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Asia Racing Team

From Alfawiki
Asia Racing Team
Company typePrivate
IndustryMotor racing
Founded2003
Headquarters
Zhuhai
,
China
Area served
Asia
Key people
Philippe Descombes (Team Manager), Yannick Mazier (Chief Mechanic)
ProductsRacing team, racing academy, corporate track day experiences, promotional activities
Number of employees
12 (mechanical crew)

Asia Racing Team—also referred to as ART Motorsports—is a motor racing outfit established in 2003 with roots in both China and Macau. Its primary base of operations is situated at the Zhuhai International Circuit in Southern China, complemented by an additional facility located at Guangdong International Circuit in Zhaoqing.

Beyond its role as a competitive racing squad, ART also manages a racing academy, organizes corporate track day experiences, and coordinates promotional activities.

The team has participated in several leading racing series, including the Asian Formula Renault Series, Formula Asia 2.0, Formula Pilota China, Formula BMW Pacific, Porsche Carrera Cup Asia, Malaysian Super Series, GT Asia Series, and TCR Asia Series.

Team Management

Philippe Descombes (Team Manager) directs the overall functioning of the team. A French driver with multiple titles and fluent Mandarin skills, he has been instrumental in developing the careers of prominent Asian racers such as Cheng Congfu, Ma Qinghua, Rodolfo Ávila, Mathias Beche, Alexandre Imperatori, Jazeman Jaafar, and Rio Haryanto.

Yannick Mazier (Chief Mechanic) has been part of ART since its foundation and leads a mechanical crew of twelve technicians based at the Zhuhai International Circuit.

History

Asia Racing Team Ltd. (ART Motorsports), registered in both China and Macau, possesses assets valued above RMB 10 million. Its central headquarters is located at Zhuhai International Circuit in southern China.

Key Milestones:

2003: Established by entrepreneurs from Macau to compete in the Asian Formula Renault Challenge; made its debut appearance at the 50th Macau Grand Prix.

2004: Completed its first full season in Asian Formula Renault with a second-place finish by Rodolfo Ávila.

2005: Secured victory at the Asian Formula Renault Macau Grand Prix with driver Hiroyuki Matsumura.

2006: Captured the Asian Formula Renault Teams Championship; driver Alexandre Imperatori finished second overall.

2007: Achieved another runner-up position in the Asian Formula Renault Challenge with Alexandre Imperatori.

2008: Finished second in Formula Asia 2.0 (Mathias Beche); earned the Asian Drivers Trophy (Rio Haryanto); returned to Macau Grand Prix competing for the first time in Formula BMW Pacific.

2009: Expanded into GT racing through Porsche Carrera Cup Asia, securing two wins and rookie honors (Rodolfo Ávila); won AFR Championship Teams title with Luis Sa Silva as drivers’ runner-up; participated in Macau and Singapore rounds of Formula BMW Pacific.

2010: Won the AFR Series team championship; Sandy Stuvik claimed the Driver's title ahead of teammate Tin Sritrai; also took home the “Asian Drivers Category” crown.

2011: Introduced two Porsche GT3 Cup-R vehicles into GT Asia Series, contending for the drivers' championship until Macau’s final round; maintained presence in Porsche Carrera Cup Asia with three drivers; shifted focus from full-time AFR Series participation to Formula Pilota China; Luis Sa Silva finished as vice-champion.

2012: Li Zhi Cong joined GT Asia Series, finishing as vice-champion and winning the AAMC GT Challenge Trophy; Thomas Chow secured second place in AFR Series - IFC Class.

2013: Li Zhi Cong claimed the GT Asia Series championship along with a repeat victory in the AAMC GT Challenge Trophy; Leo Wong earned the AFR Series IFC Class Trophy.

2014: Continued participation throughout full seasons of Porsche Carrera Cup Asia and AFR Series; won the inaugural two-hour “Circuit Hero – Formula Enduro” race and captured four rounds of GT series BOSS GP with driver Li Chao.

2015: Entered the newly established TCR Asia Series, securing the Teams’ Championship; achieved Drivers’ Vice-championship (Rodolfo Avila) and third place (Philippe Descombes); sustained race victories in AFR Series and FIA Chinese F4, with Liu Kai finishing third overall.

Racing School

The Racing School stands as the sole driver education program officially endorsed by both the Hong Kong Automobile Association (HKAA) and the Associação Geral Automóvel Macau-China (AAMC). Its monthly sessions draw a diverse range of participants, including students and business executives alike.

