Ma Qing Hua gets WTCR seat that was earmarked for Tiago Monteiro
Ma Qing Hua will take over the Boutsen Ginion Honda Civic originally assigned to Tiago Monteiro at the upcoming rounds World Touring Car Cup rounds in China
Two-time World Touring Car Championship race winner Ma will make his first race appearance since standing in for Oliver Turvey in the Formula E season finale in July later this month, as Monteiro continues to work towards a comeback after a testing crash at Barcelona more than a year ago.
Setting out the conditions for his return, Monteiro said he felt "almost ready" to race again at the Vila Real WTCR round in June and revealed he was advised by doctors to allow 11-12 months to pass before racing again.
That would in theory have allowed him to return for the Asian leg of the WTCR calendar, but Monteiro will now sit out at least two more race weekends.
Ma will instead make his WTCR debut, more than 10 months after his most recent WTCC outing in Macau last November, at Ningbo at the end of the month before the series' Wuhan street circuit event in the first week of October.
The Chinese driver will take the place of Benjamin Lessennes, who was awarded the drive originally after Monteiro postponed his participation.
"I am really happy to be racing in my home country with this new regulation car," said Ma.
"It's really good to be in this series, even though I don't know the car and have not had one lap at either of the circuits.
"I'm also jumping in at the middle of the season when everybody else will have a lot more experience than me.
"It will be tough with only two practice sessions before qualifying but I really enjoy fighting with drivers like Rob Huff, Gabriele Tarquini and Yvan Muller and really enjoy the competition.
"I would like to thank everybody for this opportunity, I really appreciate it."
Lessennes recorded Boutsen Ginion's best result of the season so far at the Nurburgring in May when he finished fourth in the final race, and is 30 points clear of experienced team-mate Tom Coronel in the drivers' standings.
The teenager will revert to his role as the team's test and reserve driver while Ma races.
Previous article
Ex-Volvo WTCC team Cyan Racing working on a new touring car project
Next article
Munnich wins Guerrieri Slovakia appeal over qualifying boost breach
About this article
| Series | WTCR |
| Drivers | Ma Qing Hua , Tiago Monteiro |
| Author | Jack Cozens |
The tin-top champion who doesn't know the meaning of retirement
The news is out that three-time World Touring Car champion Andy Priaulx is stepping down from full-time racing. But he's still got plenty of mileage left him in yet, and his son has much more
The phoenix driver who is at peace with his defeats
Esteban Guerrieri spent years trying to make it in single-seaters, and came closer than you'd think to making it to F1. Now he's forging a successful tin-top career, but it's his philosophical approach to defeat and personal growth that is truly impressive
The surprise team orders twisting a world title battle
Team orders in major touring car racing are nothing unusual with manufacturer honour at stake. But in the 2019 World Touring Cars title fight, one team is raising eyebrows with the choices it is making
The 'weapon' clash that turned a world title battle bitter
Emotions ran high at Suzuka last weekend between two teams gunning for global tin-top bragging rights, and little has been done to cool those tensions since. While that's great news for WTCR, is there a danger of both outfits losing sight of their main aim?
How WTCR's last real independent has stayed in play
The World Touring Car Cup has gone from strength to strength for 2019 - but one small team in particular is proving time and again that it merits a place alongside the series' big hitters
The lessons World Touring Cars must heed from history
The WTCR has made a massive step up in quality ahead of its second season in its current format, but as manufacturers start to lock horns is it already in danger of repeating other great touring car series' mistakes?
A world champion in waiting's tortuous path to recovery
Tiago Monteiro seemed destined to win the World Touring Car Championship last year, until a huge testing crash halted his charge. After early whispers of a swift racing return, he recounts his arduous (and incomplete) road to recovery
Why a world championship made the ultimate sacrifice
A rulebook scrapped with two-thirds of its planned existence remaining and the disintegration of a 'world championship' - yet everyone's a winner from one of modern motorsport's greatest acts of martyrdom
