Cheng "Frankie" Congfu (程丛夫; pinyin: Chéng Cóng Fū; born August 15, 1984) is a Chinese racing driver.

Career

Karting

In 1996, Cheng raced in karting in China, winning the national championship in 1998 (junior division), 2000 and 2001. He also took part in the European Karting Open (15th in 1999) and the Asian Karting Championship (runner-up in 2001).

• 1996 : 1st in Beijing Shunxiang Cup Karting Competition

• 1997 : 1st in Beijing Shunxiang Cup Karting Competition; 2nd in Beijing Zhuangzhou Karting

• 1998 : 1st in Beijing Karting Championship; 1st in China Karting Championship Junior division; Macau Kart Racing Club; 1st in Xiangmihu Kart Racing Club

• 1999 : 15th in European Karting Open; 2nd in China Karting Championship; 1st in Macao Karting Championship; 1st in Ericsson Masters Cup Challenge in Hong Kong

• 2000 : 1st in China Karting Championship; 1st in Ericsson Masters Cup Challenge in Hong Kong

• 2001 : 1st in All-China Karting Championship; 2nd in Asia Karting Championship

Racing career

Cheng started his formula racing career with the British Formula Ford Winter Series in 2001. In 2003, he would be supported by the McLaren Formula One team, as part of its driver development programme. Cheng joined A1 Team China and drove in the A1 Grand Prix series from the 2006-07 season in the 2008-09 season.

Cheng raced in the Formula Three Euroseries for 2008.

Cheng became the first Chinese driver to participate, finish and score a class podium in the 24 Hours of Le Mans when his Saulnier Team LMP2 Pescarolo finished third in the LMP2 class of the 2008 event, behind the teams of van Merksteijn and Team Essex, both running Porsche Spyder LMP2s.

On 23–24 May 2009, Cheng participated in the ADAC Nurburgring 24 Hours, with teammates Altfrid Heger, Carlo van Dam, and Franck Mailleux in VW Motorsport III's #116 VW Scirocco GT 24 (4 cyl, 1.984 ccm, 1100kg), the team finished 20th overall and third in SP3T class after Volkswagen Motorsport II's #118 VW Scirocco GT 24 and #107 Audi A3. Cheng Congfu then became the first Chinese driver to participate, finish and score a class podium in the Nurburgring 24 Hours.

Cheng drove in the 2010 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters for Mercedes, becoming the second Asian driver – after Japan's Katsutomo Kaneishi in 2003 – to drive in the series.

In November 2011, Cheng partnered with 1998 and 1999 F1 World Champion Mika Häkkinen and Lance David Arnold to drive a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG at the 2011 6 Hours of Zhuhai race, a round of the 2011 Intercontinental Le Mans Cup.

Racing record

Racing career summary

† Guest driver ineligible to score points

‡ Teams' Standings

Complete A1 Grand Prix results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Complete DTM results

(key)

24 Hours of Le Mans results

References

External links

• Cheng page at a1teamchina.com.cn

• Driver Statistics at results.a1gp.com

• Cheng Congfu interview, 17 September 2006