Pingtan Raxing Team by BlackJack claimed victories in both races of the 2024 FIA F4 Chinese Championship season opener at the Shanghai International Circuit. Alex Sawer emerged victorious on Saturday, while Albert Jiang Fukang secured the win on Sunday, showcasing the team’s strength across the weekend’s event, which coincided with the highly anticipated return of the Chinese Formula One Grand Prix.
After a dominant performance in Qualifying, with Alex Sawer and Albert Fukang placing the BlackJack Racing and Asia Racing Team cars in the first row, the Vietname driver delivered a commanding performance, converting pole position into a race win in the first race of the season.
After demonstrating strong pace during Friday’s Free Practice, Sawer, the first Vietnamese driver to triumph in an FIA-sanctioned event, proved to be the quickest among the 27-car field during the morning qualifying sessions. He posted a time of 2:10.610, edging out his PingTan Racing Team by Blackjack teammate Albert Fukang Jiang by a mere 0.066 seconds. Li Sicheng qualified sixth with a time of 2:12.175.
On Saturday afternoon race, Sawer remained unfazed by the pressure of competing in front of enthusiastic local motorsport fans that occurred in great number to the Shanghai circuit grandstands. Following a good getaway, the series newcomer maintained his pace without overexertion, while positional changes occurred behind him.
After 13 laps under tricky track conditions and a Safety Car period, the Vietnamese rising star crossed the finish line with a comfortable 4-second margin over the second-place finisher.
Teammate Albert Fukang experienced a slower race start from second on the grid and was squeezed by an opponent, dropping to fifth. However, the Chinese driver persevered, eventually overtaking his rival Ricky Liu to finish fourth overall and second in the CFGP class.
Li Sicheng was among the group battling for third position in the CFGP class when he collided with an opponent during the Safety Car restart. The Macau Grand Prix F4 podium finisher had to make a quick pit stop for repairs to his Mygale M21-F4, ultimately finishing ninth in the CFGP class.
For Sunday’s race two, with the grid inverted for the top-10 of race one, Albert Fukang lined up seventh and Alex Sawer tenth. Carrying a penalty from race one, Li Sicheng started from 27th on the grid.
The Pingtan Raxing Team sponsored cars were on the move from the start of the race, with Albert Fukang quickly taking the lead. Motivated by the crowd, he also took advantage of the Safety-Car period to further increase his lead over the others with a superb race restart, taking his second win ever in F4.
On his ascent to the top, Alex Sawer faced adversity when he was hit by an opponent just as he was within striking distance of the podium. Undeterred, he demonstrated resilience and determination, rebounding emphatically to secure a commendable fifth-place finish.
In a race contested under dry conditions, Li Sicheng delivered a remarkable performance, staging an impressive comeback by advancing nineteen positions to ultimately secure eighth place overall and fifth in the CFGP class.
Commenting on the race weekend that BlackJack Racing took their maiden 2024 FIA F4 Chinese Championship wins, Team Principal Jack Pang, which represented team to receive the winning team’s trophy, said: “We are delighted with two wins this weekend. Winning these races with an international and a Chinese driver during the Chinese Formula One Grand Prix makes it even more special. Team did a mega job and we should be proud. We will keep pushing the envelope and develop the platform further in the coming races.”
After the first two races of the season, Albert Fukang is leading the Drivers’ Championship standings, followed by Alex Sawer. Pingtan Raxing Team by BlackJack is leading the Teams’ standings. The championship continues in Chengdu on May 25th and 26th.
