Andy Yan celebrates third CTCC drivers’ title after tense finale

Changan Ford FRD Team driver Andy Yan won his third drivers’ title for the blue oval on Sunday at Beijing’s FASC circuit, despite having to come from the back of the field, and work his way past his two championship rivals in order to make sure he was able to defend his lead in the standings.

Yan won the drivers’ title by six points ahead of Honda driver Henry Ho, overtaking the Macanese driver during the race in order to be sure of the title, with Kia’s Jason Zhang caught up in an early collision with Yan’s team-mate Rainey He which saw him drop down the order, and fall to third in the final standings.

Yan, with some help from team-mate Darryl O’Young, who gave up his fourth place and fought a rear-guard action against Ho late in the race, went on to finish just off the podium in the race, but critically on top of the points table at the end of the season.

“I am so glad and honoured to win the champion,” said Yan. “It is not only a kind of affirmation to my performance but also to the efforts that Changan Ford Racing Team had made in this season. I have never walked alone or won alone throughout the season. What we won today was the team’s effort.

“Thanks for the fantastic team work from my team-mates; thanks for the perfect adjustment of my car from Changan Ford Racing Team’s engineers and mechanics and thanks for sponsor Changan Ford’s full support. We will keep this pace on and on for the next season and hopefully we can get the overall team championship in 2016.”