Cao Hongwei (Chinese: 曹宏炜; pinyin: Cáo Hóngwěi, born 17 February 1993), commonly known as Martin Cao, is a Chinese racing driver. He is the reigning champion of the TCR China Touring Car Championship, having won the title in 2023, and previously won the 2014 British Formula Three Championship.
| Cao Hongwei | |
|---|---|
 Cao driving a Hyundai i30 at the 2023 Nürburgring Endurance Series | |
| Nationality |  Chinese |
| Born | 17 February 1993 Changsha, Hunan, China |
| British Formula 3 Championship career | |
| Debut season | 2014 |
| Current team | Fortec Motorsports |
| Car number | 57 |
| Starts | 21 |
| Wins | 4 |
| Poles | 4 |
| Fastest laps | 1 |
| Best finish | 1st in 2014 |
| Previous series | |
| 2012–13 2012–13 2008, 10–11 2008–09 2008 | Protyre FR Autumn Cup Protyre Formula Renault Asian Formula Renault Challenge Formula BMW Pacific FF Campus China |
| Championship titles | |
| 2014 2008 | British Formula 3 FF Campus China |
Career
editAsian championships
editBorn in Changsha, Hunan Province, Cao began karting in 1999 at the age of six, and would compete in the China National Karting Championship for the first time in 2003. In 2009, at the age of sixteen, Cao, alongside Zhu Daiwei, would become the first Chinese driver in history to compete in the FIA World Karting Championship.[1]
Cao stepped up to single-seater racing in 2008, competing in the Chinese Formula Ford Campus Championship. He won five races and clinched the championship with an advantage of seven points.[2] Also in 2008, Cao finished third with seven podiums in the Asian Formula Renault Challenge and also contested two races of the Formula BMW Pacific Championship, with Pacific Racing.[3]
In 2009, Cao remained in Formula BMW Pacific but switched to Ao's Racing. He had six point-scoring finishes in nine races, finishing twelfth in the championship.[4]
In 2010, Cao returned to the Asian Formula Renault Challenge with the FRD Racing Team. He won five out of the six races he contested – one more than champion Sandy Stuvik – and finished fourth in the championship.[5]
Protyre Formula Renault
editIn 2012, Cao moved to Europe and joined Fortec Motorsports to compete in Formula Renault BARC.[6] He finished nine races in the points to take fourteenth position in the championship, with 100 points.[7] He also finished fifth in the 2012 Formula Renault BARC Winter Series.[8]
Cao remained with Fortec into 2013, staying in the newly renamed Protyre Formula Renault Championship.[9] He won a race at Rockingham and finished fourth in the final championship standings.[10] He finished runner-up to Ben Barnicoat in the Protyre Formula Renault Autumn Cup at Rockingham, winning one of the event's three races.[11]
British Formula 3 Championship
editCao continued his collaboration with Fortec into the British Formula 3 Championship in 2014.[12] He finished fifteen races on the podium, including four wins. He battled with his teammate Matt Rao for the title, and clinched the championship by just two points, ahead of Rao.[13]
Racing record
editCareer summary
edit† As Cao was a guest driver, he was ineligible for points. * Season still in progress.
Complete FIA Formula 3 European Championship results
edit(key)
| Year | Entrant | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | DC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Fortec Motorsports | Mercedes | SIL 1 23 |
SIL 2 17 |
SIL 3 23 |
HOC 1 18 |
HOC 2 18 |
HOC 3 21 |
PAU 1 21 |
PAU 2 16 |
PAU 3 24 |
MNZ 1 14 |
MNZ 2 17 |
MNZ 3 15 |
SPA 1 20 |
SPA 2 20 |
SPA 3 17 |
NOR 1 |
NOR 2 |
NOR 3 |
ZAN 1 |
ZAN 2 |
ZAN 3 |
RBR 1 |
RBR 2 |
RBR 3 |
ALG 1 |
ALG 2 |
ALG 3 |
NÜR 1 |
NÜR 2 |
NÜR 3 |
HOC 1 |
HOC 2 |
HOC 3 |
30th | 0 |
Complete TCR International Series results
edit(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | DC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | FRD Motorsports | Ford Focus TCR | BHR 1 |
BHR 2 |
EST 1 |
EST 2 |
SPA 1 |
SPA 2 |
IMO 1 |
IMO 2 |
SAL 1 |
SAL 2 |
OSC 1 |
OSC 2 |
SOC 1 |
SOC 2 |
CHA 1 13 |
CHA 2 12 |
MRN 1 |
MRN 2 |
SEP 1 |
SEP 2 |
MAC 1 |
MAC 2 |
NC | 0 |
Complete TCR World Tour results
edit(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | DC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Hyundai N Team | Hyundai Elantra N TCR | VAL 1 |
VAL 2 |
MRK 1 |
MRK 2 |
MDO 1 |
MDO 2 |
SAP 1 |
SAP 2 |
ELP 1 |
ELP 2 |
ZHZ 1 12 |
ZHZ 2 13 |
MAC 1 8 |
MAC 2 11 |
14th | 25 |
References
edit- ^ "Historical event at Macau". Vroomkart. 5 October 2009. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
- ^ "Ford Formula Campus Championship — China Category 2008 standings". driverdb.com. Driver Database. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
- ^ "Formula BMW Pacific 2008 standings". driverdb.com. Driver Database. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
- ^ "Formula BMW Pacific 2009 standings". Driver Database. driverdb.com. 3 October 2014. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
- ^ "Formula Renault Asian Challenge 2010 standings". driverdb.com. Driver Database. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
- ^ "2012 is go go go!". Fortec Motorsport. WordPress. 18 January 2012. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
- ^ "Formula Renault BARC 2012 standings". driverdb.com. Driver Database. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
- ^ "Protyre Formula Renault BARC Winter Series with Michelin 2012 standings". driverdb.com. Driver Database. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
- ^ "Fortec reveals four car line-up for Protyre Formula Renault". Renaultsport UK. Renault Sport. 28 January 2013. Retrieved 3 October 2010.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Protyre Formula Renault Championship 2013 standings". driverdb.com. Driver Database. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
- ^ "Protyre Formula Renault Championship — Autumn Cup 2013 standings". driverdb.com. Driver Database. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
- ^ Simmons, Marcus (5 December 2013). "Fortec signs Chinese racer Cao for British Formula 3". Autosport. Haymarket Publications. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
- ^ Allen, Peter (3 October 2014). "Rao wins British F3 finale at Donington, but Cao cruises to title". Paddock Scout. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
External links
edit- Martin Cao career summary at DriverDB.com