Shell Teamwork Lynk & Co Racing will be back for the 2021 season with a line-up of three Lynk & Co 03 TCRs for the TCR Asia series. The Hong Kong-based squad will feature an all-champions trio of MA Qing Hua, Sunny WONG, and Jason ZHANG.
The team is signposting its intentions to follow up on its successful 2020 TCR China championship season, where it won the drivers' title with MA Qing Hua, and the historic Macau Guia Race with Jason ZHANG, becoming the first team to win the event with a driver from China.
The team will be targeting success in the drivers’, teams’ and models’ championships with its three professional Chinese racers, the same line-up which it contested last year's Macau finale.
The team will retain the services of MA Qing Hua, the 2020 TCR China drivers' champion, to lead the team's charge.
The team's second driver is Jason ZHANG, last year’s Guia Race winner, who joined the team for the first time for the iconic street race. ZHANG has previous experience in the China Touring Car Championship Super Cup, where he's a regular race winner and also a previous title contender.
The third driver confirmed for the team is Sunny WONG. WONG won the 2018 TCR China drivers’ championship, and 2021 will be the Hong Kong driver’s first full racing season since that accolade. WONG also drove the Lynk & Co 03 TCR to a second-place finish at last year’s Macau Guia Race, his first experience with the car. In 2018, WONG also won the prestigious Macau Touring Car Cup.
The team will contest the TCR Asia International Series in 2021, the first round of which is scheduled to take place at the Shanghai International Circuit on May 7-9.
The team hopes continuity will work to its favour, retaining its sponsors and commercial relationships with Shell and the Lynk & Co China national sales organisation in fielding the successful 03 TCR, the car which is also last year's FIA World Cup-winning car.
Ken LYU, Shell Teamwork Lynk & Co Racing team manager, said:
“It’s an honour to be working with Lynk & Co and Geely Group Motorsport again this year. Last year we made our debut in TCR China as Shell Teamwork Lynk & Co Racing, and it was both a fun and a tough year. We took the title fight all the way to the season finale at the Macau Grand Prix where MA Qing Hua was crowned as champion on Saturday.
“Then Jason ZHANG and Sunny WONG took the Guia Race victory and runner-up. It’s a rewarding feeling to think back to, but now we’re looking forward. With the same driver line-up as Macau, we’re ready for the challenge of the TCR Asia series.”
MA Qing Hua said:
"2020 was a great year for me to win the TCR China title with Shell Teamwork Lynk & Co Racing, and it feels good to be back to defend my title, but also to work with the team and my new team-mates to go even better this year and fight for the teams' and manufacturers' trophies as well.
"We know the competition will be tough, but with one of the best teams in China, and perhaps the best touring car out there, I know we have a good shot."
Jason ZHANG said:
"It's a great opportunity for me to contest the whole season with Shell Teamwork Lynk & Co Racing. I've come close to winning a few touring car titles in China, but have just missed out each time, but the momentum will be with me after winning Macau.
"The Lynk & Co 03 is an amazing touring car, and the TCR China and Asia series are now the most competitive touring car categories in the region, so I'm relishing the opportunity to be a part of it."
Sunny WONG said:
"To miss out on a year of racing last year was tough, but it was really exciting to get to be back in the car at Macau, and to pick up a podium in what's probably the toughest touring car race in the world was a great achievement for me.
"I've also never had the opportunity to return to the TCR China championship to defend my title from 2018. Since then, the championship has become even more competitive, to it'll be an exciting challenge to be a part of the Shell Teamwork Lynk & Co Racing programme this year."
Ron HARTVELT, Geely Group Motorsport Customer Racing Director said:
_“We are very happy to see the team expanding its efforts in 2021 to TCR Asia. Last year, the team claimed the first national TCR title of the Lynk & Co 03 TCR in TCR China. The title was claimed under tough conditions and a very special landmark moment for everyone involved. _
“This, along with the three WTCR titles so far has helped encourage more customers to start using the Lynk & Co 03 TCR car to pursue other national TCR championship titles around the world. We wish the team best of luck in their title chase this year.”