Blackjack Racing driver Peter Li Zhi Cong made an impressive return to the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia at the Shanghai International Circuit, crossing the finish line in third in the second race of the weekend.
Engine problems on Thursday and Friday disrupted the team’s practice sessions, derailing the plans for the weekend. Fortunately, the car was fully race-ready for the remainder of the event.
On Saturday, starting from fourth on the grid, Peter Li held his position early on, closely following the leaders and conserving his tires for the second half of the race. A Safety Car period seemed to play in his favor, but an unexpectedly long pit stop dashed his hopes for a top finish.
Due to this pit stop error, his No. 2 Blackjack Racing Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo Evo 2 dropped to the back of the field. Nevertheless, he fought back impressively, making several overtakes to climb to P8, ultimately finishing fourth in the PRO class.
In the second race, the Guangdong native was determined to secure a podium finish. However, he had a slow start from P7 and lost a few positions to his rivals. As Peter Li began recovering places, the weather started to change. He managed to move from eighth in lap 1 to fourth before the pit stops but dropped to sixth after his compulsory pit stop. Since Peter Li is driving solo, he faced a mandatory 3-second longer pit stop.
After the pit stop, heavy rain arrived unexpectedly, causing several cars to struggle with aquaplaning. Peter Li, however, managed to keep his car under control until the race was briefly red-flagged. On the restart, he swiftly moved into third overall and crossed the finish line in that position. However, later in the day, the stewards penalized him for light contact while overtaking the third-place car driven by Japanese racer Miki Koyama. As a result, Peter Li was ultimately classified fourth overall and in the PRO class.
“It was a tough weekend for both me and the team,” said Peter Li. “We struggled a lot with very limited track time to find the right setup. We went straight into qualifying. In Race 1, we missed the podium due to pit stop timing issues. Race 2 had tricky conditions, but I felt very confident driving in the wet. As for the incident with Miki, I feel very sorry about the contact.”
“Sunday was a recovery drive following the team’s mistake on Saturday. The changing weather conditions showcased Peter’s extraordinary race craft. Despite driving solo, battling fatigue, and dealing with a pit stop handicap, we came very close to challenging the front runners,” added Team Principal Jack Pang.
With this race, Blackjack Racing completed its participation in the 2024 Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia.
