Yu Kuai
{{short description|Chinese racing driver (born 2001)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{family name hatnote|Yu|lang=Chinese}}
{{Infobox racing driver
| name = Yu Kuai
余快
| image =
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| nationality = {{flagicon|CHN}} Chinese
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2001|1|28|df=y}}
| birth_place = Shanghai, China
| related to =
| racing licence = 12px FIA Silver
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| module ={{Infobox Chinese|hide=no|child=yes|headercolor=gainsboro
| s = 余快
| t = 餘快
| p =}}|birth_name=Yu Kuai}}
Yu Kuai ({{zh|s=余快|p=Yú Kuài|j=Jyu4 Faai3}}; born 28 January 2001 in Shanghai), also known as James Yu, is a Chinese racing driver who last raced for Audi Sport Asia Team Absolute in GT World Challenge Asia.
He is the 2023 Sepang 12 Hours winner and is also an Audi Sport Asia Young Driver.{{cite news|url=https://www.car1.hk/news/audi-sport-wins-first-and-second-place-in-sepang-12-hours-2023/|title=奧迪運動包攬雪邦 12 小時耐力賽冠亞軍|date=30 March 2023|work=car1.hk|access-date=16 March 2025}}{{cite news|url=https://www.car1.hk/news/audi-cec-2022/|title=奧迪運動亞洲青年車手再度衝擊中國汽車耐力錦標賽|date=23 September 2022|work=car1.hk|access-date=16 March 2025}}
Early career
Born in Shanghai, Yu moved to Japan in 2011 to start his karting career, where he competed against Yuki Tsunoda, Marino Sato and Nirei Fukuzumi.{{cite news|url=https://www.sohu.com/a/463957575_114977|title=初始爱国心，“00后”赛车手余快征战2021保时捷卡雷拉杯|date=30 April 2021|work=sohu.com|access-date=16 March 2025}}
Stepping up to single-seaters in 2016,{{cite news|url=https://www.car1.hk/news/formula-masters-2016-march/|title=青年冠軍方程式系列賽 2016 火力全開|date=17 March 2016|work=car1.hk|access-date=16 March 2025}} Yu competed in Formula Masters China for two years, in which he scored four wins which all came in 2017, three of which at the second Sepang round and the fourth win came at Zhuhai on his way to finishing fourth in the standings.{{cite news|url=https://sports.sina.com.cn/motorracing/chinaracing/other/2017-05-09/doc-ifyeychk7178029.shtml|title=青年冠军方程式激战雪邦 余快摘得个人首个冠军|date=9 May 2017|work=sports.sina.com.cn|access-date=16 March 2025}}
At the start of 2018, Yu joined Chase Owen Racing to compete in the 2018 F3 Asian Championship.{{cite news |last1=Allen |first1=Peter |title=Jake Hughes to contest first Asian F3 round with Hitech |url=http://www.formulascout.com/jake-hughes-to-contest-first-asian-f3-round-with-hitech/43749 |accessdate=10 July 2018 |work=formulascout.com |publisher=Formula Scout |date=16 March 2025}} Switching to Zen Motorsport for the rest of the season,{{cite news|url=https://www.sohu.com/a/257987065_430316|title=F3上海站余快神勇发挥，意外难挡Zen赛车势头|date=7 October 2018|work=sohu.com|access-date=16 March 2025}} Yu stayed with them as he returned to the series for two more seasons, where he scored a pole position at Sepang in 2019–20 but never scored a podium in his three-year tenure in the series.{{cite news|url=https://sports.sina.com.cn/motorracing/internf/qt/2019-12-16/doc-iihnzahi7780569.shtml?f_ww=1|title=亚洲F3锦标赛雪邦顺利揭幕 艾德斯与杜汉各下一城|date=16 December 2019|work=sports.sina.com.cn|access-date=16 March 2025}}
Following the 2019–20 F3 Asian Championship, Yu was given the opportunity by Han Songting to compete in the Chinese GT Championship.{{cite news|url=https://www.sohu.com/a/427421812_114977|title=CEC国际杯顺利完赛 韩松廷为小将余快提供表现机会|date=26 October 2020|work=sohu.com|access-date=16 March 2025}}
In 2021, Yu joined Team StarChase to compete in Porsche Carrera Cup Asia.{{cite news|url=https://www.toutiao.com/article/6959137902781530637/?wid=1742142700930|title=「PCCA」新赛季新车手，专访余快与凌康|date=6 May 2021|work=toutiao.com|access-date=16 March 2025}} Yu scored his first win at Ningbo and took two more wins at Zhuzhou to finish third in the standings.{{cite news|url=https://www.porschesport.com/news/absolute-racing-teams-return-to-winning-ways-at-ningbo|title=Absolute Racing Teams Return to Winning Ways at Ningbo|date=20 September 2021|work=porschesport.com|access-date=16 March 2025}}{{cite news|url=https://www.wearnes-starchase.com/porsche/team-starchases-yu-kuai-takes-double-win-in-zhuzhou/|title=Team StarChase’s Yu Kuai Takes Double Win in Zhuzhou|date=25 October 2021|work=wearnes-starchase.com|access-date=16 March 2025}}{{cite news|url=https://www.wearnes-starchase.com/porsche/team-starchases-yu-kuai-wraps-up-2021-pcca-season-with-a-podium/|title=Team StarChase’s Yu Kuai Wraps Up 2021 PCCA Season with a Podium|date=2 November 2021|work=wearnes-starchase.com|access-date=16 March 2025}}
