It was an intense weekend of high-powered racing for Porsche Carrera Cup Asia as drivers struggled against the ruthless Bagnsaen Street Circuit during a mercurial Round 4 and 5 in Thailand.
The street circuit’s narrow track and treacherous Porsche Hairpin tested the series’ 26 drivers as they piloted the powerful Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (Type 991 II) during two highly dramatic rounds that saw several drivers take on one of the most difficult circuits on the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia’s calendar.
Van der Drift takes championship lead in Round 4, Hamprecht redeemed in Round 5
Scorching temperatures greeted drivers as they took to the grid for Round 4, with Team Formax’s Chris van der Drift in P1 after clocking a 1:35.070 lap time during the qualifiers earlier in the day. But van der Drift’s lead position was short-lived after barreling starts from Team Starchase’s Philip Hamprecht in P2 and Will Bamber of Earl Bamber Motorsport in P3 saw the two drivers overtake van der Drift on Turn 1.
The unforgiving nature of Bangsaen Street Circuit soon became clear however, as Hamprecht, looking to further his first place lead in the tables, clipped the wall and was sent spinning from his first place position, forcing the young driver to retire from the race and dissolving his championship lead. Hamprecht’s misfortune cleared the way for Will Bamber to take the front position as the safety car was ushered out. Bamber held the lead solidly for several laps until a sudden mechanical problem saw his car overheat and he was forced into the pits. Van der Drift then successfully managed to evade the seemingly cursed lead position, finishing out the race in first, followed closely by Team Porsche Holding’s Martin Ragginger in second and Maxime Jousse of AAS Motorsport by Absolute Racing in third.
Hamprecht’s misfortune did not deter the young driver as he started Round 5 in P1 with renewed spirit, relentlessly defending his front position from van der Drift, who started in P2. The pace of the race was then slowed by two safety cars as drivers continued falling victim to the merciless street circuit. Hamprecht carried his pole start to victory after facing minimal pressure from Van der Drift, who showed a cautious strategy knowing a second place win would secure his lead in the tables. Meanwhile, Will Bamber, starting in P3, kept a close watch for an opportunity to pass van der Drift that never materialized, resulting in a solid third place finish.
“Yesterday was not the greatest day for me I would say. I was leading quite comfortably like today, but I just made a mistake, I was pushing way too hard. But a small mistake has a big cost here. To come back and win now is a great feeling, it’s a great end to the weekend,” Philip Hamprecht said in the Press conference after the race.
Points (Top 5)
1 Chris VAN DER DRIFT 107
2 Philip HAMPRECHT 88
3 Will BAMBER 64
4 Martin RAGGINGER 59
5 Maxime JOUSSE 58
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