Photo: WTCR Media

Frédéric Vervisch and Ma Qing Hua hit with penalties for Race 2 incidents

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Frédéric Vervisch and Ma Qing Hua have been punished for two separate incidents at Ningbo which involved Münnich Motorsport Honda driver Yann Ehrlacher in Race 2.

Ehrlacher was holding back Vervisch’s Comtoyou Racing Audi RS 3 LMS in the first race for the final podium position until they came together on lap 12, with Ehrlacher running out wide through the gravel and down to tenth position.

From there, Ehrlacher was then hit by Ma Qing Hua’s Boutsen Ginion Honda on the final lap as the Chinese driver lined up a move on the Cupra TCR of Pepe Oriola, which put him out of the race and with damage which prevented the former championship leader from making the grid for Race 3.

“After lap five the front anti-roll bar broke and the car just became undriveable,” said Ehrlacher to TouringCarTimes. “I did about a few laps like this and kept Vervisch behind, but then he just did a Vervisch move and he hit me.

“I then had a big contact with Ma. I was not ready for this, I was just trying to survive my last lap and then there was a big bang. He’s apologised, but that won’t give me back my points, but it’s nice to do it.”

Ma admitted his mistake, with the team opting to sit him out of Race 3 due to concerns over damage to the Civic TCR’s turbocharger.

“I was trying to overtake Oriola and I knew this was the last chance, so I pulled out at Turn 9 and tried to overtake, but I think the pace of Ehrlacher was not very fast as I think he had some problem,” said Ma after the race. “I was side-by-side with Oriola and then we met in the middle of the corner. I feel very sorry for him, it was not my purpose, my target was just to overtake Oriola.”

Vervisch was given a ten-second penalty for the incident, which now drops to 12th and out of the points in Race 2, was critical of his penalty.

“It’s a stupid decision, as he just closed the door,” said Vervisch to TouringCarTimes. “I was on the inside, but OK.”

Ma Qing Hua has been given a five-place grid drop, which he’ll have to serve in the first race next weekend in Wuhan.