Tung racing towards F1 dream Chinese makes fine impression on Williams

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, December 22, 2003

Tung racing towards F1 dream Chinese makes fine impression on Williams

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"F1 is no longer a dream for me, it's become a goal." That's how 21-year-old Tung Ho-pin, the first Chinese to test drive for the F1 circuit, summed up his feelings after being awarded a session with Team Williams.

Tung was speaking not only for himself, but for thousands of Chinese F1 fans.

As a reward for his strong performance in this year's Formula BMW series, which included 12 pole positions and 10 victories in 14 starts, the Dutch-born Tung took the wheel of a Williams F1 BMW24 for 42 laps on the 4.42 km Jerez circuit in Seville, Spain on December 11.

He clocked his best time of 1 minute, 22.082 seconds on lap 33, which was only four seconds slower than Juan Montoya.

Since the test run, Tung's name has been prominently featured in motorsport media. A BMW release even referred to him as China's most impressive "technical landmark" after the nation's first manned space flight by Yang Liwei.

However, when he returned to Beijing after the testing, the modest Tung appeared unaffected by all the hype.

"I'm very proud to see my face in newspapers, but it doesn't change me for sure. I'm still the same," Tung said with a cheeky grin.

While talking about the testing, he was still excited about the feeling of driving an F1 car for the first time.

"Driving an F1 car is something that I have dreamed about my whole life," he said. "There is one word that can describe the feeling of sitting in an F1 car - fantastic.

"And, of course, it's a matter of some pride to be the first Chinese driver to get behind the wheel of such a prestigious machine." Tung, who is always eager to learn, absorbed much from his first F1 testing, before which he only had a chance to look at the running F1 car from far distance during a supporting race before this year's Formula BMW series in Malaysia.

"It was the very first time I have got so close to F1, which is very impressive - not only the car but also the way the car is prepared and how everything is organized," he said.

"When you are there, you can really feel the top level of racing."

The testing also gave Tung an opportunity to work with Williams superstars Montoya and Ralf Schumacher.

"They are examples for me and they have helped me a lot," he said. "I hope to be one of them in the future."

There are only three drivers testing for Williams this year. The other two are Nelsonho Piquet Junior, the teenage son of the former world champion, and Nico Rosberg, son of Finland's former champion Keke.

Testing against these two young racers with wide F1 experience, the confident Tung felt no pressure at all.

"I'm very confident of myself and I knew that if I could do my best, I would give good performance. I just do my job as good as possible." he said. "I hope to be able to compete with them because they're really good.

Although testing in F1 is an important experience for a driver, it's only the very preliminary step of being a real F1 racer. Therefore, for the young racer, there is still a long way to go.

"At this time, we are standing a few steps lower. To get to the top level we have to go step by step because it is a learning process as well," said Bert Winkler, Tung's manager. "Ho-pin is young and talented, and he can learn, but he needs time. We must give him time to learn all the cars. If you forget one step, you will fall down."

Tung himself knows he has a lot to improve as well. "Forty-two laps is only a small amount. I have to get used to the car even more," he said.

Up to now, Tung hasn't decided in which category he will race next season. The team and his manager are carefully considering what is good for him, but they don't want to spoil Tung's talents by excessive enthusiasm.

"From the first time I saw his driving, I found him special," said Winkler. "He races not only with his hands and feet but also with his brain.

"Another good thing for him is that he is honest to himself and to others. Every time before the experts pointed out his weakness, he could have known already that this time he had made a mistake and it won't happen again. if you're critical of yourself, you can improve yourself."

In F1 racing, one of the most competitive sports, there are only 20 seats available for all drivers in the whole world every year. In 2005 Montoya will leave Williams for MaLaren - which could open a spot for Tung.

Until then, he'll keep striving to realize his dream.

"I will continue to work hard to try to get ready for the circuit," he said confidently.

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