Qualifying for round one of the Formula Masters China Series at Zhuhai in China was a one lap affair as torrential rain made the conditions too dangerous and the session was stopped. Race one grid is determined by that one lap boding for an exciting race tomorrow with several quicker drivers consigned to low starting positions.
Eurasia drivers Matthew Solomon, Yuan Bo, Pu Jun Jin and Sean Hudspeth start 7th, 10th, 12th and 18th respectively, the latter spinning on his first lap therefore consigned to the back of the grid. Qualifying two was cancelled therefore the grid for race three will be determined from the best lap times of official practice. Bo Yuan starts 4th (despite spinning out half way through the session and missing out on the drier end of session), Solomon 5th (despite missing all testing due to exams), Pu Jun Jin 11th, like Bo missing the end of the session after clipping the wall and Sean Hudspeth 14th (despite it being the first time he has driven a car in the wet.
“This was a day to survive” reported Eurasia’s Mark Goddard, “ and whilst we are sure we have the pace we lost out in qualifying by having to start toward the back of the queue. Those at the front had a clear lap before the rain came down realty hard. We hope when we are allocated first starting positions for qualifying we also have very wet conditions! In fact the grid was defined by the allocation of garages, the further away from the exit the lower down the grid the driver qualified. The races tomorrow will be exciting especially as the forecast is for more rain and our guys have qualified out of position”
