Apollo RFN Racing Team by Blackjack Racing and Apollo RFN Racing Team by ART faced a steep learning curve during the opening round of the F4 Chinese Championship at Ningbo International Speedpark. Nevertheless, some class podium finishes rewarded the drivers’ efforts, marking a solid start to the season.
For the opening round of the season, Apollo RFN Racing Team by Blackjack Racing fielded two Mygale M21-F4 (now to be called Ligier JS F422) cars for series newcomers Andrei Dubynin and Tiger Zhang Sum Hon. Meanwhile, Apollo RFN Racing Team by ART ran two other French-built machines for Viktor Turkin and Li Zebing.
Due to the late arrival of the new cars and last-minute agreements with drivers, the limited preparation time impacted overall performance throughout the weekend.
Despite having no prior experience in single-seaters, Russian karting graduate Andrei Dubynin quickly emerged as the team leader. Facing the technical and demanding Ningbo circuit for the first time, he qualified 8th and 10th in Saturday morning’s sessions.
In the season’s opening race, Andrei Dubynin made steady progress through the field, avoiding unnecessary risks to finish fifth overall and third in the F4 class – earning him a well-deserved place on the podium. Unfortunately, his second race on Saturday ended prematurely due to a technical issue that switched off his engine.
Andrei Dubynin returned to the podium on Sunday after another composed and error-free drive, crossing the finish line fifth overall and securing P3 in the F4 class. In the final race of the weekend in Zhejiang Province, the Russian made a strong getaway, climbing to fourth place early on. However, as the race unfolded, he gradually lost pace and dropped down the order, eventually taking the chequered flag in eighth position.
Still new to single-seater racing, Viktor Turkin had the opportunity to compete in the F4 Chinese Championship during the season finale at Zhuhai last year with the team. The Russian driver, who brings solid karting experience from his home country, was unfamiliar with the circuit, which features a mix of high-speed straights, sweeping bends, and technical corners, offering a challenging layout for drivers and an exciting spectacle for spectators.
In the second race, the Russian driver stayed close to the faster front-runners to secure ninth place overall and third in the Master class.
Sunday proved to be a challenging day for Viktor Turkin, as contact from behind on the opening lap of Race 3 forced him to retire. Starting from the back of the grid for the final race of the weekend, he showed his usual strong determination, climbing six places over the course of the 18-lap contest to finish fourth in the Master class, which corresponded to a Gentleman class win.
Fifteen-year-old Tiger Zhang faced a steep learning curve in his first outing in single-seaters. A late signing for the team, the Hong Kong-born Chinese driver embarked on his debut season with the clear objective of gaining experience and building pace round by round. Focused on finishing races and improving with each session, Zhang brought the #11 car home in 17th place in Race 1 on Saturday, before delivering a more encouraging performance in Race 2, securing 14th at the flag.
On Sunday, Tiger Zhang continued his learning curve, finishing 17th in the race three while improving his personal best lap time in race conditions. However, the fourth and final race of the weekend didn’t go to plan, as the young driver was forced to pit early due to a technical issue, costing him a lap.
For Li Zebing, the weekend was always going to present a major challenge. The Chinese driver approached it with enthusiasm and a strong desire to learn, setting aside lofty ambitions to concentrate on delivering his best performance.
His debut race ended in disappointment after a spin into the gravel in the warm up lap, but he bounced back impressively in the second race. Staying on the lead lap and avoiding mistakes, he crossed the line in 16th overall – a result that secured him 2nd place in the Challenger class. Li Zebing celebrated his first podium in formula racing with genuine joy and emotion.
Unfortunately, Sunday didn’t go as well, and a dramatic crash on the second lap of the day’s first race brought an early end to Li Zebing’s debut weekend in single-seater racing.
Team Manager Rodolfo Avila said: “We knew it was going to be a weekend full of challenges, given our drivers’ limited experience with the F4 cars, especially on a track that isn’t easy. Even so, we’re leaving here with several positives, and we now have a clear understanding of the areas we need to improve ahead of the next races.”
Team Principal Jack Pang added: “We’ve faced our fair share of challenges this week, but our goal remains unchanged – to deliver the best possible support to our drivers and help them push their limits. None of this would be possible without the unwavering backing of our sponsors, technical partners, and above all, the dedication of our drivers and team. Together, we keep moving forward.”
The next race in the calendar takes place at the Shanghai International Circuit from 16 to 18 of May.
