The 2026 GT World Challenge (GTWC) Asia powered by AWS gets underway at Sepang International Circuit next weekend, April 3-5, with two thrilling one-hour races set to launch the season. This year’s entry list is stacked with top-tier manufacturers and drivers, making for an exciting season of competition in Asia’s premier GT championship. Fans can catch all the action live on SRO’s GT World YouTube channel and various Chinese streaming platforms.
The race grid is diverse, featuring six of the 10 global GT World Challenge manufacturers – Audi, BMW, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Mercedes-AMG, and Porsche – alongside Nissan. Additionally, seven talented drivers will battle for SRO GT Academy points, with the ultimate prize being a fully-funded seat at the 2027 CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa.
Lu Wei leads the charge for the 2026 GTWC Asia title as Origine prepares for Sepang opener
The 2026 season promises to be a competitive one, especially with the absence of reigning champions Bob Yuan and Leo Ye, who have stepped away from GT World Asia. Similarly, 2025 title contender Prince Jefri Ibrahim has moved to the Intercontinental GT Challenge, opening up the field for fresh talent.
Among the front-runners is 2025 runner-up Lu Wei, who narrowly missed out on the title last season. Returning with Origine, the Chinese powerhouse that claimed the last two teams’ and drivers’ championships, Lu will aim to make amends this year. Porsche drivers Alessio Picariello, with whom he won at Mandalika in 2025, and Laurin Heinrich, will join him, all bringing an elite level of competition to the season opener at Sepang.
Another key contender is Anthony Liu, the 2023 champion who was the last driver other than Yuan and Ye to win the overall title. Despite his 2025 title challenge faltering, Liu remains a formidable threat and has officially joined Porsche’s ranks for 2026, sharing a 911 GT3 R with Dorian Boccolacci at Sepang.
A strong Porsche presence
Porsche will be well-represented throughout the 2026 season, with multiple entries poised to contend for top honours. Among them is a pair of Absolute Racing Porsches, which will feature strong Pro-Am combinations. Former overall runner-up and class champion Vutthikorn Inthraphuvasak returns after a year away, while Huang Ruohan and reigning Supercup champion Alessandro Ghiretti could emerge as breakout stars this season.
In the Pro-Am category, Jaxon Evans, the runner-up in the GT World Australia series, leads the charge for Phantom’s Audi team, partnered with ‘Andrés Pato’. Meanwhile, Brendon Leitch from New Zealand headlines Winhere Harmony’s Ferrari effort, bringing international flair to the series.
Silver and Silver-Am Class competition heats up with Sepang opener the start to fierce 2026 GTWC Asia season
The Silver class sees the return of the reigning champions, Cheng Congfu and Yu Kuai, who remain with Audi Sport Asia Team Phantom. These two have already shown they are capable of challenging for overall honours, and with an updated format for Q1, which now includes an additional three-second penalty for Silver entries in Race 1, their chances of securing a top position are strong.
Among the new entrants this season is the 5ZIGEN Nissan, which features an all-new Japanese crew comprising Takayuki Aoki and Super GT500 ace Atsushi Miyake. Akash Nandy will drive Absolute Racing’s Lamborghini solo, while Liu Kaishun joins Andy Deng Yi in another of Harmony’s Ferraris.
The Silver class has also seen updates to its success penalties, with first, second, or third-place finishers now required to serve additional pitstop time in subsequent races. This change could add an intriguing dynamic to the title battle.
Maxime Oosten aims for Silver-Am defence
The Silver-Am class features a particularly exciting storyline, with reigning champions Tony Ruan and Maxime Oosten looking to defend their crown. Ruan has moved to Pro-Am, where he partners with works ace Neil Verhagen, while Oosten stays in Silver-Am, forming a new partnership with Brian Lee. Oosten will also continue his tradition of contesting at least one round of each season since the series’ inception in 2017.
Alex Liang Jiatong, last year’s Silver runner-up, has also swapped classes, moving into the Pro-Am category with Dean Chen at Craft-Bamboo Mercedes-AMG. Other notable competitors include Climax Racing, Porsche Center Okazaki, and 33R Harmony Racing, each with strong driver lineups set to challenge for class honours.
Garage 75 targets historic third GTWC Asia Am title with 2026 campaign set to start in Sepang
The Am class remains as competitive as ever, with Garage 75’s David Tjiptobiantoro looking to secure an unprecedented third consecutive championship. Tjiptobiantoro and his team have dominated the class since 2024, but this season’s competition is fierce. Christian Colombo, who missed out on the first of those titles in 2024, returns to team up with Tjiptobiantoro for the 2026 campaign.
Setiawan Santoso, the 2025 Am runner-up, has moved to Climax Racing, where he partners with Zhou Bi Huang. Meanwhile, AMAC Racing, which will now compete with the new 911 GT3 R Evo, will be looking to regain its competitive edge. Former class champions Andrew Macpherson and Ben Porter are also in the mix, alongside the impressive new pairing of Liu Hangcheng and Wang Zhongwei from Origine.
SRO GT Academy: A path to the 2027 24 Hours of Spa
The SRO GT Academy is a significant feature of the 2026 GT World Challenge Asia season. Open to FIA Silver-graded drivers under the age of 30, the Academy offers a path to a fully-funded seat in the 2027 CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa. Drivers and teams are awarded points based on race pace, qualifying results, and overall race performance. They incur penalties for race-ending incidents or poor driving behaviour.
The SRO GT Academy contenders in GT World Asia include Andy Deng Yi (CHN), Liu Kaishun (HKG), Atsushi Miyake (JPN), Akash Nandy (MYS), Maxime Oosten (NLD), Elias Seppanen (FIN), and James Yu Kuai (CHN).
