The 2026 GT World Challenge (GTWC) Asia powered by AWS season concluded at Shanghai International Circuit on 1 November, with Lu Wei securing his maiden overall Drivers’ Championship and Absolute Racing claiming the Teams’ title. The final two races also settled the Pro-Am, Silver, Silver-Am and Am championships, bringing an end to several closely contested title battles.
Harmony Racing’s Liu Kaishun and Chen Weian claimed victory in Saturday’s opening race, while Lu and Laurin Heinrich recovered to finish third for Origine Motorsport. Huang Ruohan and Alessandro Ghiretti finished seventh for Absolute Racing, allowing Lu to extend his championship advantage from five to 14 points ahead of Sunday’s decisive contest.
Heinrich subsequently converted pole position into a commanding opening stint before Lu completed a 13.133-second victory in Race 2. Huang and Ghiretti finished second, but their result could not prevent Lu from securing the championship by 21 points. Meanwhile, Absolute Racing ended Origine Motorsport’s three-year reign in the Teams’ Championship.
The official final GTWC Asia standings confirm Lu’s success in both the Overall and Pro-Am classifications, while Cheng Congfu and Yu Kuai retained their Silver crown. Brian Lee and Maxime Oosten secured Silver-Am honours, Zhou Bihuang and Setiawan Santoso claimed the Am title, and Yu also earned the inaugural Asian SRO GT Academy prize.
Lu Wei secures maiden title after decisive Shanghai victory
Lu entered Shanghai holding a five-point advantage over Huang and Ghiretti after their remarkable recovery at Beijing. The Absolute Racing pairing had reduced his previous 22-point lead considerably, leaving the championship undecided heading into the final two races.
However, Saturday’s opening contest changed the picture. Lu and Heinrich recovered from eighth to third, with Heinrich overtaking Loek Hartog on the penultimate lap. Huang and Ghiretti finished seventh, allowing Lu to increase his advantage to 14 points with just 25 remaining.
The Origine pairing then dominated Sunday’s finale. Heinrich started from pole and established a substantial lead before handing over to Lu, who secured his third victory of the season and completed the championship with 164 points.
Lu’s long-awaited title triumph at Shanghai ended a sequence of near misses, including third-place championship finishes in 2023 and 2024 and a countback defeat in 2025.
Huang and Ghiretti finished joint second on 143 points, while Liu Kaishun secured third with 120 despite suffering a slow puncture during the final race. Anthony Liu followed just two points behind on 118, and Heinrich completed the leading five with 110.
2026 GTWC Asia Drivers’ Championship after Round 6
- Lu Wei – 164 points
- Huang Ruohan & Alessandro Ghiretti – 143 points
- Liu Kaishun – 120 points
- Anthony Liu Xu – 118 points
- Laurin Heinrich – 110 points
- Cheng Congfu & Yu Kuai – 107 points
- Akash Nandy – 83 points
- Ruan Cun Fan – 80 points
- Takayuki Aoki – 73 points
- Atsushi Miyake – 72 points
- Chen Weian – 71 points
- Andrés Pato & Jaxon Evans – 66 points
- Loek Hartog – 65 points
- Dorian Boccolacci – 47 points
- Alessio Picariello – 44 points
- Brian Lee & Maxime Oosten – 41 points
- Lichao Li & Elias Seppänen – 41 points
- Jiatong Liang – 40 points
- Takuro Shinohara – 37 points
- Neil Verhagen – 27 points
- Shigekazu Wakisaka & Ryo Ogawa – 26 points
- Sandy Stuvik – 26 points
- Dean Yu Hao Chen – 26 points
- Ayhancan Güven – 24 points
- Max Hesse – 21 points
- Adderly Fong – 18 points
- Song Jiajun & Brendon Leitch – 18 points
- Jesse Krohn – 16 points
- Tim Tramnitz – 16 points
- Sean Gelael – 15 points
- Melvin Moh – 14 points
- Kiyoshi Uchiyama & Tsubasa Kondo – 14 points
- Deng Yi – 12 points
- Kerong Li & Joel Sturm – 8 points
- Kevin Tse – 8 points
- Andy Tan & Thierry Vermeulen – 8 points
- Tomohide Yamaguchi & Seiji Ara – 6 points
- Vutthikorn Inthraphuvasak & Klaus Bachler – 6 points
- William Ben Porter & Andrew Macpherson – 4 points
- Hiroaki Nagai & Kazuto Kotaka – 4 points
- Liu Hangcheng & Wang Zhongwei – 1 point
- Kimiya Sato – 1 point
The final standings demonstrate the importance of Lu’s consistency across the Japanese rounds and his decisive performance in Shanghai. Although Huang and Ghiretti remained competitive throughout the season, Lu’s two podium finishes during the final weekend ultimately secured the championship.
