29 Oct 2026 Circuit Hero–One Race 1: Cheng Chunhua Claimed Victory, Tao Ye and Gao Yong Took 2nd and 3rd

On 17 October, Race 1 of the 2026 Circuit Hero-One kicked off at Zhuhai International Circuit (ZIC). Following a hard-fought qualifying session and final race, Cheng Chunhua from Jiangmen Xingrui Team took overall victory as well as Class D honours. Tao Ye finished second overall and won Class C, while Gao Yong from Haifang Racing Team secured third overall and Class D runner-up.

Mid-October marks the arrival of autumn, yet the lingering “autumn tiger” heat persisted. Temperatures stayed above 32°C, posing severe challenges to vehicle cooling, tyre durability and drivers’ physical endurance inside the hot cockpits. As the official designated tyres for this race, Pirelli and Sailun tyres supported all drivers through the high-temperature conditions, enabling fast laps in qualifying and ensuring the smooth running of the entire race.

Qualifying: Tao Ye took pole with 1:47.657

Qualifying for Circuit Hero-One got underway at 10:20 a.m. The grid featured a strong entry list, including Lamborghini race cars in Class C, Audi RS3 LMS machines in Class D, plus Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ entries in Class E. After a 25-minute shootout for fastest lap, No.12 Tao Ye claimed overall pole position with a time of 1:47.657. Cheng Chunhua  from Jiangmen Xingrui Team lined up second overall and top of Class D, and Gao Yong from Haifang Racing Team was third overall and second in Class D.

Race 1: Cheng Chunhua made decisive overtake on Lap 2

The opening race of  Circuit Hero-One started at 15:30 with a rolling start. No.12 Tao Ye got away cleanly and moved into the race lead. Starting from fifth, Guo Haozhang from Jiangmen Xingrui Team made a lightning getaway, passing Rao Long from Team ENDLESS who had started fourth. At Turn 9, Rao Long fought back and reclaimed the position from Guo Haozhang.

On Lap 2, Cheng Chunhua found a gap to overtake Tao Ye and moved to the front of the field, with Gao Yong holding on to third overall. Further back, Rao Long and Guo Haozhang engaged in a fierce wheel-to-wheel battle for the Class E lead. The pair traded positions side by side, before Guo Haozhang gained the upper hand and passed Rao Long once again.

As the race heated up on Lap 3, contact occurred between No.16 Li Guocun and No.67 Kuang Bowen fromTeam Master Champ while the cars were racing. Both machines went off-track and were forced to retire. Jowie from Zhongshan SRC Racing, who had started further down the order, took the chance to move up into third place in Class E.

As the race heated up on Lap 3, contact occurred between No.16 Li Guocun and No.67 Kuang Bowen of Team Master Champ while the cars were racing. Both machines went off-track and were forced to retire. Jowie from Zhongshan SRC Racing, who had started further down the order, took the chance to move up into third place in Class E.

The chequered flag fell at the end of Lap 12. Cheng Chunhua from Jiangmen Xingrui Team won overall and Class D. Tao Ye finished second overall and claimed Class C victory, and Gao Yong from Haifang Racing Team came home third overall and second in Class D.

In Class E, Guo Haozhang from Jiangmen Xingrui Team took the class win. Rao Long from Team ENDLESS finished as runner-up, and Jowie from Zhongshan SRC Racing was third.

Winner Interview | Cheng Chunhua, Jiangmen Xingrui Team

“I used to brake with my right foot and have only recently switched to left-foot braking, so I’m still getting used to it. I made one key overtake during the race. The car ahead was slow through the corner, and there was another competitor closing up behind me. I didn’t want to let the chance slip, so I made my move at Turn 4 and moved into first place. I’m really happy with this overall win and hope I can carry this form into tomorrow.”

Race 2 of  Circuit Hero-One will take place on Sunday, 18 October. Stay tuned!