Formula 3: China teen Gerrard Xie makes Hitech TGR debut at Australian Grand Prix
Hong Kong-born 18-year-old ‘focused on getting a good start’ and says there are ‘lots of improvements to be made’ before next race in Bahrain
Motorsport’s big guns were not the only ones battling the wind and rain in Melbourne this weekend: the Formula 3 championship also got under way at Albert Park, giving Gerrard Xie his first taste of life as a Hitech TGR driver.
The Hong Kong-born teenager put in a solid display at the Australian Grand Prix, finishing 18th in Sunday’s feature race and 16th in the sprint race the day before.
Having qualified at the back of the grid and rising from 24th in the field, Xie said while there were “lots of improvements to be made” he was already looking forward to “the Bahrain test days and the next race”. The championship resumes in Bahrain on April 11.
In an Instagram post, the 18-year-old, who is based in Shenzhen, thanked his team, Hitech Grand Prix, for “the great work all weekend and support to help me get up to speed”.
At the front of the grid, Rafael Camara was uncatchable in the rain, winning the first race of the season for Trident.
The Brazilian controlled things from the front, escaping clear of the chasing pack, leading teammate Noah Stromsted in second. Van Amersfoort Racing’s Theophile Nael was third.