Absolute Racing ends Origine Motorsport’s three-year Teams’ Championship reign
Absolute Racing entered Shanghai holding a 19-point advantage over Audi Sport Asia Team Phantom, having overturned a 26-point deficit during the previous round at Beijing.
The team strengthened its position on Saturday through Nandy’s second-place finish and further points from Huang and Ghiretti. Although Origine also secured a podium, Absolute maintained control of the championship heading into Sunday’s finale.
Audi’s remaining challenge subsequently ended before Race 2 when the team withdrew its #15 entry. The decision effectively confirmed Absolute Racing as champion, preventing Audi from recovering the points required to overturn the deficit.
Absolute still finished the season strongly, with Huang and Ghiretti taking second, Kevin Tse and Picariello sixth, and Nandy 12th in the final race.
The team completed the championship with 234 points, 60 ahead of Audi Sport Asia Team Phantom on 174. Origine Motorsport finished third on 168, while Harmony Racing and Team KRC completed the leading five.
The Shanghai championship decider therefore produced contrasting outcomes for Absolute and Origine, with the former securing the Teams’ crown and the latter taking the Drivers’ title.
2026 GTWC Asia Overall Teams’ Championship after Round 6
- Absolute Racing – 234 points
- Audi Sport Asia Team Phantom – 174 points
- Origine Motorsport – 168 points
- Harmony Racing – 141 points
- Team KRC – 123 points
- Phantom Global Racing – 118 points
- TEAM 5ZIGEN – 74 points
- Climax Racing – 41 points
- Craft-Bamboo Racing – 40 points
- LM Corsa – 26 points
- Porsche Center Okazaki – 20 points
- 33R Harmony Racing – 18 points
- Garage 75 – 15 points
- Absolute Corse – 8 points
- AMAC Motorsport – 6 points
- PLUS with BMW M Team Studie – 6 points
Absolute added 50 points across Shanghai, increasing its advantage over Audi from 19 to 60. Origine also collected 40 points through Lu and Heinrich’s podium and victory, but the result could not prevent Absolute from claiming the Teams’ Championship.
Lu completes Overall and Pro-Am championship double
The Pro-Am Championship remained particularly close heading into Shanghai, with Lu holding just a two-point advantage over Huang and Ghiretti after Beijing.
However, the final weekend produced a considerably larger margin. Lu and Heinrich secured Pro-Am victory in both Shanghai races, collecting the maximum 50 points and taking Lu’s championship total from 157 to 207.
Huang and Ghiretti finished third in class on Saturday before claiming second on Sunday, adding 33 points to reach 188. Their results secured second in the final standings, although Lu ultimately extended his advantage to 19 points.
Anthony Liu completed the championship podium on 175 after adding 30 points across the final weekend. Ruan Cun Fan finished fourth with 146, while Heinrich climbed to fifth on 129 despite contesting only six races during the season.
The dramatic championship developments at Beijing had reduced Lu’s Pro-Am advantage to almost nothing, but his Shanghai performances restored a comfortable margin and secured his second championship title of the year.
