Hong Kong's Matthew Solomon making a mark in China Series
Two victories from three races have raised the profile of Eurasia Motorsport driver
Matthew Solomon's first win was certainly a thrill but it wasn't until the second time he took pride of place on the podium that the nature of success really started to sink in.
The 18-year-old Hong Kong driver had arrived at the last rounds of the Asia-wide Formula Masters China Series in Inje, South Korea, continuing to improve on the promise he had shown across the event's debut season last year, but still had yet to make the ultimate break-through.
The first thing Solomon learned was how quickly things can change. Two wins from the three races scheduled in South Korea have the Eurasia Motorsport driver in second place in the series standings - behind New Zealand's James Munro, driving for Cebu Pacific Air by KCM.
The first time I came across the line I was ecstatic, but it didn't really hit me, it didn't really sink in
"It was an amazing weekend for us," says Solomon. "From the start of the season we knew we'd be up there, we knew we had improved from where we were last year and had a very quick package. There were problems in the first few rounds of the series, not a lot of luck, but then it all fell into place in Inje."
And luck certainly played its part, with Solomon's second win achieved thanks to a jump-start penalty dished out to Briton Dan Wells, of Cebu Pacific Air by KCMG, who had crossed the line in front of the Hong Kong driver but was then relegated to eighth.
For Solomon the victory was as sweet as it was a surprise and it taught him that in motorsport, you just have to grab every chance you can.
"The first time I came across the line I was ecstatic, but it didn't really hit me, it didn't really sink in," says Solomon. "But with the second win, I was so pumped it sunk in a lot quicker. In this sport, winning is pretty much everything. I realise you have to show you have what it takes to get the attention and to get the sponsorship you need to be able to race.
"You need to believe in yourself, that's the first thing and then you need the results. It's easy to say, 'Yeah, I am one of the quickest guys in Asia and I am going to do this and that.' But if you don't win, it doesn't mean anything."