SINGAPORE – He enjoyed an impressive debut season in the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia (PCCA) last year, finishing fourth eventually in the overall standings, and missing out on a spot on the championship podium by only one point.

And now, with one year of experience racing in the PCCA under his belt now, Singapore racer Andrew Tang believes he will be able to improve on his performances from last year.

Indeed, the 22-year-old is so confident in his abilities that he has set himself the target of winning the PCCA championship this year.

“Last year was my rookie year in the PCCA, and it was my return to motorsport in over two years,” Tang told TODAY.

“So it was all about learning and getting as much as experience as I could.

“But now that I have raced in the PCCA for a year, I know what to expect and so the target is definitely to improve on my final standing, and hopefully I can win the championship this season.

“However, it’s going to be a very close fight this season…we have about nine drivers who can all potentially win the championship.

“So it will be a huge challenge for sure, but it’s one that I’ll be up for.”

Last year, Tang had a shot at winning the title up to the final day of the season. Unfortunately, he had a bad case of the nerves in the last two races in Shanghai, and saw his title-winning hopes fizzling out.

It is why the Porsche China Junior driver has been working hard during the pre-season to improve his mental strength.

“At this level, everyone is quite capable technically and mechanically, so a lot of races are won by the driver who’s mentally the strongest,” explained Tang.

“Last year for example, towards the end of the season, I put more pressure on myself, and I suffered for it.

“So I decided to work on my mental strength during the offseason break. This year, I’m going to relax and enjoy myself in every race, which I believe will lead me to performing better.”

He will head into the PCCA’s season-opening races in Shanghai this weekend full of confidence, after posting the quickest lap times in both dry and wet conditions at the one-make competition’s test days last week.

But Tang, who is on a one-year contract with Porsche China, says things will be different when the competition starts on Saturday (Mar 8) at the Shanghai International Circuit.

“From the pre-season tests, things are looking good for me, but it’s still early days and everyone’s improving so you can never be too sure of a victory,” said Tang.

“As usual, qualifying is going to be important. Doing well in qualifying, followed by a good start, should be enough to put me in a good position for the win.

“That being said, anything can happen in motorsport, and it’s a big track so overtaking is very possible.

“But I think I’m well prepared and ready to handle anything that comes my way, so I’m feeling comfortable.”