the grid and hopefully achieve the top podium position. It’s definitely a race worth looking forward to,” Philip Hamprecht said.