2026 GTWC Asia Pro-Am standings after Round 6
- Lu Wei – 207 points
- Huang Ruohan & Alessandro Ghiretti – 188 points
- Anthony Liu Xu – 175 points
- Ruan Cun Fan – 146 points
- Laurin Heinrich – 129 points
- Andrés Pato & Jaxon Evans – 109 points
- Song Jiajun & Brendon Leitch – 102 points
- Loek Hartog – 77 points
- Alessio Picariello – 76 points
- Dorian Boccolacci – 64 points
- Hiroaki Nagai – 58 points
- Kazuto Kotaka – 54 points
- Ayhancan Güven – 52 points
- Neil Verhagen – 49 points
- Shigekazu Wakisaka & Ryo Ogawa – 45 points
- Tomohide Yamaguchi & Seiji Ara – 40 points
- Jesse Krohn – 40 points
- Max Hesse – 30 points
- Andy Tan & Thierry Vermeulen – 28 points
- Tim Tramnitz – 27 points
- Vutthikorn Inthraphuvasak – 27 points
- Klaus Bachler – 26 points
- Kerong Li & Joel Sturm – 23 points
- Kevin Tse – 16 points
- Bastian Buus – 7 points
- Kazuki Ota – 6 points
- Yuichi Nakayama – 4 points
Lu’s two class victories also secured his position as the leading Pro-Am driver of 2026, completing a season in which Origine Motorsport consistently challenged at the front despite changes to his co-driver line-up.
Cheng and Yu overturn Silver deficit to defend championship
The Silver Championship produced one of Shanghai’s closest title battles, with Cheng Congfu and Yu Kuai overturning a three-point deficit during Sunday’s finale to secure consecutive championships.
The FAW Audi Sport Asia Team Phantom pairing entered Shanghai seven points ahead of Liu Kaishun, but the Harmony Racing driver’s victory alongside Chen Weian on Saturday transformed the standings.
Liu collected 25 points for the class victory, while Cheng and Yu finished third in Silver and added 15. Consequently, Liu moved to 198 points, three ahead of the Audi drivers heading into the final race.
However, Harmony’s championship challenge suffered a significant setback on Sunday when a slow puncture forced an unscheduled pit stop. Liu and Chen lost considerable ground, eventually finishing fourth in class.
Cheng and Yu capitalised by taking second in Silver, collecting 18 points to secure the championship with 213. Liu finished just three behind on 210, while Aoki claimed the final Silver victory alongside Miyake to secure third in the championship with 185.
The official Shanghai finale report confirmed Cheng and Yu’s successful title defence, extending their achievements after securing the China Cup championship at Beijing.
2026 GTWC Asia Silver standings after Round 6
- Cheng Congfu & Yu Kuai – 213 points
- Liu Kaishun – 210 points
- Takayuki Aoki – 185 points
- Akash Nandy – 178 points
- Atsushi Miyake – 158 points
- Chen Weian – 114 points
- Deng Yi – 53 points
- Takuro Shinohara – 43 points
- Sandy Stuvik – 42 points
- Adderly Fong – 30 points
- Kimiya Sato – 27 points
- Sean Gelael – 18 points
Only three points separated the leading two entries after twelve races, with Cheng and Yu’s consistency and final-round recovery proving decisive. Their championship success also secured another Silver title for Audi, while Liu finished runner-up despite claiming three overall victories during the season.
Lee and Oosten defend Silver-Am title by three points
The Silver-Am Championship also remained undecided until the final race, with Brian Lee and Maxime Oosten securing the title by just three points over Craft-Bamboo Racing’s Jiatong Liang.
The GTO with KRC pairing entered Shanghai with a ten-point advantage, but Saturday’s opening race brought the contenders level. Liang claimed class victory alongside Melvin Moh, while Lee and Oosten finished third, leaving both entries tied on 205 points.
