SILVERSTONE, England (AP) — Ma Qing Hua has become the first Chinese-born driver to test in Formula One, completing 82 laps of the British Grand Prix circuit Thursday at Silverstone for HRT.
The 24-year-old Ma was on the track the first of two days of a young driver test on the site of Mark Webber’s F1 win on Sunday.
He called it “a fantastic feeling to drive a Formula One car for the first time … I’m very proud to represent China and be a pioneer for my nation in this sport.”
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.