GT career
=2023=
Yu began 2023 by winning the Sepang 12 Hours with Absolute Racing,{{cite news|url=https://www.dailysportscar.com/2023/03/20/absolute-racing-take-one-two-in-return-of-endurance-racing-to-sepang.html|title=1-2 For Absolute Racing In Return Of Endurance Racing At Sepang|date=20 March 2023|work=dailysportscar.com|access-date=16 March 2025}} and remained with them for his first full season in GT World Challenge Asia, alongside Andrew Haryanto.{{cite news|url=https://www.dailysportscar.com/2023/04/27/dscs-daily-notebook-27-04-2023.html|title=DSC’s Daily Notebook (27/04/2023)|date=27 April 2023|website=dailysportscar.com|accessdate=16 March 2025}} In his first year in the series, Yu achieved his maiden win in GT3 competition at Motegi,{{cite news|url=https://www.dailysportscar.com/2023/07/22/absolute-audi-takes-surprise-race-1-win-at-motegi.html|title=Absolute Audi Takes Surprise Race 1 Win At Motegi|date=22 July 2023|website=dailysportscar.com|accessdate=16 March 2025}} and also scored his second win in the final round at Sepang in race one after starting from pole.{{cite news|url=https://sportscar365.com/other-series/gt-open/weekly-racing-roundup-9-25-23/|title=Weekly Racing Roundup (9.25.23))|date=25 October 2023|website=sportscar365.com|accessdate=16 March 2025}} Yu ended the season eighth overall and sixth in the pro-am standings.{{cite news|url=https://www.gt-world-challenge-asia.com/standings?filter_season_id=7&filter_standing_type=5_0_1_drivers|title=GT3 Overall 2023 Standings|website=gt-world-challenge-asia.com|accessdate=16 March 2025}}{{cite news|url=https://www.gt-world-challenge-asia.com/standings?filter_season_id=7&filter_standing_type=5_20_1_drivers|title=Fanatec GT World Challenge Asia GT3 Pro-Am Drivers 2023 Standings|website=gt-world-challenge-asia.com|accessdate=16 March 2025}}
=2024=
Yu returned to GT World Challenge Asia and Absolute Racing for the 2024 season, pairing up with Akash Nandy.{{cite news|url=https://www.dailysportscar.com/2024/04/03/gt-world-challenge-asia-notebook-two-absolute-audis-three-climax-racing-amgs.html|title=GT World Challenge Asia Notebook, Two Absolute Audis, Three Climax Racing AMGs!|date=3 April 2024|website=dailysportscar.com|accessdate=16 March 2025}} Scoring two poles in his second season in GT World Challenge Asia,{{cite news|url=https://www.gt-world-challenge-asia.com/news/719/chang-yu-and-stolz-seal-poles-in-changs-super-tight-qualifying-sessions?filter_driver_id=471|title=Chang: Yu and Stolz seal poles in Chang’s super tight qualifying sessions|date=11 May 2024|website=gt-world-challenge-asia.com|accessdate=16 March 2025}}{{cite news|url=https://www.gt-world-challenge-asia.com/news/775/fanatec-gt-asia-qualifying-yu-and-buus-seal-okayama-poles?filter_driver_id=471|title=Fanatec GT Asia Qualifying: Yu and Buus seal Okayama poles|date=24 August 2024|website=gt-world-challenge-asia.com|accessdate=16 March 2025}} Yu achieved his third overall win in the series at the penultimate round of the season at Okayama in race one.{{cite news|url=https://www.dailysportscar.com/2024/08/28/absolute-racing-audi-vsr-lamborghini-split-okayama-weekend.html|title=Absolute Racing Audi, VSR Lamborghini Split Okayama Weekend|date=28 August 2024|website=dailysportscar.com|accessdate=16 March 2025}} At season's end, Yu was eighth overall and third in the Silver standings.{{cite news|url=https://www.gt-world-challenge-asia.com/standings?filter_season_id=8&filter_standing_type=6_0_1_drivers|title=GT3 Overall 2024 Standings|website=gt-world-challenge-asia.com|accessdate=16 March 2025}}{{cite news|url=https://www.gt-world-challenge-asia.com/standings?filter_season_id=8&filter_standing_type=6_27_1_drivers|title=Fanatec GT World Challenge Asia GT3 Silver Drivers 2024 Standings|website=gt-world-challenge-asia.com|accessdate=16 March 2025}}
At the end of 2024, Yu made his debut at Macau, racing in the FIA GT World Cup for Uno Racing Team.{{cite news|url=https://www.dailysportscar.com/2024/10/22/23-cars-entered-for-seventh-fia-gt-world-cup.html|title=23 Cars Entered For Seventh FIA GT World Cup|date=22 October 2024|work=dailysportscar.com|access-date=16 March 2025}} Yu finished 20th in his maiden outing at the street circuit.{{cite news|url=https://www.dailysportscar.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/FIA-GT-World-Cup-2024-Macau-Main-Race.pdf|title=Macau GT Cup - FIA GT World Cup|work=dailysportscar.com|access-date=16 March 2025}}
Personal life
Alongside his racing commitments, Yu studies at Keio University.
