The 2026 GT World Challenge (GTWC) Asia powered by AWS championship will reach its conclusion at Shanghai International Circuit from 30 October to 1 November, with five crews still mathematically capable of securing the overall Drivers’ Championship.
Origine Motorsport’s Lu Wei enters the final weekend with a five-point advantage over Absolute Racing’s Huang Ruohan and Alessandro Ghiretti, following a dramatic penultimate round in Beijing. Meanwhile, Cheng Congfu and Yu Kuai, Anthony Liu and Liu Kaishun remain within 29 points of the championship leader, leaving several possible outcomes across the final two races.
With 50 points available across the weekend’s two 60-minute contests, Shanghai will determine the overall championship alongside the Pro-Am, Silver, Silver-Am, Am and Teams’ titles. Furthermore, the event will decide the Asian winner of the SRO GT Academy, who will earn a fully funded opportunity to contest the 2027 CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa.
Lu Wei leads championship fight by just five points
Lu Wei arrives in Shanghai with 124 points, holding a narrow advantage over Huang Ruohan and Alessandro Ghiretti, who share second place on 119.
The Origine Motorsport driver appeared to have established a more comfortable championship position following the Japanese rounds. His strong performances at Fuji and Okayama, including a record-breaking eighth overall GTWC Asia victory, helped him build a 22-point lead heading into Beijing.
However, the penultimate weekend dramatically changed the championship picture.
Lu crashed out of Saturday’s opening race on the streets of Beijing after losing control of his Porsche on cold tyres. Meanwhile, Huang and Ghiretti finished fifth, reducing their deficit before the second contest.
The Absolute Racing pairing subsequently completed an impressive recovery to win Sunday’s race, despite a fire having severely damaged their original Porsche earlier in the weekend. Their team prepared a replacement car overnight, allowing Ghiretti to secure pole position before the duo converted their qualifying pace into victory.
Lu recovered to finish second alongside Loek Hartog after a post-race penalty dropped Cheng and Yu to third.
Consequently, Huang and Ghiretti reduced Lu’s championship lead from 22 points to five, setting up a closely contested finale between the two Porsche entries.
For Lu, Shanghai also presents an opportunity to overcome previous championship disappointments. He finished third overall in both 2023 and 2024 before losing the 2025 title on countback.
The Chinese driver now has another chance to secure his maiden overall championship, although his significantly reduced advantage leaves little room for mistakes.
Success penalties add another challenge for championship leaders
The title contenders will also face different mandatory pit-stop penalties during Saturday’s opening race, following their results in Beijing.
Huang and Ghiretti must serve the maximum 15-second success penalty after winning Race 2. Meanwhile, Lu carries an additional ten seconds following his runner-up finish.
Cheng and Yu, who completed the Beijing podium, face a five-second success penalty alongside an additional 11 seconds under the Silver class pit-stop regulations.
These differences could significantly influence the strategic battle, particularly as the leading teams attempt to maximise their championship points.
Lu will reunite with Porsche factory driver Laurin Heinrich in Origine Motorsport’s No. 11 Porsche 911 GT3 R for the first time since Okayama. Their previous success provides an established foundation for the final weekend, while the lighter success penalty gives them a slight advantage over their closest rivals.
Mathematically, Lu could secure the championship during Saturday’s opening race. However, he would need to win while Huang and Ghiretti finish eighth or lower, making a Sunday decider a realistic prospect.
Nevertheless, the penalties could create opportunities for the three remaining contenders to reduce their deficits before the final race.
Cheng, Yu and both Liu drivers remain in championship contention
Although the two leading Porsche entries have established themselves as the primary title challengers, three other crews retain mathematical opportunities to secure the championship.
FAW Audi Sport Asia Team Phantom’s Cheng Congfu and Yu Kuai occupy third place with 98 points, 26 behind Lu. The pairing has demonstrated strong pace throughout the season, including overall race victories at Mandalika and Okayama.
Their consistency has also placed them at the top of the Silver classification, while their Beijing results secured the China Cup title with one round remaining.
However, the Audi pairing must overcome its championship deficit and additional pit-stop time if it hopes to challenge for the overall crown.
Meanwhile, Phantom Global Racing’s Anthony Liu enters the finale fourth with 96 points. The 2023 champion remains the only contender among the leading five who has previously secured the overall title.
Liu enjoyed a promising start to the Beijing weekend, finishing fourth overall and winning Pro-Am in the opening race. However, a 30-second penalty following contact with Andrés Pato during Sunday’s contest significantly damaged his championship position.
The Chinese driver will reunite with Loek Hartog in the No. 37 Porsche for Shanghai. The pairing previously secured victory at Mandalika, and Liu will need another strong performance to maintain his title aspirations.
Harmony Racing’s Liu Kaishun completes the five championship contenders with 95 points, just one behind Anthony Liu.
Liu Kaishun has emerged as one of the championship’s strongest performers during the closing stages. Alongside Takuro Shinohara, he secured pole position and victory in Beijing’s opening race before adding another competitive result on Sunday.
His 37-point haul across the weekend propelled him into mathematical contention for the overall championship.
