Two podium finishes despite challenging conditions on the Pingtan Street Circuit
Moritz Berrenberg gained valuable experience at the second round of the SRO GT Cup on the Pingtan Street Circuit in China and secured two podium finishes despite difficult circumstances. The German driver delivered a strong performance and finished second in his class in both races.
Challenging conditions on new territory
The race weekend in Pingtan was a completely new experience for Berrenberg on his first street circuit. The track surface proved particularly challenging, being extremely bumpy and rough, with braking zones deteriorating throughout the weekend as more holes and uneven patches developed.
The weekend started with a setback in the first free practice session when Berrenberg got caught on a curb, tearing off the front splitter and damaging the radiator. Despite these early problems, the German driver remained undeterred.
Strong qualifying performance as foundation
The difficult circumstances couldn’t stop Berrenberg in qualifying. With an impressive performance, he secured pole position in his class and fifth place overall for both races in a strong 21-car field. This solid starting position would prove to be an important foundation for the upcoming races.
Race 1: Podium despite technical problems
The first race developed intensely for Berrenberg, who dropped to second place in class after good battles. While a long Safety Car period eliminated any chance of a comeback, a rear damper failure made the situation even more difficult. The compromised balance and pace of the car made driving considerably harder, yet Berrenberg persevered and secured P2 in class and fifth place overall.
Race 2: Dramatic fight for victory
Between the two races, the team faced an enormous challenge. The car only left Parc Fermé less than two hours before the start, but thanks to the team’s tireless efforts, the broken damper could be replaced in time.
Although the start didn’t go according to plan – a car ahead of Berrenberg didn’t react to the green light – the German fought back quickly and took the class lead early on. What followed was an intense final phase where he swapped positions with the competition almost every lap. “I was still leading the class going into the final lap, but got dive-bombed in the last corner. I chose to avoid contact,” explains Berrenberg, who finished on P2 in class and fourth place overall.
Valuable experience for the future
Despite narrowly missing victory, Berrenberg draws positive conclusions from the weekend: “All in all, it was a tough but valuable weekend. Pingtan gave me a lot to learn from, especially with Macau coming up later this season.”
Beyond his own performance, he particularly highlighted the exceptional work of his team, who got the car race-ready between sessions. The two podium finishes in Pingtan ultimately underscore Berrenberg’s adaptability and his talent for consistently delivering strong performances even under the most challenging conditions.