Sunday’s finale therefore became a direct contest for the championship. Although Lichao Li and Elias Seppänen secured the final Silver-Am victory for Climax Racing, the title battle continued behind them.
Lee and Oosten finished second in class and seventh overall, collecting 18 points. Liang and Moh followed in third and eighth overall, adding 15 points and narrowly missing the championship.
The decisive Shanghai Silver-Am results lifted Lee and Oosten to 223 points, while Liang completed the season on 220.
Li and Seppänen finished third on 185 after their final-round victory, while Dean Yu Hao Chen and the Uchiyama-Kondo pairing completed the leading five championship positions.
2026 GTWC Asia Silver-Am standings after Round 6
- Brian Lee & Maxime Oosten – 223 points
- Jiatong Liang – 220 points
- Lichao Li & Elias Seppänen – 185 points
- Dean Yu Hao Chen – 117 points
- Kiyoshi Uchiyama & Tsubasa Kondo – 106 points
- Daisuke Yamawaki – 63 points
- Sun Jingzu & Adderly Fong – 42 points
- Melvin Moh – 40 points
- Adrian D’Silva & Enzo Trulli – 24 points
Oosten therefore retained the Silver-Am Championship, while Lee also secured the title after a closely contested season. Liang’s challenge remained competitive until the final laps, but the GTO with KRC pairing ultimately prevailed by the smallest margin among the championship’s main class battles.
Zhou and Santoso secure Am title after late-season turnaround
Zhou Bihuang and Setiawan Santoso completed their successful late-season recovery by securing the Am Championship for Climax Racing.
The pairing had entered Beijing ten points behind Liu Hangcheng and Wang Zhongwei, but victory in the opening race and another podium on Sunday allowed them to overturn the deficit. They therefore arrived in Shanghai holding a 12-point advantage with 50 points still available.
Zhou and Santoso strengthened their position immediately by winning Saturday’s opening contest, collecting 25 points and extending their championship lead to 19.
Although they finished fourth in class on Sunday, the result provided sufficient points to secure the championship. Their final total of 233 placed them 13 ahead of Liu and Wang, who finished second in the final race.
William Ben Porter and Andrew Macpherson completed the championship podium with 163 points, while Aaron Lim Say Joon and Haziq Zairel Oh climbed to fourth after securing their maiden class victory in Sunday’s finale.
The Shanghai Race 1 victory for Climax Racing had placed Zhou and Santoso in a commanding position, allowing them to complete the championship despite their rivals’ strong finish.
2026 GTWC Asia Am standings after Round 6
- Zhou Bihuang & Setiawan Santoso – 233 points
- Liu Hangcheng & Wang Zhongwei – 220 points
- William Ben Porter & Andrew Macpherson – 163 points
- Aaron Lim Say Joon & Haziq Zairel Oh – 82 points
- David Tjiptobiantoro & Christian Colombo – 66 points
- Cold Max & Yamatatsu – 33 points
The final standings reflect a considerable turnaround in Zhou and Santoso’s championship campaign. Having trailed their closest rivals before Beijing, they secured consecutive victories across the final two events and ultimately completed the season 13 points clear.
Cheng and Yu extend China Cup advantage to 61 points
Cheng and Yu entered Shanghai with the China Cup title already secured following their successful Beijing campaign. The FAW Audi Sport Asia Team Phantom pairing had established an unassailable advantage before the final round, allowing them to concentrate on their remaining Silver Championship battle.
Nevertheless, the duo continued collecting valuable points throughout Shanghai. Third place in the China Cup classification on Saturday added 18 points, while victory in Sunday’s finale contributed another 25.
Their final total of 242 points gave them a commanding 61-point advantage over Liu Kaishun, who finished second with 181 after adding 40 points during the weekend.
