06/07/2012
NEWS STORY
HRT has revealed that an agreement has been reached which will see Ma Qing Hua take part in next week's Young Driver Test at Silverstone.
The test, which takes place on Thursday the 12th and Friday the 13th at Silverstone, will see the 24-year-old Chinese driver complete his first test in a Formula 1 car.
After competing in international championships such as Formula Renault, A1 Grand Prix, Formula 3 and Superleague Formula, and winning the Chinese touring car championships in 2011, Qing Hua joined HRT's driver development programme un April. This programme has included tests with cars from different categories such as World Series and GP2, besides working with a simulator and specific physical preparation ahead of the demanding challenges of F1. During these tests, the Chinese driver has shown firm evidence of his talent behind the wheel, learning capacity and commitment, and the team is confident that these upcoming tests will be the next step in his journey to Formula 1.
"I'm very happy that the day has finally come and I will be able to step into a Formula 1 car for the first time with HRT," said Ma Qing Hua. "I want to thank everyone who made it possible for me to be here today, my compatriots who support me, and the people who made it possible for these tests to take place in Silverstone. The last few months have been intense as I have been doing a lot of tests on the track and off it, which have helped me to improve as a driver and take on this challenge from a better position. I've worked hard to make it here but this journey is only getting underway."
"The fact that these tests will finally be able to take place at Silverstone is great news for us because it fits perfectly with the next step that we had planned for Ma Qing Hua's development programme," added Luis Perez-Sala. "In the last three months, we've been working with Ma on different aspects: testing on track with cars from different categories, carrying out tests on the simulator and working on specific physical preparation to be better prepared for this demanding challenge. We were aware of his ability but, once more, he has shown his professionalism, attitude and sensitivity, so we're sure that he will continue to progress as a driver in these Formula 1 tests."