In 2008, the institution unveiled the "One-Day Intensive Course," tailored for novice racecar drivers and enthusiasts across all age groups. Later, in 2016, it introduced an affordable "4-lap Driving Experience" at Zhuhai International Circuit, offering attendees the chance to pilot authentic single-seater racecars.

Additionally, ART Motorsports Racing School manages Southeast Asia’s exclusive 2-seater single-seater vehicle, used for promotional events and racing experiences.

Formula Pilota China

In 2011, Asia Racing Team transitioned its focus from the AFR Series to the newly formed Formula Pilota China Series, entering four competitors: China's Chi Cong Li and Naomi Zhang Ran, Angola’s Luis Sá Silva, and Thailand’s Tin Sritrai. Sá Silva achieved runner-up overall, highlighted by a dominant podium sweep during Race 1 at Ordos. The following year, Guangzhou newcomer Zou Si Rui was the team’s sole driver, earning two podium finishes at Guangzhou International Circuit.

Results

Year Car Drivers Races Wins Poles F/Laps Podiums Points D.C. T.C.
2011 Tatuus FA010 Template:Country data ANGTemplate:Namespace detect showall Luís Sá Silva 12 2 0 0 3 124 2nd N/A
Template:Country data THATemplate:Namespace detect showall Tin Sritrai 12 0 0 0 2 67 5th
Template:Country data CHNTemplate:Namespace detect showall Zhi Cong Li 12 0 0 0 2 67 6th
Template:Country data ARGTemplate:Namespace detect showall Eric Lichtenstein 6 0 0 0 0 10 17th
Template:Country data CHNTemplate:Namespace detect showall Zhang Ran 8 0 0 0 0 3 24th
Template:Country data CHNTemplate:Namespace detect showall Zou Si Rui 2 0 0 0 0 0 26th
2012 Template:Country data CHNTemplate:Namespace detect showall Zou Si Rui 12 0 0 0 2 32 10th 7th

Asian Formula Renault

Asia Racing Team has mainly competed in the Asian Formula Renault Challenge, a series that has featured future Formula 1 talents such as Kamui Kobayashi and Kazuki Nakajima. Despite several close attempts resulting in five second-place finishes—including drivers like Macau’s Rodolfo Avila, Switzerland’s Alexandre Imperatori and Mathias Beche, Angola’s Luís Sá Silva—Thailand’s Sandy Stuvik ultimately captured the championship for Asia Racing Team in 2010.

Between 2011 and 2013, the team restricted its participation to races held at Zhuhai Circuit. When the Formula Renault 2.0/13 was introduced in 2015, Asia Racing Team supported Canadian driver Maxx Ebenal to achieve two victories at Zhuhai. That same year, Indonesia’s Darma Hutomo emerged as the team’s highest-ranked driver overall, while James Runacres secured second place in Class B.

Team Drivers

ART Formula Renault Drivers
Year Drivers D.C. T.C.
2003 Template:Country data JPNTemplate:Namespace detect showall Kazuki Nakajima† Template:Center
Template:Country data JPNTemplate:Namespace detect showall Kamui Kobayashi Template:Center
Template:Country data JPNTemplate:Namespace detect showall Motohiko Isozaki† Template:Center
2004 Template:Country data MACTemplate:Namespace detect showall Rodolfo Ávila Template:Center 2nd
Template:Country data HKGTemplate:Namespace detect showall Henry Lee Junior Template:Center
Template:Country data HKGTemplate:Namespace detect showall Kenneth Lau Template:Center
Template:Country data HKGTemplate:Namespace detect showall Michael Choi Template:Center
2005 Template:Country data CHNTemplate:Namespace detect showall Michael Ting Template:Center '3rd'
Template:Country data CHNTemplate:Namespace detect showall Zhang Jin Template:Center
2006 Template:Country data CHETemplate:Namespace detect showall Alexandre Imperatori Template:Center '1st'
Template:Country data MYSTemplate:Namespace detect showall Jazeman Jaafar Template:Center
Template:Country data FINTemplate:Namespace detect showall Henri Karjalainen Template:Center
Template:Country data CHNTemplate:Namespace detect showall Zhang Jin Template:Center
'2007' Template:Country data CHETemplate:Namespace detect showall Alexandre Imperatori Template:Center '1st'
Template:Country data "FRA"Template:Namespace detect showall Benjamin Rouget Template:Center
Template:Country data "CHE"Template:Namespace detect showall Mathias Beche Template:Center
Template:Country data "CHN"Template:Namespace detect showall Zhendong Zhang Template:Center
Template:Country data "JPN"Template:Namespace detect showall Sujino Hajime Template:Center
'2008'