Liu Hangcheng and Wang Zhongwei completed the championship podium on 154 points, while Chen Weian climbed to fourth on 123 following his Shanghai Race 1 victory and additional points on Sunday.
Jiatong Liang and Dean Yu Hao Chen finished joint fifth on 119, narrowly missing fourth despite their strong performances earlier in the season.
Cheng and Yu’s China Cup success therefore complemented their second consecutive Silver title, completing a highly successful campaign for the Audi pairing.
2026 GTWC Asia China Cup standings after Round 6
- Cheng Congfu & Yu Kuai – 242 points
- Liu Kaishun – 181 points
- Liu Hangcheng & Wang Zhongwei – 154 points
- Chen Weian – 123 points
- Dean Yu Hao Chen & Jiatong Liang – 119 points
- Adderly Fong – 77 points
- Deng Yi – 58 points
- Sun Jingzu – 37 points
Cheng and Yu completed the championship with a substantial advantage, demonstrating their consistency across the season. Their combined Silver and China Cup achievements also represented an important contribution to Audi Sport Asia Team Phantom’s second-place finish in the overall Teams’ Championship.
Yu Kuai secures inaugural Asian SRO GT Academy prize
Yu also concluded the season with another significant achievement after securing the inaugural Asian SRO GT Academy prize, adding to his Silver and China Cup championships.
The development competition rewards eligible young Silver-graded drivers and provides the winner with a fully funded seat at the following year’s CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa.
Yu entered Shanghai with a 30-point advantage over Atsushi Miyake following the Beijing round, while Maxime Oosten occupied third just two points behind. Saturday’s results subsequently extended Yu’s advantage to 43 points, putting him in a commanding position ahead of the final race.
He then completed an error-free Sunday performance, securing the Academy award and confirming his place in Team Motopark’s Mercedes-AMG GT3 entry for the 2027 event.
Yu will join British GT winner Jarrod Waberski, GT World Challenge America representative Ryan Yardley and the Australian Academy representative in the international endurance programme.
The official confirmation of Yu’s Academy victory adds another important milestone to his successful 2026 campaign.
2026 GTWC Asia SRO GT Academy standings – latest published points
- Yu Kuai – 201 points
- Atsushi Miyake – 171 points
- Maxime Oosten – 169 points
- Elias Seppänen – 142 points
- Liu Kaishun – 139 points
- Akash Nandy – 112 points
- Deng Yi – 60 points
Editorial note: The official SRO GT Academy standings page has not yet incorporated the points from Shanghai’s two races. These figures represent the latest published points totals through Round 5 at Beijing, rather than the final Round 6 totals. SRO has nevertheless officially confirmed Yu Kuai as the 2026 Academy winner.
Shanghai crowns 2026 GTWC Asia champions
The Shanghai finale brought a fitting conclusion to a competitive 2026 GTWC Asia season, with several championship battles remaining undecided until the final race.
Lu completed his long-awaited championship breakthrough with 164 points, overcoming the late pressure from Huang and Ghiretti to secure both the Overall and Pro-Am titles. His decisive victory alongside Heinrich ensured that Origine Motorsport retained a major championship honour despite losing the Teams’ crown.
Absolute Racing finished with 234 points, ending Origine’s three-year Teams’ Championship winning streak and completing the season 60 clear of Audi Sport Asia Team Phantom.
Meanwhile, Cheng and Yu retained the Silver Championship by just three points and added the China Cup title, while Yu also earned the SRO GT Academy prize. Lee and Oosten claimed Silver-Am honours by an equally narrow margin, and Zhou and Santoso completed their late-season comeback to secure the Am Championship.
The decisive final round at Shanghai therefore settled every remaining championship contest, completing another closely fought season across six events and twelve races.
With all titles decided, GTWC Asia now turns its attention to the 2027 season, which will mark the championship’s tenth anniversary. The new campaign will begin at Sepang International Circuit on 2–4 April, as the series prepares for another year of competition across Asia.
