CTCC four-time champion Zhang Zhendong returns as the king

The 2025 CTCC China Auto Circuit Professional League is different because of a "returning champion" driver - four-time champion Zhang Zhendong returns to the track on behalf of the Shanghai Z.SPEED N team. In the opening race of the Shanghai Jiading Station, he set a new record for the fastest lap time of the TCR model on the track with a lap time of 2:08.769; in the Zhejiang Ningbo Station, he broke through the opponent's encirclement and won the championship on his own.

The king returns, and the championship is still the only goal

Zhang Zhendong is undoubtedly one of the iconic figures of CTCC. He was active in the CTCC as early as 2010. Although there were interruptions during this period, he returned to the CTCC family in 2015 and won the 2015 Super Cup Driver of the Year trophy in one fell swoop; in the following 2016, Zhang Zhendong successfully defended his title; in the 2019 season, Zhang Zhendong won the championship in Wuhan again after three years, and won the CTCC Super Cup Driver of the Year championship for the third time; in 2020, Zhang Zhendong defeated his rivals in the last round of the season and achieved the feat of four championships.

This is Zhang Zhendong's return to the CTCC after a year. The new season of CTCC introduces driver classification to guide drivers to participate in fairer competition. Zhang Zhendong said frankly that the current CTCC presents a new look. "This is our first time participating in the competition after Michelin changed to a new formula tire. Many innovations have made the level of the competition higher and higher. The influx of many new drivers has intensified the competition, making every match full of unknowns."

So far, Zhang Zhendong has won trophies in every station and every round. He announced his return in a strong manner by breaking the lap record, taking the pole position and winning two rounds in Shanghai Jiading Station. He won one championship and one season in Zhejiang Ningbo Station. Currently, he is the leader of the TCR China Championship Driver Points and declared: "Championship is still the only goal."

Solo breakthrough, writing a championship legend

This season, Shanghai Z.SPEED N Team officially joined hands with Hyundai Motor N brand to compete. The manufacturer war between Hyundai Motor N brand and Lynk & Co, which has lasted for several seasons, continues to ignite the field. As the core "firepower point" of the team, Zhang Zhendong has to face the battle car of Lynk & Co camp alone. The confrontation between the two camps is one of the focus topics of this season.

In Ningbo, Zhejiang, Zhang Zhendong was in a particularly unfavorable situation as he was playing away. The rival Lynk & Co car took the top five in qualifying, which also created conditions for the teamwork of the Lynk & Co camp in the race. Under numerous challenges, Zhang Zhendong bravely broke through the "encirclement and suppression" of his opponents in the race and presented many exciting duels. In the first round of the finals in Ningbo, he faced the "iron wall" of five Lynk & Co cars in front of him, and counterattacked from the sixth starting position to the third place; in the second round, he won the championship with textbook-level offense and defense under the rule of reverse starting order.

Zhang Zhendong's performance against the opponent's army alone made him look quite heroic. "We only have one car, while the opponent has five cars working together, which really makes me need to fight with all my strength in every round. Fortunately, we can see that the competitive level of CTCC has improved a lot this year. The confrontations on the field are more restrained and professional, which makes me enjoy it."

Going all out is the winning championship

Zhang Zhendong has mainly played in the 333 club system in his more than ten years of CTCC. However, he made a somewhat surprising decision in the 2023 season: joining the Shanghai Z.SPEED N team and driving the Hyundai Elantra N TCR racing car.

In the past two years, Zhang Zhendong has represented the Shanghai Z.SPEED N team in domestic and foreign competitions, and his running-in with the new team has been getting better and better. Zhang Zhendong is very grateful for the team's efforts. "This year has been extremely challenging for us. With limited sponsorship, the team has been under great pressure. Fortunately, we have a good car and have collected enough data in the TCR Asia Series to keep us ahead."

In June, the roar of CTCC engines will sound again, and the journey to the four championships will continue. We look forward to Zhang Zhendong's wonderful performance this season.