Kantadhee Kusiri leads Team Engstler 1-2 in Shanghai

Kantadhee Kusiri won the first race of the weekend in Shanghai, China, the Thai coming home ahead of Team Engstler team-mate Diego Moran. Huang Chu Han was third across the line in his Audi, also winning the in the TCR China class.

At the start, Andy Yan took the lead courtesy of a slow start by pole-sitter Kusiri. There was carnage further back, as Eric Kwong and former championship leader Wee Sing Lai retired due to contact. Meanwhile Kusiri glued himself to Yan’s rear bumper and managed to pass on the second lap by crossing lines with the Volkswagen driver.

Two laps later, Huang overtook Honda’s Tin Sritrai and launched himself into the hunt for a podium spot, chasing down the two cars of Yan and Moran. On lap seven, Diego Moran took second away from Yan, as the The NewFaster Audi driver appeared to have an issue with his RS 3 LMS, seemingly struggling to accelerate. This allowed Huang to take third outright and the win in TCR China, with Tin Sritrai also sneaking past Yan in the last sector on the last lap.

Kusiri won ahead of Moran and Huang, with Sritrai completing the TCR Asia podium ahead of Yan. Sunny Wong completed the TCR China podium in sixth outright in his Volkswagen, finishing ahead of Teamwork team-mate Filipe de Souza. Kiang Kuan Wong was fourth in TCR Asia and eighth outright in his Elegant Racing SEAT, finishing ahead of Abdul Kaathir’s Honda Civic and Hao Wang’s Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR, who completed the top ten.

Kusiri now leads the championship by as little as half a point over Sritrai, with Moran four points behind the leader.

Next up for TCR Asia is Race 2 at 10:30 local time (4:30 CET) on Sunday.