D.C - Driver Classification, T.C - Team Classification, † - One race only (Macau Grand Prix)

Formula BMW Asia Pacific

Asia Racing Team's involvement in Formula BMW Pacific was occasional and limited. Following their participation in the 2008 Macau Grand Prix, the team made sporadic entries in Singapore and Macau during the subsequent year. In 2010, the team engaged in a partial season campaign featuring Singaporean driver Suriya Bala, and also fielded Toyota Racing Academy talents Yuichi Nakayama and Ryo Hirakawa for the rounds at Okayama and Macau. Notably, Nakayama secured the team's sole Pole Position and podium finish at Okayama.

The team withdrew from the series in 2011 due to their focus on commitments within Formula Pilota China.


Results

Year Car Drivers Races Wins Poles F/Laps Podiums Points D.C. T.C.
2008 Mygale FB02 Template:Country data JPNTemplate:Namespace detect showall Yuji Kunimoto 1 0 0 0 0 0 NC N/A
Template:Country data ISRTemplate:Namespace detect showall Alon Day 1 0 0 0 0 0 NC
2009 Template:Country data SGPTemplate:Namespace detect showall Suriya Kerisnan 3 0 0 0 0 0 16th N/A
Template:Country data ISRTemplate:Namespace detect showall Alon Day 1 0 0 0 0 0 NC
2010 Template:Country data SGPTemplate:Namespace detect showall Suriya Kerisnan 6 0 0 0 0 5 17th 9th
Template:Country data JPNTemplate:Namespace detect showall Yuichi Nakayama 3 0 0 1 0 0 NC
Template:Country data JPNTemplate:Namespace detect showall Ryō Hirakawa 3 0

0

0

0

0

NC

-

Template:Country data CHNTemplate:Namespace detect showall Zhi Cong Li

1

0

0

0

0

0

NC

-

Template:Country data HKGTemplate:Namespace detect showall Paul Lau

2

0

0

0

0

0

NC

Porsche Carrera Cup Asia

Asia Racing Team began competing in the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia in 2009, achieving two victories. After assessing various driver options, the team returned in 2011 primarily as a technical support provider for car owners, drawing upon its extensive racing knowledge. The roster included Dutch driver Marcel Tjia, Hong Kong's Dr Chi Min Ma, and Macanese racer Keith Vong. By 2012, Asia Racing Team had expanded its presence to a five-car lineup. Among notable performances, Wang Jian Wei from Beijing Porsche dealership Betterlife secured a third-place finish at Ordos, while Huang Chu Han claimed wins in “Class B” events at Sepang and Shanghai.


Team Drivers

ART Porsche Carrera Cup Drivers
Year Drivers D.C.
2009 Template:Country data MACTemplate:Namespace detect showall Rodolfo Ávila 4th
2011 Template:Country data HKGTemplate:Namespace detect showall Dr.Ma Chi Min 27th
Template:Country data MACTemplate:Namespace detect showall Keith Wong 21st
Template:Country data NLDTemplate:Namespace detect showall Marcel Tjia 23rd
2012 Template:Country data NLDTemplate:Namespace detect showall Marcel Tjia 30th
Canada Christian Tjia 20th
Template:Country data CHNTemplate:Namespace detect showall Wang Jian Wei 9th
Template:Country data CHNTemplate:Namespace detect showall Li Chao 23rd
Template:Country data CHNTemplate:Namespace detect showall Huang Chu Han 14th
Template:Country data FRATemplate:Namespace detect showall Philippe Descombes ...
Template:Country data TAITemplate:Namespace detect showall Kevin Chen 30th
2013 Template:Country data HKGTemplate:Namespace detect showall Jacky Yeung 16th
Template:Country data MACTemplate:Namespace detect showall Kevin Tse ...
Template:Country data CHNTemplate:Namespace detect showall Wang Jian Wei 9th
Template:Country data CHNTemplate:Namespace detect showall Li Chao 23rd
Germany Mario Farnbacher 14th
Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showall Ben Barker ...
Template:Country data MACTemplate:Namespace detect showall Rodolfo Ávila ...
2014 Template:Country data CHNTemplate:Namespace detect showall Li Chao 15th
Template:Country data CHNTemplate:Namespace detect showall Zhang Da Sheng 5th
2015 Template:Country data CHNTemplate:Namespace detect showall Li Chao 14th

D.C - Driver Classification

GT Asia

Asia Racing Team made its debut in the GT series in 2011, entering Porsche 997 GT3 Cup Rs in the GT3 category of the GT Asia series with Hong Kong drivers Eddie Yau and Sasha Chu. Yau achieved a victory at Fuji and was a strong contender for the championship until a significant accident at Macau prematurely ended his season without causing injury. In 2012, the team ran a Porsche 911 GT3 R piloted by Chinese newcomer Li Zhi Cong, who secured second place overall, including three wins such as the season-ending race at Macau's Circuito da Guia. Sasha Chu competed selectively throughout the season. Returning in 2013, Li Zhi Cong clinched the GT Asia Series title by winning at Macau.

