Cheng chases high-speed dream
Cheng Congfu is quietly confident of a bright future after posting the best finish of his young career at Thruxton last weekend. The 19-year-old Beijing native, one of two drivers signed to the McLaren and Mercedes-Benz Young Driver Support Programme, finished eighth at the track in Hampshire, England, on the Formula Renault UK Championship circuit driving for the Manor Motorsport team.
His finish earned him 14 points in his first full season of British single-seater contests to bring his total to 26, surpassing the 19 he earned in nine races last year. Speaking at this week's China International Sports Show, Cheng said his career took a dramatic upturn in June last year when he signed with the West McLaren Mercedes Team.
'Since joining the team, I feel I have improved my skills. The team was surprised and so was I. Right now, we have just reached the middle of the season and I am confident. I feel really competitive and believe that I can achieve results late in the season,' Cheng said.
'McLaren Mercedes is a perfect team and there is a great atmosphere. Every time I go to the McLaren factory it just gives me more motivation to be the fastest driver.'
Introduced to karting by his father at the age of nine, Cheng started competitive kart racing the following year and won his first race in 1996 at 12. By 14 he was the Beijing champion and a national champion at age 16.
Relocating to England in 2002, he raced for the Hill Speed Racing team and competed in the British Formula Ford Winter Series. The following year, he competed in the Asian Formula Challenge, winning the Formula Renault Championship division of the series.
Cheng, who is based in Hull, England, where he studies automotive engineering, said he felt no pressure to become China's first Formula One driver, despite the growing popularity of the sport in the mainland and its hosting of the first China Grand Prix on September 26 in Shanghai.
'I believe McLaren sponsored me to be a top-level Formula One driver - a world class driver. To get to Formula One it really depends on my performance in the Formula Renault Races. To be honest, F1 is still a distant dream. But if I can be top three or top five [in Formula Renault], it's a possibility.'
Steve Wright, of McLaren Marketing, said another season in Formula Renault, considered two notches below F1, might be the right thing for Cheng.
Cheng said he would take it as it comes. 'I first hopped in a kart at nine years old and really, I wasn't predicting that this is where I would be now. I just tried to do my best and I tried to be the fastest driver in China. Now I plan to be the fastest in the world - it is my goal.'
