| Matthew Marsh
Racing driver, motor sport
journalist
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| Matthew Marsh
Racing driver, motor sport
journalist
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| Date of birth: | 24 September 1968 |
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| Born: | Welwyn, England | ||
| Resident: | Hong Kong | ||
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Matthew Marsh is one of Asia’s
best known motor sport personalities. In 2008 he became the only Hong
Kong driver to have scored an FIA World Championship point by finishing
eighth in the final round of the World Touring Car Championship at the
Macau Grand Prix, driving a BMW. Prior to that he became the only
driver to have represented Hong Kong at the world-famous Le Mans
24-hours race in 2007 (Ferrari 430) and at the first to do so at the
Monaco Grand Prix in 2005 (Porsche Supercup).
Matthew has been a front-runner in the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia since 2003, winning the region’s premier series in 2004. He has taken the top step of the podium at Grand Prix supporting races in Britain, China and Malaysia – another benchmark for Hong Kong drivers. He is also the only driver in the world to have competed in the Porsche Supercup and the Carrera Cups in Asia, Great Britain and Japan. A passion for endurance racing has led Matthew to score class wins at the Bathurst and Nürburgring 24-hour races – the latter in an historic victory with Aston Martin’s factory team. The 40-year old is a guest commentator and presenter on ESPN Star TV’s coverage of the Formula One World Championship. He attends Grands Prix and various new car launches as an accredited journalist and contributes motor sport and motoring-related lifestyle stories to publications world-wide. Matthew has been an ambassador for brands such as: City of Dreams Macau, Franck Muller, Michelin, Mobil1, SC Global Developments and Vertu. With his wife Jessie – and their Lakeland Terrier dogs, Mui Mui and Parker – Matthew lives in Hong Kong where he is a permanent resident. |
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At the wheel: |
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| Racing highlights: | 2008 WTCC Macau – 8th overall (FIA World
Championship point); 2008 Nürburgring 24-hours – Aston Martin V8 Vantage, class win; 2008 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia; 2008 Rolex 24 at Daytona – Ferrari 430; 2007 Le Mans 24-hours - Ferrari 430; 2006 Le Mans Classic - Alfa Romeo TZ1 and Ferrari Daytona; 2006 Nürburgring 24-hours - Porsche GT3, 2nd in class (10th overall); 2006 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia; 2005 Le Mans Endurance Series & FIA GT (Zhuhai) – Porsche RSR; 2005 Porsche Supercup Monaco Grand Prix; 2005 Porsche Infineon Carrera Cup Asia; 2004 Porsche Infineon Carrera Cup Asia, champion (four race wins); 2004 FIA GT Championship Zhuhai Round - Ferrari 360 GTC, 4th (GT2); 2004 British Grand Prix - Trofeo Vodafone Maserati, winner. 2003 Macau Grand Prix - Porsche Carrera Cup, pole and 3rd place. 2002 Bathurst 24-hours - BMW Z3 M, class win (5th overall); 2000 Nürburgring 24-hours - BMW M3, 3rd in class; 2000 Coys Festival - 1968 Brabham BT31 F1, class win (3rd overall); 1998 Caterham championships (UK) - 11 wins, four poles. (Full racing history shown below) |
| Favourite circuit: |
Snetterton, England |
| Best race: |
It’s difficult to beat the Nurburgring 24-hours as an all-round, totally absorbing experience. In the middle of the night as you head out into the country it’s really rather special. And I say this after having raced at Le Mans! |
| Worst race: |
My memory has erased any particularly bad races… but failing the driving test on my first attempt will suffice. ‘Over-confident’ was the examiner’s pronouncement. |
First motorsport |
Listening to the radio report of James Hunt winning the 1976 World Championship at Fuji in Japan. It was early in the morning and I was eating toast. As a child I was a spectator at many races in the UK including each year’s British Grand Prix, the Formula 2 ‘International Trophy’, and the 6-Hour and 1000 kilometre endurance races for sportscars. |