Team Drivers

ART GT Asia Drivers
Year Drivers D.C. T.C.
2011 Template:Country data HKGTemplate:Namespace detect showall Eddie Yau Template:Center Template:Center
Template:Country data HKGTemplate:Namespace detect showall Sasha Chu Template:Center
2012 Template:Country data CHNTemplate:Namespace detect showall Zhi Cong Li Template:Center Template:Center
Template:Country data HKGTemplate:Namespace detect showall Sasha Chu Template:Center
Template:Country data MACTemplate:Namespace detect showall Rodolfo Ávila Template:Center
Template:Country data HKGTemplate:Namespace detect showall Keith Chan Template:Center
2013 Template:Country data CHNTemplate:Namespace detect showall Zhi Cong Li Template:Center Template:Center
2014 Template:Country data CHNTemplate:Namespace detect showall Li Chao Template:Center Template:Center
Template:Country data CHNTemplate:Namespace detect showall Zhang Da Zheng Template:Center
Template:Country data MACTemplate:Namespace detect showall Rodolfo Ávila Template:Center

D.C - Driver Classification, T.C - Team Classification

TCR Asia Series

Asia Racing Team secured the inaugural teams’ championship in the TCR Asia Series, highlighted by a triple victory during the opening round at Sepang and a double win at the Guia Race during the Macau Grand Prix. Throughout nine rounds, ART’s SEAT León TCR drivers amassed eleven podium finishes, including three wins from Rodolfo Avila, two from Philippe Descombes, and one from Thai competitor Tin Sritrai. In the final driver standings, Avila placed second while Descombes came third.

Results

Year Car Drivers Races Wins Poles F/Laps Podiums Points D.C. T.C.
2015 SEAT León Cup Racer Template:Country data MACTemplate:Namespace detect showall Rodolfo Ávila 3 3 2 3 3 89 2nd 1st
Template:Country data FRATemplate:Namespace detect showall Philippe Descombes 3 2 1 2 3 77 3rd
Template:Country data THATemplate:Namespace detect showall Tin Sritrai 2 1 0 0 2 47 7th
Template:Country data CHNTemplate:Namespace detect showall Pu Jun Jin 2 0 0 0 2 32 13th
Template:Country data MACTemplate:Namespace detect showall Liu Lic Ka 2 0 0 0 0 18 15th
Template:Country data HKGTemplate:Namespace detect showall Sam Lok 0 0 0 0 0 0 NC
2016 TCR Asia Series SEAT León TCR Template:Country data HKGTemplate:Namespace detect showall Edgar Lau 2 0 0 1 0 0 NC NC


Performance Summary

Season Vehicle Competitors Events Victories Pole Positions Fastest Laps Podium Finishes Accumulated Points Drivers' Championship Position Teams' Championship Position
2015 SEAT León Cup Racer Template:Country data MACTemplate:Namespace detect showall Rodolfo Ávila 2 0 0 0 0 10 22nd 8th
Template:Country data THATemplate:Namespace detect showall Tin Sritrai 2 0 0 0 0 4 32nd
Template:Country data CHNTemplate:Namespace detect showall Pu Jun Jin 2 0 0 0 0 0 NC
Template:Country data HKGTemplate:Namespace detect showall Sam Lok 0 0 0 0 0 0 NC
2016 SEAT León TCR Template:Country data HKGTemplate:Namespace detect showall Edgar Lau 2 0 0 1 0 0 NC NC

F4 Chinese Championship

Asia Racing Team participated in the first-ever FIA Formula 4 China Championship, where Beijing native Liu Kai achieved six podium placements and secured a race victory at Zhuhai. The team also entered a second vehicle in select rounds, with Hua Miao and Charles Lin as drivers.

