Silverstone, England, July 13 : Ma Qing Hua became the first Chinese-born driver to test in Formula One on Thursday, completing 82 laps of the British Grand Prix circuit at Silverstone for HRT.
The 24-year-old Ma was on the track on the first of two days of a young driver test on the site of Mark Webber's F1 win on Sunday.
“It was a fantastic feeling to drive a Formula One car for the first time,” he said. “Yesterday I found it hard to sleep and I tried to calm down by thinking that it was just another test.
“But I'm very proud to represent China and be a pioneer for my nation in this sport. I'm confident these tests, and the ones that will come in the future, will help motorsport grow in China and will grant more opportunities for everyone.”
Although Chinese driver Ho-Pin Tung tested with Williams in 2003, he was born in the Netherlands, while Ma comes from Shanghai.
The Chinese touring car champion last year, Ma has previously competed in Formula Renault, A1 Grand Prix, Formula Three, and Superleague.
HRT team principal Luis Perez Sala believes Ma has a bright future.
“It's not easy to drive a Formula One car and he made no mistakes,” he said. “We want to take things one step at a time with him and this test was for Ma to have his first real contact with a Formula One car at every level.
“He did a great job and now we have to continue working so that he can continue to progress in his journey towards Formula One.”
