The 2026 GT World Challenge (GTWC) Asia powered by AWS season began in emphatic fashion at Sepang, where pace, precision and strategy combined to produce a gripping double-header.
Climax Racing set the early benchmark in practice through Li Lichao and Elias Seppanen, before Absolute Racing asserted qualifying dominance with Akash Nandy and Bastian Buus securing pole positions.
Race 1 then swung in Porsche’s favour as Alessandro Ghiretti and Huang Ruohan capitalised on strategy and timing to take victory, while Nandy starred on home soil with a landmark solo class win. However, Origine Motorsport struck back in Race 2, where Lu Wei claimed a record-breaking seventh career victory alongside Alessio Picariello, completing a weekend that showcased fierce competition across every session and class.
2026 GTWC Asia: Sepang: Official Practice and Bronze Test: Climax sets the early pace
Right from the start, Climax Racing laid down a clear marker. Li Lichao and Elias Seppanen topped both Official Practice and the Bronze Test, with their Mercedes-AMG finishing 0.4 seconds clear of the field in the opening session.
Although teams initially focused on shaking off pre-season rust during Thursday’s four test sessions, Friday morning brought a noticeable increase in intensity. Seppanen quickly demonstrated outright pace by posting a 2m04.144s lap that remained unbeaten.
Bastian Buus briefly threatened at the top before Seppanen’s effort proved decisive. Behind them, the order reflected strong manufacturer diversity: Absolute Racing’s Lamborghini, a BMW from Team KRC, and an Audi from Audi Sport Asia Team Phantom followed closely.
Akash Nandy, competing solo in his home event, impressed by lapping within half a tenth of Buus to secure a top-three position. Meanwhile, Climax’s second Mercedes-AMG led the Am class thanks to Setiawan Santoso and Mike Zhou, whose time even edged Li’s later Bronze Test benchmark.
Results:
Bronze Session
Official Practice
2026 GTWC Asia: Qualifying: Absolute Racing controls the grid
Building on their early pace, Absolute Racing delivered a commanding qualifying performance across both sessions.
Q1: Akash Nandy claims pole for Race 1
In Q1, Akash Nandy proved untouchable. After setting a strong banker lap, he improved consistently, with three subsequent laps all capable of securing pole. His final effort of 2m04.093s ultimately sealed the top spot by half a second over Cheng Congfu’s Audi.
Cheng secured a front-row start, while Huang Ruohan impressed by qualifying third overall and leading the Am drivers. Close competition followed, with Deng Yi and Takayuki Aoki ensuring a tightly packed field.
Results: Q1
Q2: Buus and Inthraphuvasak on pole of Race 2
However, Q2 shifted momentum towards Porsche. Bastian Buus took control midway through the session and held off a late surge from fellow Porsche drivers. His 2m03.287s lap placed him just a tenth ahead of Alessio Picariello and Absolute teammate Alessandro Ghiretti, who climbed the order after the chequered flag.
As a result, Porsche locked out the top three positions, highlighting the manufacturer’s growing influence heading into the races.
Results: Q2
2026 GTWC Asia: Races: Strategy crucial as records broken
Race 1: Strategy elevates Ghiretti and Huang
Race 1 immediately delivered strategic intrigue. Akash Nandy led from the start and maintained control through the opening stint, holding off Cheng Congfu while Huang Ruohan remained firmly in contention.
However, a turning point arrived before the pit window opened when Winhere Harmony Racing’s Ferrari suffered a driveshaft failure. The resulting Full Course Yellow neutralised the race and compressed the field, limiting Nandy’s ability to build a decisive gap.
Seizing the opportunity, Absolute Racing pitted Huang at the earliest moment and handed over to Alessandro Ghiretti. Despite Nandy holding a theoretical advantage due to track position, a slightly slower pitstop combined with Ghiretti’s pace allowed the Porsche to undercut into the lead.
From there, Ghiretti controlled the race to secure victory alongside Huang. Nandy crossed the line 6.8 seconds behind but still achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first driver to win the Silver class solo.
Further down the order, Kiyoshi Uchiyama and Tsubasa Kondo claimed their maiden Silver-Am victory, while Wang Zhongwei and Liu Hangcheng triumphed in the Am class despite serving a drive-through penalty.
Notably, the win marked Porsche’s 21st in the series, drawing level with Mercedes-AMG in the all-time standings.
Results: Race 1
Race 2: Lu Wei breaks records as Porsche dominates
In Race 2, Origine Motorsport responded decisively. Alessio Picariello made an aggressive start, overtaking pole-sitter Bastian Buus into Turn 1 and immediately establishing control.
The opening stint remained tightly contested, with multiple cars battling in close formation. However, pit strategy again proved decisive. Once driver changes concluded, Lu Wei emerged with a commanding lead over Anthony Liu.
Although Liu reduced the gap significantly during the closing stages, Lu maintained composure to secure victory and set a new series record with his seventh career win.
Behind them, Porsche’s dominance continued with a full podium lockout. Ghiretti and Huang secured third after a late pass, reinforcing their championship lead after two races.
Elsewhere, Brian Lee and Maxime Oosten delivered a strong performance to win the Silver-Am class, while Winhere Harmony Racing bounced back from Race One disappointment. Deng Yi and Liu Kaishun charged from 10th on the grid to claim Silver class honours.
Climax Racing also returned to form, with Setiawan Santoso and Zhou Bi Huang securing victory in the Am category.
Results: Race 2
Incidents, comebacks and midfield drama
Across both races, the midfield battles proved just as compelling as the fight for victory. Mechanical issues, penalties and on-track clashes repeatedly reshaped the order.
Race One’s defining incident came with the Ferrari driveshaft failure, which influenced pit strategy and ultimately the race result. Meanwhile, Race Two featured a collision involving Takayuki Aoki that altered several positions and opened opportunities for others.
Additionally, reliability issues struck key contenders, including the Audi entry that retired late in Race Two. These setbacks underlined the fine margins that defined the weekend.
Climax Racing’s recovery drives also stood out, particularly after early-race contact forced them to fight back through the field.
Championship picture and next stop
Following Sepang, Absolute Racing holds an early advantage in the standings thanks to consistent results and a Race 1 victory. However, Origine Motorsport’s Race 2 success keeps the title fight finely balanced.
Importantly, multiple manufacturers demonstrated race-winning potential, ensuring no clear favourite has emerged. Porsche’s strong showing, including a podium sweep in Race 2, positions them as a key force moving forward.
The championship now heads to Mandalika on May 2–3. Given the level of competition seen at Sepang, the next round promises another intense chapter in what already looks like a highly competitive season.
