Chengdu (China), 16 September 2007 – The PETRONAS Syntium Team’s charge in the 2007 Asian Touring Car Series continued this weekend at the brand new Chengdu International Circuit in China. The round proved to be a triumphant one with Fariqe Hairuman dominating the proceedings at the recently completed circuit in China with wins in both races.
Having recovered from the mechanical issues suffered at the previous round in Sentul, Saturday’s round five race witnessed the 24-year old Malaysian score a strong race win, having started from pole position on the grid.
With the starting grids reversed for the next race, Sunday’s sixth round race meant Fariqe would have to start the race from seventh position. Already having to battle the slippery new tarmac, the early morning downpour made the conditions even more difficult to predict. Relying on the fact that the track was drying out, the team opted for slicks, a move which paid off as Fariqe began making his way through the field from the start. Maintaining a consistent pace throughout the race as he fought his way from seventh, the PETRONAS Syntium Team driver went on to claim his second win of the weekend.
David Wong, Team Principal:
“This is a great result for the team, who have worked incredibly hard to overcome the problems we had from the previous round. Congratulations to Fariqe, who put in a strong performance this weekend and earned the wins on his own merit. We knew that determining the setup for the car, especially at this is a new track was always going to be quite a challenge, so this is a great compliment to everyone on the team for having done a fantastic job! The race wins also means we get the valuable championship points we need and this helps provide the momentum for preparation for the coming rounds.”
Fariqe Hairuman (driver)
“It feels great to have come away from Chengdu with a great result, especially after the problems we had in Sentul. For both races, my main focus was on maintaining a consistent pace as I didn’t really want to push too hard as it was rather slippery. This morning’s race was a little difficult as the conditions were unpredictable with the morning rain. We knew that the earlier races would help dry the track and the team made the right call for slick tyres. These worked really well under these conditions. I am really happy with the wins and I have to thank the team who have worked so hard over the past few days to get the best setup for the car.”
