Pinnacle Motorsport’s Cockerton takes Driver’s Championship title in final round of 2017 Formula Masters Series

Last September 23 and 24 saw an exhilarating conclusion to this year’s Formula Masters Series in Shanghai, China. In light of this, the Pinnacle Motorsport racing team clinched the 2017 Driver’s Championship title with one of its ace drivers, Tyler Cockerton, taking the chequered flag in style.

Prior to the weekend’s races, a qualifying round was held for Saturday’s and Sunday’s races. Cockerton didn’t hold back, thus earning the New Zealander a 3^rd and 5^th place starting position, respectively. His Filipino-British teammate Ben Grimes, meanwhile, managed to get a 7^th place starting post on both race days, while newcomer Billy Zheng (Zheng Jia Nian) would start from 8^th on Saturday and Sunday.

In recap, last Saturday’s Race 1 was challenged with a torrent of heavy rain. Despite the low visibility and slippery track, the race went on full swing with Cockerton aiming for the lead. However, he finished 4^th as a result of a spin out. Grimes and Zheng, on the other hand, settled for 5^th and 7^th places, respectively.

The Saturday Race 2 yielded better results for Cockerton as he took home 1^st place. Grimes, however, wasn’t as fortunate as he found himself colliding with a spinning opponent, thus ending his race prematurely. As for Zheng, the Chinese driver again crossed the line in 7^th.

During Sunday’s Race 1, Cockerton maintained his string pace. Not letting the bad weather and tricky track conditions bring him down, he soldiered on to take 1^st place. As for Grimes, he finished 10^th, with Zheng just behind him in 11^th.

Sunday’s Race 2, the final race of the 2017 season, was celebrated with another 1^st place victory for Cockerton. This would hand him the 2017 Formula Masters Series Driver’s Championship title. Grimes concluded the season by finishing in 11^th place. As for Zheng, he was unfortunately excluded from the final race tally as he was caught overtaking under safety car conditions.

Aside from Cockerton’s championship achievement, the Pinnacle Motorsport racing team gained vice champion status in the Teams Championship as a result of an overall brilliant 2017 season performance.

Congratulations and more power next year, Pinnacle Motorsport!