HRT Formula 1 Team announces the incorporation of Chinese driver Ma Qing Hua to the Spanish team’s young driver development programme.

The formation programme designed by HRT F1 Team for Ma Qing Hua includes professional assessment in his career as a driver, private tests with cars from different categories and simulator tests. If the results of the partnership are satisfactory, Qing Hua could take to the wheel of the F112 at the Formula 1 Young Driver test.

Ma Qing Hua will perform his first official act with HRT Formula 1 Team on Thursday the 12th of April at a press conference previous to the Chinese Grand Prix (13th to 15th of April), which takes place at the Shanghai International Circuit. The details of the press conference will be announced shortly.

The incorporation of Ma Qing Hua to HRT Formula 1 Team’s driver development programme is part of the Spanish team’s strategy in order to serve as a platform for the formation of professionals in the pinnacle of world motorsport. The driver born in Shanghai has been competing in different categories of national and international motorsport for many years. His incorporation to HRT F1 Team’s Driver Development Programme takes place after some simulator tests and a testing session in Cheste (Valencia) at the wheel of a World Series car. The qualities and attitude of Qing Hua convinced Luis Pérez-Sala of his potential to incorporate him to the programme which Dani Clos, HRT F1 Team test driver, is also a part of.

Ma Qing Hua: “I’m very honoured to form a part of the driver development programme at HRT Formula 1 Team since, with work and effort, it will allow me to become the first Chinese Formula 1 driver. It’s a very special moment for me and it’s hard to express how happy I am. I’ve dreamt of becoming a Formula 1 driver since I was very small. I started in the karting world when I was 8 years old and I worked really hard to learn and become quicker every time. After competing in categories such as Formula campus, Formula Renault and F3, I learned a lot about car set-up, technique on circuits and team work to become more professional every time. And now finally my childhood dream has become true thanks to the opportunity that HRT has granted me to become an F1 driver. And even more so this year with all the drivers who are competing, with 6 world champions amongst them. Driving an F1 car will be the most incredible experience and I’m going to work hard to earn it. Thanks to HRT for offering me the chance to show what I’m capable of. And thanks to my family and everyone who has always supported me. This is only the beginning”.

Luis Pérez-Sala, Team Principal: “We are working so that one of the team’s signs of identity is to serve as a platform to launch young drivers, both nationally and internationally. Ma Qing Hua is one those talents in which we believe and we want to help him in his career so that he can make it to Formula 1. We like his conditions and we want to take part in his formation by incorporating him to the team’s Driver Development Programme so that he can participate in races and private tests, with the objective of him being able to take part in the Formula 1 tests reserved to young drivers. Due to my responsibility in the Circuit de Catalunya young driver programme, I’ve been able to follow his progress and personally assisted some tests he did. I knew he had potential, but I was surprised with his speed, safety, adaptation capacity, attitude and professionalism. All these virtues make us believe that his incorporation to the programme will be very positive and will lead to a fruitful and lasting relationship”.

Profile

Date of Birth: 25th of December 1987
Place of Birth: Shanghai, China
Nationality: Chinese

Ma Qing Hua started racing at the tender age of 8 and won the youth National Karting Championship when he was 12 years old. He continued to race and achieve successful results in karting until 2004, when he entered the Asian Formula Renault Series and won the championship. In 2005 he represented Team China in A1 Grand Prix. From here he would move on to Formula Renault 2.0 NEC, before competing in Formula 3 Spain and Formula 3 Spain “Copa de España”, managing two podiums this season. One year later, the Chinese driver took part in various events of the British Formula 3 International Series. In 2010 he represented Team China for two races in Superleague Formula before moving onto the Chinese Touring Car Championship in 2011 where he came away with the title after four wins and four podiums in the eight-race season.

Career Summary:

2011: Chinese Touring Car Championship: 1st in the Championship (4 wins and 4 podiums)
2010: Superleague Formula: Team China
2009: British Formula 3 International Series: Team West-Tec
2008: Formula 3 Spain, Copa de España F3: Team West-Tec: 7th in the Copa (2 podiums)
2007:Chinese National Karting Championship (Super Group): 1st in the Championship
2006:Formula Renault 2.0 NEC: Team Astromega
2005:A1GP: Team China
2004:Asian Formula Renault Series: 1st in the Championship
Formula Campus Asia Championship: 1st in the Championship
Shanghai Karting Grand Prix (ICA Group): Winner
2003:Chinese National Karting Championship (ICA Group): 6th position
2002:Chinese National Karting Championship: 2nd position
Indian International Karting Championship: 2nd position

Racing is expensive. To be completely to create upwards of donors are often needed. Talent alone is not enough to get a cockpit. Many pilots know the feeling of standing because of the lack of money before the career-Off. Some moved again head out of the loop, others actually disappeared from the scene. Mark Webber also knows this uncertainty. In 1997 his career was before Off.

Webber went during his Formula 3 season out of money. But the Australian rugby star David Campese helped him out of this mess and then transferred him the equivalent of 60,000 euros. Not insignificantly, was that Webber’s father Alan had previously played together with Campese rugby. For today’s Red Bull pilots, this was certainly the rescue at the last minute. The now established in the Australian Formula 1 now wants to give something back to yourself.
For example, he supports the New Zealanders Mitch Evans, who is in the Australian Formula 3 Championship for the season’s second half. It will therefore rise is apparently not take long until the 16-year-old Webber in GP3-racing team. But as has been known now saved Webber also had the career of a prominent farmer. IndyCar driver Will Power was in 2004 in the British Formula 3 out of money.

He needed 500 000 €, much he got from Webber. “I do not know exactly why he showed me a rausgeholfen. But if he did not think that it’s worth, had he not done so. He has gone through the same thing as I,” said the current leader of the IndyCar Championship Canada’s The Globe and Mail ‘. For the current championship leader in Formula 1, this was a matter of course.

“I was even lucky that I am at the right time to support some important persons, such as David Campese got. I could go on living my dream. When I was in the situation the same for someone else to do, I have not hesitated” , the season winning four times, is happy about the success of Powers: “It is fantastic when you see how Will’s hard work and determination have paid off.”

Webber is also happy that he Power “was a bit of reach under his arms as he had need. His career was at stake, but I could see how determined he was and did not give up.” The Red Bull driver now hopes that the IndyCar driver follows his example: “Perhaps he is even in the situation that he can make someone a favor and this will be in the championship fight to the top.”

For the first time since 1994, the name Senna in Formula 1 start list. The season opener went for Bruno yet resinous. In eight races of the Brazilians saw only twice in 16th the checkered flag. The HRT is not only slow but also difficult to control. Nevertheless, the 26-year-old is happy to be a member in the premier class. Well, must follow the next step.

“Formula 1 is so difficult that one can not imagine. One can only react,” Senna is quoted by Auto Motor und Sport ‘. “In the first two or three races I had severe adjustment problems of the sports cars I’ve driven in the past year, back on formula cars. At a certain point, I got my normal F1 driving style found again.”
The greatest successes celebrated Senna in the British Formula 3, which he finished as joint Ritter (2006), and in the GP2. In the junior formula, which is held under Formula 1, missed the youngster the title in 2008 only just. “I was always one of the top drivers. Therefore, it is now very ugly for me so far to go back. Especially the Überrundetwerden is bad because you can focus fully on your race and not your strategy.”

Talk big, triple world champion Ayrton’s nephew Senna has already beaten around. This includes the announcement that he may be in a better car champion. “What is clear is that easy to say but difficult to put into practice. But I think basically because I have the potential. Whenever I had to take another step, I’ve done.”