Formula Masters China Series’ Final Races on Penbay

Martin Rump (19) of Cebu Pacific Air by KCMG today completed a clean sweep of the Formula Masters China Series’ (FMCS) Round Three, making it three wins from three races held as the series made its Chinese Taipei debut at the Penbay International Circuit.

Rump started from pole in each race and pretty much decided matters across the first lap of each, too, in what proved a masterful showing from the talented young Estonian, who had warned after Friday’s qualifying sessions that he would relish the undulating Penbay track’s twists and turns. How right he proved to be.

Rump’s natural pace proved decisive across the weekend and those three wins extended his lead in the FMCS Drivers Classification to 21 points over Jake Parsons (20) of Meritus.GP, the Australian finishing in second place in Races 7 and 8 but slipping back to fourth in the final race of the weekend.

Picking up handy points in both the individual and Team Classification was 17-year-old Australian Nicholas Rowe of Cebu Pacific Air by KCMG, his run of third, third and second combined with Rump’s wins to help his team overtake Meritus.GP – they now hold a 24-point lead going into FMCS Round Four – while Rowe now sits in third place in the race for the drivers crown.

Significant movement was also seen at the top of the Chinese Drivers Classification, too, as 17-year-old Jeffrey Ye – who drives for Cebu Pacific Air by KCMG – overtook the absent Yuan Bo, of Meritus.GP, thanks to some consistent driving. He now leads Bo, by 107 points to 92, after collecting 50 points across the three races.

The weekend’s racing saw an impressive display on FMCS debut by Absolute Racing and their British 19-year-old Sennan Fielding, who finished third in Race 9 and had his new team cheering from the pits when he found a way past Parsons on lap one.

Parsons had earlier in the day made a bold move himself as he attempted to wrest control of Race 8 from Rump as they sped into the first turn, but the Estonian held his nerve and his line to stay in front and then kept his rivals at bay for the following eight laps.

There was more drama early within the chasing pack in Race 8 as, after starting fifth on the grid, Aidan Read (16) of Eurasia Motorsport reeled in Matthew Swanepoel (21) of Arrows Racing, who had started in fourth, and snuck by him on the tight turn four, only to have the South African return the favour on the very next turn.

The SRA pair of Ye and Sean Zheng Shangguang (17), who both drive for Cebu Pacific Air by KCMG, were also in the thick of the action all weekend as they raced just on the back of the leading drivers and they continued the improvement they have show so far during 2015.

FMCS returns to action for Round Four across the weekend of August 7-9 at the Kuala Lumpur Street Circuit in Malaysia.

Results – Race 8

Fastest Lap: Martin Rump/ Cebu Pacific Air by KCMG/ 1:37.036/130.9

Race 9 Results

Fastest Lap: Martin Rump/ Cebu Pacific Air by KCMG/ 1:36.501/131.6

Formula Masters China Series Points Classification after Round 3:

2015 Drivers Classification (Top 5)

2015 Best Chinese Driver Trophy

2015 Team Classification

Formula Masters China Series 2015 Provisional Calendar