Back on the podium for China Equity AMR in China GT

It was back to podium winning ways for the China Equity AMR team as both of their entries at last weekend's third round of the China GT Championship collected silverware in both the Am and Pro-Am classes.

Having experienced technical issues last time out, drivers of the teams lead #618 car, Jack Mitchell and Ryan Liu were looking to make amends and recover the GT4 Championship lead that they had lost in Zhejiang. Joining them on the grid for the teams 'local' round were Am-Am entry of Zhang Fangxuan and David Pun in the golden #619 car.


With Liu qualifying P3 in class and behind the championship leading McLaren, he soon found himself down another place as the AAI BMW climbed two positions in one corner to split the McLaren and AMR. By the time of the compulsory pit stop the race leading KTM X-Bow suffered technical gremlins that saw their decisive lead cut and then overtaken by Mitchell as he put the 'pedal to the metal' to switly take the lead before ultimately securing another race win by nearly twenty seconds.


For the #619 crew, and despite a spin midway through the race saw the new driver combo secure a P3 in class podium for themselves.


Overnight rain left the grid with a quandary on Sunday with standing water left of track but no rain actually falling come the start of the second race. Pole sitting Ryan Liu opted to continue with slick Michelin tyres as those around him opted for wets, decisions that proved immediately beneficial for the others!


Slippery track conditions would claim the #619 China Equity car after a clash with the #28 Lotus at turn 8 that would require the services of the Safety Car in a race that would see three DNF's.

Liu lived to regret their earlier tyre decision as his tip-toeing around lost them significant track time compared to those of wets. Indeed such was the deficit that by the time Mitchell had completed the final stint at the midway point, the best even he could achieve was P3 but a lap down to the winners.


The results of the weekend have allowed the #618 crew to reduce the Championship deficit to the #570 McLaren to just two points at the half way stage of the Championship.

A quick turn around in the series this month will see Mitchell and the Prodrive supplied technicians make the long haul flight out to the Ningbo International Circuit (a new circuit for the Championship this year) to the north east of Hong Kong at the end of the month.

Photo credits - China Equity AMR