Eurasia Motorsport concluded the 2015 Formula Masters China Series (FMCS) strongly with young Australian, Aidan Read, finishing fifth in the overall standings, while Kim Jeong Tae regrouped from a heavy crash in Zhuhai to break into the top ten at the Shanghai International Circuit (17-18 October).
Free practice was uneventful for the Eurasia Motorsport pairing and, although they were both unable to showcase their true potential in qualifying due to ill-timed red-flag stoppages, both Read and Kim Jeong Tae were confident of their speed in race trim.
An incident-filled opening lap saw Read move up from sixth to fifth in race one and he replicated that result in the second encounter, which was dominated by an enthralling and protracted three-way fight with 2015 Formula Masters China Series Champion, Martin Rump, and Nicolas Rowe.
Having demonstrated that he is more than capable of holding his own against the championship’s established leaders, Read continued showing class and determination in the final race of the season by moving up from eighth on the grid to fourth position, on the cusp of the podium.
Three solid results in Shanghai cemented fifth place in the final championship standings – a strong position in only his first year of competition on the international stage – and Read said: “Overall, I’m really happy with the outcome and I’m quite proud of my position, especially as I was only a few points away from finishing third. There have been vast improvements both on and off the track; driving ability isn’t something you can judge too well unless you’re comparing like with like, but my mental state and my ability to handle race weekends and the associated pressures and setbacks is where I’ve made the most progress.
“It was a big step to move up to Asia and get involved in international racing with an international team and it required a whole new level of commitment and performance. It has been a significant learning curve, but it has been very useful and effective.”
Kim Jeong Tae also made progress, finishing race one in 12th and moving up several places from 13th on the grid to eighth position in the final tie of 2015, having taken significant strides since the beginning of 2015, much like his teammate.
