China 'needs another Yao Ming' to boost profile of motor racing

What will it take for China to take an interest in motor racing? Sun Zheng, one of the mainland's rising stars, is in no doubt.

"Like Yao Ming in the NBA - we need someone like that," says the 21-year-old Beijing driver, racing for Galaxy Double R at the Macau Grand Prix this weekend. "We need a formula car driver, a very fast one. Maybe not Formula One, that might be too far away, but maybe Formula 3 - or winning in Macau can help."

So is Sun the man? This year he won the British Formula 3 National Class, a cheaper, easier-to-entry category than the main International Class and has impressed in the Audi R8 LMS Cup; last year he won the China Formula Grand Prix series, an open-wheel championship with cars co-designed by mainland company Geely.

"I hope it can be me [to inspire a new generation of Chinese racers], but if not I'd like to help younger kids to be the one. I think there's some good talent coming through. I believe [a Yao-type figure] will transform the sport, but it will take some time. I think there's only three or four overall competing from China in F3 and one in GP2."

Ma Qinghua has so far come the closest to Formula One, as a test driver for HRT and Caterham. Sun, whose family is involved in construction projects and who funds his racing partly through the benevolence of a fellow driver in the Audi series, says his F3 win has raised his profile a little at home - but not a lot.

"Sponsors have shown a bit of interest, but Chinese people don't know motor sport that much yet. Not many [regular] people know about my win, but I think it was a big step to attract Chinese sponsors.

"The market is developing and the marketing of the manufacturers is quite big, but nowadays in China most manufacturers are promoting touring cars and GTs, not formula cars, because we don't have many constructor sponsors so it's hard for Chinese drivers."