Performance Summary

Template:Country data CHNTemplate:Namespace detect showall Hua Miao Template:Country data CHNTemplate:Namespace detect showall Lin Taian
Season Vehicle Model Competitors Events Entered Victories Pole Positions Fastest Laps Podium Appearances Points Scored Drivers' Championship Ranking Teams' Championship Ranking
2015-16 Mygale M14-F4 Template:Country data CHNTemplate:Namespace detect showall Liu Kai 10 1 1 3 7 156 3rd N/A
2 0 0 0 0 24 9th
2 0 0 0 0 24 10th
- 2016 F4 Chinese Championship |United States Zhu Tianqi |3 |0 |0 |0 |0 |21 |12th | rowspan="4" |N/A |-

Template:Country data MACTemplate:Namespace detect showall Hon Chio Leong |6 |1 |1 |1 |2 |0 |NC |- Template:Country data CHNTemplate:Namespace detect showall Daniel Cao |3 |0 |1 |1 |2 |0 |NC |- Template:Country data CHNTemplate:Namespace detect showall Billy Zheng |3 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |NC

{{flagicon{CHN}} Pang Changyuan {{flagicon{CHN}} Yu Songtao
2020 F4 Chinese Championship

Template:Country data CHNTemplate:Namespace detect showall Stephen Hong†

10

1

1

1

2

126

4th

rowspan="3"|8th

8

0

0

0

0

23

14th

10

0

0

0

0

13

15th

{{flagicon{CHN}} Li Sicheng‡ | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 155 | style="background:#DFDFDF"|2nd | rowspan="2"|4th | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 14th
{{flagicon{CHN}} Pang Changyuan | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 37 | 15th | rowspan=5 ? | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 21st |- {{flagicon{CHN}} Liu Tiezheng | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 22nd |- {{flagicon{CHN}} Zhang Yu | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 25th |- {{flagicon{CHN}} Fu Zhenjiang | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 31st
rowspan=10 2024 F4 Chinese Championship rowspan=10 Mygale M21-F4 {{flagicon{CHN}} Jiang Fukang 18 4 1 0 8 237 3rd - {{flagicon{VNM}} "Alex Sawer" 6 2 1 1 2 84 - {{flagicon{CHN}} Meng Cheng 4 0 0 0 0 0 - {{flagicon{CHN}} Fu Zhenjiang 4 0 0 0 0 0 - rowspan=2 {{flagicon{CHN}} Lu Ye 4 — — — — 7 - 8 — — — 7 - {{flagicon{CHN}} Yang Kaiwen 4 — — — 9 - {{flagicon{CHN}} Li Sicheng 2 — — - {{flagicon{TPE}} "Richard Lin" 4 — - {{flagicon{RUS}} Viktor Turkin 4 — -
rowspan=5 2025 F4 Chinese Championship rowspan=5 Mygale M21-F4 {{flagicon{CHN}} Huang Chujian

rowspan=3 ||

{{flagicon{CHN}} Li Zebing
{{flagicon{RUS}} Viktor Turkin
{{flagicon{RUS}} Andrey Dubynin

rowspan=2 ||

{{flagicon{HKG}} "Tiger Zhang"

† Stephen Hong competed with FFA Racing until the second round. ‡ Li Sicheng drove for GEEKE XL DRIFT during the first round.

Performance Summary

Year Vehicle Competitors Events Victories Pole Positions Fastest Laps Podium Finishes Points Accumulated Driver Ranking Team Ranking
2023 Tatuus F4-T421 Template:Country data CHNTemplate:Namespace detect showall Kevin Xiao 9 1 0 0 1 51 4th 2nd
Template:Country data MACTemplate:Namespace detect showall Tiago Rodrigues 3 0 0 1 3 51 5th
Template:Country data TPETemplate:Namespace detect showall Enzo Yeh 6 0 0 0 1 46 7th
Template:Country data CHNTemplate:Namespace detect showall Zhang Yu 5 0 0 0 0 26 14th
Template:Country data PHLTemplate:Namespace detect showall Joaquin Garrido 3 0 0 0 0 1 28th
Template:Country data CHNTemplate:Namespace detect showall Lu Ye 2 0

0| 0| 0| 29th|

Competition Timeline

Active Championships
F4 Chinese Championship 2015–2016, 2020–2021, 2023–present
Open Formula Challenge[1] 2022–present
Past Competitions
Asian Formula Renault Series 2003–2019
Formula BMW Pacific 2008–2010
Porsche Carrera Cup Asia 2009–2015
Formula Pilota China 2011–2012
GT Asia Series 2011–2014
TCR Asia Series 2015–2016
TCR International Series 2015–2016
Formula 4 South East Asia Championship 2023

External links

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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