Ma revved up about coming touring car challenge

"The target of the team is always to win. but for me, the foremost aim right now is to get used to racing in Europe and to the rhythm of WTCC.

I am proud of being the only Chinese in the WTCC and will pull out all the stops to achieve good results, especially in Shanghai and Macao." - Ma Qinghua

Not many people would argue that auto racing is as safe as fishing but then again, Ma Qinghua isn't your average man in the street. The first Chinese driver to hold a Formula One super license has definite opinions about the relative safety of his vocation.

"Auto racing is no more dangerous than fishing and it is definitely much safer than skiing," Ma said in Beijing on Monday.

"Look at how many athletes get injured in soccer, basketball, skiing. Then take a look at auto racing. In all those crashes that look so horrific, most of the time the drivers walk away unscathed," said the 27-year-old Shanghai native, who this year will race for Team Citroen in the upcoming FIA World Touring Car Championship.

Ma, a national champion, will pilot one of Citroen's C-Elyse cars. In 2012, after becoming the first Chinese driver to hold a Formula One super license, he signed with HRT and tested at the Silverstone circuit. Last year he tested for Caterham and drove at the Shanghai International Circuit.

Looking to expand his international racing experience, Ma competed against many of the world's top drivers in the selection process set up by Citroen and was one of four racers picked for the new team.

"It is definitely an adjustment going from Formula One to WTCC, but I don't look at it as a negative for not going further in F1," said Ma. "At this time, WTCC fits me better than F1. Every driver knows F1 is very special, but it is another type of racing."

Joining Ma on Team Citroen is four-time WTCC champion Yvan Muller nicknamed 'Schumacher of WTCC' along with Sebastian Loeb and Jose-Maria Lopez.

Loeb has won nine World Rally Championship titles while Lopez is a Formula Renault veteran who has also tested for F1.

"Compared to my teammates I very much lack big-race experience, but being around them offers me a great chance to learn and improve," said Ma, who last drove in a touring car championship in 2011, when he was crowned China's overall winner.

The WTCC uses Super 2000 and Diesel 2000 cars, as cost control is a major theme in the technical regulations. Engines are limited to 2.0 liters. Many technologies featured in production cars are not allowed, including variable valve timing, variable intake geometry, ABS brakes and traction control systems.

In essence, WTCC cars are very similar to those driven in the street except they are muscled up to hit speeds of almost 300 kph.

"The charm of WTCC comes from the fact fans get so excited seeing the cars they drive on the street speeding around the circuit, and if a car like the one they drive eventually wins, they might feel they are driving the most powerful car in the world," said Ma, who launched his career on go-kart tracks in 1996.

Besides the WTCC, Ma will compete in the Beijing race at the newly-launched Formula E circuit, a single-seater FIA championship featuring cars powered exclusively by electricity.

The WTCC street season kicks off on April 12-13 in Marrakech, Morocco. Ma's four confirmed races will be in Moscow (June 6-7), Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium (June 21-22), Shanghai (Oct 11-12) and Macao (Nov 14-16).

"The target of the team is always to win," Ma said. "But for me, the foremost aim right now is to get used to racing in Europe and to the rhythm of WTCC. I am proud of being the only Chinese in the WTCC and will pull out all the stops to achieve good results, especially in Shanghai and Macao.

"But racing is a complicated sport. Victory requires a team effort. The driver is only one factor; we also need the team manager, engineers, mechanics and other staff. But I have full confidence in my team and in myself."

And it is not just the car that takes a beating. Auto racing also exacts a physical and mental toll on drivers.

"I spend an average of four to five hours in the gym every day in order to keep fit and be prepared for the physical challenge," Ma said. "I also play snooker and ride a mountain bike to help me relax.

"And, of course, I never speed when I am driving in the street. FIA can revoke my super license if I break any traffic rules!"

yangxinwei@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 03/20/2014 page24)