| How I started racing: |
Since I did not have the opportunity to race karts as a child I started racing quite late – aged 18 in 1987 – in Formula Ford 1600. I bought an aged Crossle and used it in various events around the UK. I spent rather more time in the garage fixing it than driving it. |
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| Print media: |
Contributor to the following titles: |
| Television: | Guest presenter on ESPN Star TV's coverage of the F1
World Championship. Interviewer and presenter for Asian Festival of Speed (distributed globally) [www.afos.com] and Japanese GT Championship (ESPN Star Sports). |
| Radio: | Regular appearances on Hong Kong's RTHK radio 3 [www.rthk.org.hk] |
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Full racing
history: |
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| 2008: |
-World Touring Car Championship:
Rnds 21&22 (Okayama) 22nd(7th in class)/14th (3rd); Rnds 23&24
(Macau) 17th (3rd)/8th (2nd). -Nürburgring 24-hours – Aston Martin V8 Vantage, class win (18th overall); -VLN Nürburgring 4-hours – Aston Martin; -Porsche Carrera Cup Asia: Rnds 1&2 (Sepang) 6th/5th; Rnds 3&4 (Shanghai) 6th/6th; Rnds 5&6 (Zhuhai) 6th/4th; Rnds 7&8 (Sentul) 6th/6th; Rnd 9 (Singapore) DNF; Rnd 10 (Shanghai) 6th; Rnds 11&12 (Bahrain) 7th/5th. -Rolex 24 at Daytona – Ferrari 430, DNF |
| 2007: | -Nuerburgring
24-hours – Porsche GT3, 97th overall -Le Mans 24-hours – Ferrari 430, DNF |
| 2006: | -Porsche Infineon
Carrera Cup Asia: Rnds1&2 (Sepang) 6th/3rd; Rnds3&4 (Sepang)
3rd/2nd; Rnds5&6 (Beijing) 2nd/2nd ; Rnds7&8 (Sentul) 7th/8th ;
Rnd 9 (Shanghai) 4th; Rnds 10&11 (Zhuhai) DNF/7th; Rnd 12 (Macau)
DNF; -Porsche Carrera Cup Japan: Rnd 2 (Motegi) 2nd; -Nuerburgring 24-hours – Porsche GT3, 2nd in class (10th overall) ; Le Mans Classic; |
| 2005: | -Le Mans Endurance Series: Rnd2 (Monza) DNF; Rnd 3 (Silverstone) DNF; Rnd 4 (Nurburgring) 8th in class ; -FIA GT Championship: Round 9 (Zhuhai) 4th in class ; -Porsche Infineon Carrera Cup Asia: Rnd1(Sepang) 1st place; Rnds2&3 (Sepang) 4th/5th; Rnds 4&5(Bira) 5th/6th; Rnds 6&7(Beijing) 6th/4th; Rnds 8&9 (Taebaek) 4th/3rd; Rnd 10 (Shanghai F1) 2nd; Rnd 11 (Macau Guia) 3rd; -Asia GT Challenge: Rnds 1&2 (Shanghai) 1st/1st places; -Porsche Michelin Supercup; Rnd3 (Monaco) 14th; -Vodafone Maserati Trofeo: (Nurburgring) 9th. |
| 2004: | -Porsche
Infineon Carrera Cup Asia: Rnd1(Sepang)
5th place; Rnds2&3 (Sepang) 2nd/7th
places; Rnds 4&5(Bira) 4th/4th places; Rnds 6&7(Beijing) 1st/1st places; Rnd 8 (Shanghai F1) 6th (winner until penalty) ;Rnds 9&10 (Taebaek) 1st/1st places; Rnd 11 (Macau Guia) 2nd. -FIA GT Championship: Round 9 (Zhuhai) 4th in class. -Porsche Carrera Cup GB: Rnds1&2(Thruxton) 9th/6th places. -Zhuhai 1000kms: 2nd place (Lotus Elise). -Vodafone Maserati Trofeo (Silverstone) - winner. |
| 2003: | Porsche Carrera Cup
Asia: Rnd1 (Sepang)
4th place; Rnd4 (Johor) 4th place; Taebaek
(Korea) – 3rd place; Beijing (China) – 4th place; Macau – 3rd place (and pole position) Merdeka Millennium 12-hour race, Sepang: Amprex BMW M3 GT with Charles KWAN and Genji HASHIMOTO. Led until mechanical problems. Finished 9th. Asian Touring Car Series, GR Ford Focus: Johor – 2nd place. |
| 2002: | Bathurst 24-hours,
BMW Z3 M Coupe - 5th place and class win. Asia Formula 2000, rounds 1&2, Subic Bay. |
| 2001: | Macau Grand Prix, Asia Formula 2000. |
| 2000: | Macau Grand
Prix, Supercar Race, Renault Spider. TVR Tuscan Championship, Silverstone GP circuit. Coys Festival, Silverstone, Brabham BT31 F1 car. European Gp N+ Endurance Series, BMW M3: Magny Cours 4-hours Barcelona 4-hours A1 Ring 4-hours Nurburgring 4-hours Nurburgring 24-hours Zandvoort 4-hours Spa 24-hours |
| 1999: | Spa-Francorchamps
4-hours, Radical Prosport Cadwell Park 100 miles, Radical Prosport |
| 1998: | Caterham Challenge and 750MC championships (UK). |
| 1997: | Macau Grand Prix,
Formula Campus Asia Formula 2000 Championship - occasional races. Caterham Challenge and 750MC championships (UK) |
| 1987-1989 (UK) | Formula Ford -
various events. Ford Fiesta endurance event. Caterham Challenge - one race. |
