Chinese driver Ma Qing Hua joins HRT
The HRT team announced the arrival of a new driver in its development program, the Chinese Ma Qing Hua. The Spanish team will be involved in his career with the objective of having him participate in the rookie tests this year.
The HRT team has announced the arrival of a young driver to its development program, the 24-year-old Chinese Ma Qing Hua. The young man will be monitored by the Spanish team, which will help him develop as a racing driver, and if things go well, he could take the wheel of the F112 during the young drivers’ tests.
«I am truly honored to be part of the HRT team’s driver development program because, with work and effort, it will allow me to become the first Chinese Formula 1 driver. This is a very special moment for me and it’s hard to express how happy I am. I’ve dreamed of becoming an F1 driver since I was little, » said Ma Qing Hua.
Ma Qing Hua began his motorsport career in karting at the age of eight. He progressively climbed the ranks by racing in Formula Renault Asia, A1 GP, Spanish F3, British F3, and Superleague Formula before competing in the Chinese Touring Car Championship last year—which he won, by the way.
From now on, my childhood dream is becoming reality thanks to the opportunity HRT has given me to become an F1 driver. And it’s even more true this year with all these drivers competing, with 6 world champions among them. Driving a Formula 1 car will be the most incredible experience, and I will work hard to achieve it, added Ma Qing Hua.
The Chinese driver will be present with HRT next weekend for the Chinese Grand Prix, but he has already made his debut with the Spanish team by driving a World Series single-seater at the Cheste circuit, near Valencia in Spain. He has also driven in the Spanish team’s simulator, and after successful tests, he was chosen to be part of HRT’s development program alongside the team’s reserve driver, Dani Clos.
We work so that one of the signs of the team’s identity is to be a platform for launching young drivers, both from a national and an international perspective. Ma Qing Hua is one of those talents in whom we believe, and we want to help him in his career so that he can reach F1. We like these conditions and we want to participate in his development by integrating him into our driver development program so that he can be present during races and private tests, with the goal of allowing him to drive during the F1 tests reserved for young drivers, stated Luiz Pérez-Sala, the director of the HRT team.