Racing record
=Racing career summary=
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%; text-align:center"
!Season !Series !Team !Races !Wins !Poles !F/Laps !Podiums !Points !Position |
| 2016
| align=left| Formula Masters China | align=left| Super License Team | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 94 | 5th |
|---|
| 2017
| align=left| Formula Masters China | align=left| Absolute Racing | 18 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 139 | 4th |
| rowspan="2"|2018
| align=left rowspan="2"| F3 Asian Championship | align=left| Chase Owen Racing | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | rowspan="2"| 84 | rowspan="2"| 7th |
| align=left| Zen-Motorsport
| 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019
| align=left| F3 Asian Championship | align=left| Zen-Motorsport | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 54 | 8th |
| 2019–20
| align=left| F3 Asian Championship | align=left| Zen-Motorsport | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 70 | 9th |
| 2021
| align=left| Porsche Carrera Cup Asia | align=left| Team StarChase | 14 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 255 | style="background:#ffdf9f"|3rd |
| 2022
| align=left| China Endurance Championship | | | | | | | |
| rowspan="3"|2023
| align=left| Sepang 12 Hours | align=left| Absolute Racing | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | N/A | style="background:#FFFFBF"|1st |
| align=left| GT World Challenge Asia – GT3
| align=left rowspan="2"| Audi Sport Asia Team Absolute | rowspan="2"|12 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 90 | 8th |
| align=left| GT World Challenge Asia – GT3 Pro-Am
| 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 96 | 6th |
| rowspan="3"|2024
| align=left| GT World Challenge Asia | align=left rowspan="2"| Audi Sport Asia Team Absolute | rowspan="2"|12 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 70 | 8th |
| align=left| GT World Challenge Asia – Silver
| 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 189 | style="background:#ffdf9f"| 3rd |
| align=left| FIA GT World Cup
| align=left| Uno Racing Team | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 20th |
| 2025
| align=left| GT World Challenge Asia | align=left| FAW Audi Sport Asia Team Phantom | | | | | | | |
| colspan="10" |Sources:{{Cite web |title=James Yu {{!}} Racing career profile {{!}} Driver Database |url=https://www.driverdb.com/drivers/james-yu|access-date=2 March 2025 |website=www.driverdb.com}}{{Cite web |title=Kuai Yu {{!}} Racing career profile {{!}} Driver Database |url=https://www.driverdb.com/drivers/kuai-yu|access-date=2 March 2025 |website=www.driverdb.com}} |
= Complete Formula Masters China results =
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:85%"
! Year ! Entrant ! 1 ! 2 ! 3 ! 4 ! 5 ! 6 ! 7 ! 8 ! 9 ! 10 ! 11 ! 12 ! 13 ! 14 ! 15 ! 16 ! 17 ! 18 ! DC ! Points |
| 2016
! nowrap| Super License Team |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SHI |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SHI |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| SHI |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| ZHU |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| ZHU |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| ZHU |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| CHA |style="background:#DFFFDF;"|CHA |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| CHA |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SEP1 |style="background:#FFDF9F;"| SEP1 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SEP1 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SEP2 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SEP2 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SEP2 |style="background:#;"| PEN |
|style="background:#;"| PEN
2
{{small|}}
|style="background:#;"| PEN
3
{{small|}}
! 5th
! 94
|-
| 2017
! nowrap| Absolute Racing
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| SEP1
1
{{small|Ret}}
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SEP1
2
{{small|5}}
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SEP1
3
{{small|4}}
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SEP1
4
{{small|4}}
|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| SEP2
1
{{small|1}}
|style="background:#FFDF9F;"| SEP2
2
{{small|3}}
|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| SEP2
3
{{small|1}}
|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| SEP2
4
{{small|1}}
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| ZIC1
1
{{small|Ret}}
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| ZIC1
2
{{small|Ret}}
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| ZIC1
3
{{small|7}}
|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| ZIC2
1
{{small|1}}
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| ZIC2
2
{{small|4}}
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| ZIC2
