Malaysia. The climactic late-season action continues for the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia after a slick-track showdown at Sepang international Circuit. The progression of the young Team StarChase driver Philip Hamprecht was on full display in the penultimate Porsche Carrera Cup Asia race weekend as he tactfully challenged the series leaders in Round 11.
Hamprecht began his conquest during Saturday’s qualifying round, temporarily grabbing the fastest lap early on in 30-minute session. But his time didn’t hold as he faced down a grid of ambitious drivers eager to gain as much advantage as possible in the final race before the finale in Shanghai. Still, the young driver doubled down, communicating closely with his team in the pits and pushing himself on the track. In the end, he managed a thunderous last minute lap to take the pole position for Round 11 with an ultra-speedy 2:08.672 lap time.
Starting from the pole for the third time in the 2017 season, the 19-year-old driver stepped onto the grid prepared to fight. But the tumultuous tropical conditions stormed the grid with a sudden downpour immediately before the race started, resulting in a race delay and safety car start, forcing drivers to switch to wet tyres.
Undaunted, Hamprecht braced himself as the safety car went off in Lap 3, ready to defend his position. He was immediately pressured by the two championship leaders, fending off attacks from both sides as competitors simultaneously attempted aggressive passes on both the inside and outside turn. In a mixed show of pure talent and amazing resolve, Hamprecht hardily held them off throughout lap 4 but eventually had to cede his lead position to the more experienced driver.
He continued his battle at the front of the pack for much of the race, going tit-for-tat with the series’ top drivers for several laps before eventually settling back in fourth place where he finished the race. The solid performance earned Hamprecht a boost in the championship table, bringing him up to 5th place in the Overall class.
“It was a tough race and the track conditions were not the greatest. I was ready for the start and knew I would face pressure right away, so I think the team did a really good job of preparing me for that. I had hoped I could hold the lead a little bit longer than I did, but I’m happy to see our finish move us up in the tables and am looking forward to the finale,” Hamprecht said.
Just two races remain for the season as Hamprecht and Team StarChase have one month to prepare for the grand finale in Shanghai alongside the World Endurance Championship from November 4-5.
“We’re very content with Philip’s progression and his excellent performance in the qualifiers. Obviously he has a little more experience on the track after racing there earlier this season, so to come back and get the pole position shows that he is a quick learner. Our team reacted very well to the sudden wet conditions and were quick to adjust Philip’s car to gain maximum performance, so we’re very pleased with that. Shanghai will no doubt be an excellent end to the season and we hope to go out with a bang,” Robby Niermann, COO of StarChase said.