Martin Cao leads Ford 1-2-3 in Race 1 in Shanghai
Martin Cao has taken his first victory in the China Touring Car Championship in Shanghai, winning Race 1 ahead of team-mates Zhang Da Sheng and Rainey He, leading a Changan Ford FRD Team 1-2-3.
The pole-sitting Teamwork Citroën of Sunny Wong fell behind the three Ford Focuses during the early stages of the race, with the Ford drivers romping to a comfortable victory, with Cao leading Zhang by 2.2 seconds at the finish, with Rainey He third, seven seconds behind.
The closest challenger to the Fords was Alex Hui in the Teamwork Citroën C-Elysée, finishing fourth, 17 seconds down.
Zheng Zhen Dong was the best-placed of the Shanghai VW 333 Racing Volkswagen Lamandos in fifth, ahead of Thai driver Nattavaue Charoensukhawatana in the privateer Mercedes-Benz C260.
In the Super Cup 1.6T race, Martin Xie took victory in the Honda Civic, finishing ahead of Jason Zhang’s Kia. Chen Xu started from pole in the Haima M6 under the reversed grid, but quickly dropped behind the quicker Kias and Hondas in the race, eventually finishing sixth.
Zhang took the early lead, but was passed by Xie on lap four, who went on to take his third victory of the 2016 CTCC season.