3
{{small|6}}
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SIC
1
{{small|10†}}
|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| SIC
2
{{small|DNS}}
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SIC
3
{{small|8}}
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SIC
4
{{small|8}}
! 4th
! 139
|}
=Complete F3 Asian Championship results=
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:85%"
! Year ! Entrant ! 1 ! 2 ! 3 ! 4 ! 5 ! 6 ! 7 ! 8 ! 9 ! 10 ! 11 ! 12 ! 13 ! 14 ! 15 ! Pos ! Points |
| rowspan="2"| 2018
! nowrap| Chase Owen Racing |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| SEP1 |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| SEP1 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SEP1 | | | | | | | | | | | | ! rowspan="2"| 7th ! rowspan="2"| 84 |
| Zen-Motorsport
| | | |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| NIS1 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| NIS1 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| NIS1 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SIC |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SIC |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| SIC | NIS2 | NIS2 | NIS2 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SEP2 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SEP2 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SEP2 |
|---|
| 2019
! Zen-Motorsport | style="background:#CFCFFF;" | SEP | style="background:#CFCFFF;" | SEP | style="background:#CFCFFF;" | SEP | style="background:#DFFFDF;" | CHA | style="background:#DFFFDF;" | CHA | style="background:#DFFFDF;" | CHA | style="background:#DFFFDF;" | SUZ | style="background:#DFFFDF;" | SUZ | style="background:#DFFFDF;" | SUZ | style="background:#DFFFDF;" | SIC1 | style="background:#CFCFFF;" | SIC1 | style="background:#DFFFDF;" | SIC1 | style="background:#DFFFDF;" | SIC2 | style="background:#DFFFDF;" | SIC2 | style="background:#DFFFDF;" | SIC2 ! 8th ! 54 |
| 2019–20
! Zen-Motorsport |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SEP1 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SEP1 |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SEP1 |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| DUB |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| DUB |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| DUB |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| ABU |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| ABU |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| ABU |style="background:#DFFFDF"|SEP2 |style="background:#DFFFDF"|SEP2 |style="background:#DFFFDF"|SEP2 |style="background:#DFFFDF"|CHA |style="background:#DFFFDF"|CHA |style="background:#DFFFDF"|CHA ! 9th ! 70 |
= Complete GT World Challenge Asia results =
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:85%"
! Year ! Team ! Car ! Class ! 1 ! 2 ! 3 ! 4 ! 5 ! 6 ! 7 ! 8 ! 9 ! 10 ! 11 ! 12 ! DC ! Points |
| 2023
! Audi Sport Asia Team Absolute ! Pro-Am | style="background:#DFFFDF;"| BUR | style="background:#CFCFFF;"| BUR | style="background:#DFFFDF;"| FSW | style="background:#DFFFDF;"| FSW | style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SUZ | style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SUZ | style="background:#FFFFBF;"| MOT | style="background:#EFCFFF;"| MOT | style="background:#DFFFDF;"| OKA | style="background:#CFCFFF;"| OKA | style="background:#FFFFBF;"| SEP | style="background:#CFCFFF;"| SEP ! style="background:#;"| 6th ! style="background:#;"| 96 |
| 2024
! FAW Audi Sport Asia Racing Team ! Silver | style="background:#FFFFBF;"| SEP | style="background:#ffdf9f;"| SEP | style="background:#DFDFDF;"| BUR | style="background:#DFDFDF;"| BUR | style="background:#EFCFFF;"| FSW | style="background:#FFFFBF;"| FSW | style="background:#ffdf9f;"| SUZ | style="background:#FFFFBF;"| SUZ | style="background:#DFDFDF;"| OKA | style="background:#FFFFBF;"| OKA | style="background:#dfdfdf;"| SIC | style="background:#dfdfdf;"| SIC ! style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 1st ! style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 220 |
| 2025
! FAW Audi Sport Asia Team Phantom ! Silver | style="background:#FFFFBF;" | SEP | style="background:#FFFFBF;" | SEP | style="background:#ffdf9f;" | MAN | style="background:#DFFFDF;" | MAN | style="background:#FFFFBF;" | BUR | style="background:#dfdfdf;" | BUR | style="background:#;" | FUJ | style="background:#;" | FUJ | style="background:#;" | OKA | style="background:#;" | OKA | style="background:#;" | BEI | style="background:#;" | BEI ! style="background:#FFFFBF;"|1st* ! style="background:#FFFFBF;"|120* |
References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{DriverDB driver|kuai-yu}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yu, Kuai}}
Category:Chinese racing drivers
Category:Sportspeople from Shanghai
Category:Porsche Carrera Cup Asia drivers