Furthermore, only Lu has outscored Liu Kaishun across the previous six races, highlighting the momentum behind Harmony Racing’s late championship challenge.
For Shanghai, Liu Kaishun will reunite with team owner Chen Weian in the No. 96 Ferrari 296 GT3. Another strong qualifying performance and significant points haul will prove essential if the pairing hopes to challenge the leading Porsches.
The championship standings after Beijing therefore leave five drivers or combinations in contention, although the two leading Porsches retain the strongest positions heading into the finale.
Pro-Am and Silver championships remain undecided
Alongside the overall championship, Shanghai will determine the remaining class titles, with several closely contested battles still to resolve.
The Pro-Am classification features an even smaller advantage for Lu, who leads Huang and Ghiretti by just two points.
Lu enters the weekend on 157 points, while the Absolute Racing pairing holds 155. Anthony Liu remains firmly involved on 145, and Team KRC’s Ruan Cun Fan completes the mathematical contenders with 119.
Consequently, the overall champion will not necessarily secure the Pro-Am title, creating an additional championship objective for the leading drivers.
The Silver category also promises a closely contested finale.
Cheng and Yu lead with 180 points, holding a seven-point advantage over Harmony Racing’s Liu Kaishun, who has collected 173.
Meanwhile, Team 5ZIGEN’s Takayuki Aoki remains in contention with 148 points, while Absolute Racing’s Akash Nandy follows on 145.
Although Cheng and Yu retain the advantage, Liu Kaishun’s outstanding performances in Beijing have brought him within striking distance of the class leaders.
With two races remaining, the Silver Championship could depend on qualifying performances, pit-stop execution and the ability of each crew to manage traffic.
Silver-Am and Am title battles head towards decisive finale
The Silver-Am Championship presents another closely contested battle, with GTO with KRC’s Brian Lee and Maxime Oosten looking to defend their advantage.
The BMW M4 GT3 EVO pairing leads the standings with 190 points after securing its sixth class victory of the season in Beijing.
Their consistency has established them as the leading Silver-Am combination, although Craft-Bamboo Racing’s Liang Jiatong remains just ten points behind on 180.
Liang has secured three class victories throughout the campaign and will share the No. 77 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO with Melvin Moh in Shanghai.
Meanwhile, Climax Racing’s Li Lichao and Elias Seppänen remain mathematically involved with 142 points, giving the championship three remaining contenders.
The Am category, however, features only two crews with a mathematical chance of securing the title.
Climax Racing’s Zhou Bihuang and Setiawan Santoso enter Shanghai with 196 points, holding a 12-point advantage over Origine Motorsport’s Liu Hangcheng and Wang Zhongwei.
The championship lead changed hands in Beijing, where Zhou and Santoso converted a ten-point deficit into a 12-point advantage. Their Race 1 victory and subsequent third-place finish delivered valuable points as their closest rivals struggled in the opening contest.
Nevertheless, Liu and Wang remain firmly involved after recovering to finish second in Sunday’s race.
The two pairings will now contest the final 50 available points, while the China Cup has already crowned Cheng and Yu as its 2026 champions.
Absolute Racing leads Audi Sport Asia Team Phantom in Teams’ Championship
The overall Teams’ Championship also remains undecided, although Absolute Racing holds a significant advantage following its strong Beijing weekend.
The team enters Shanghai with 184 points, 19 ahead of Audi Sport Asia Team Phantom on 165.
Absolute Racing produced a major turnaround during the penultimate round, overturning the 26-point deficit it carried into Beijing.
Huang and Ghiretti’s victory, combined with strong performances from Akash Nandy and Sandy Stuvik, helped the team establish its new championship advantage.
Nevertheless, Audi Sport Asia Team Phantom remains a serious challenger with Cheng and Yu in its No. 16 Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVO II and Andrés Pato and Jaxon Evans in the No. 15 entry.
A maximum of 86 points remains available should a team secure a one-two finish in both races, leaving sufficient opportunities for either organisation to influence the championship outcome.
Meanwhile, Origine Motorsport’s hopes of extending its three-year reign as Teams’ Champion have faded. The Chinese squad occupies third place with 128 points, substantially behind the leading teams.
The 2026 title therefore looks set to go to either Absolute Racing or Audi Sport Asia Team Phantom, bringing another major championship battle to Shanghai.
SRO GT Academy winner to earn 2027 Spa 24 Hours opportunity
Beyond the championship classifications, Shanghai will also determine the winner of the SRO GT Academy competition.
The development programme rewards promising Silver-graded drivers under the age of 30, with the successful contender earning a fully funded seat at the 2027 CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa.
Following similar competitions in British GT and GT World Challenge America, the Asian championship will become the third series to crown an SRO GT Academy winner.
Yu Kuai enters the finale as the leading eligible contender, having established a substantial advantage through consistent qualifying and race performances.
However, Maxime Oosten, Elias Seppänen and Liu Kaishun retain opportunities to challenge for the prize, with 72 points available across qualifying and the two races.
Importantly, Atsushi Miyake can no longer compete for the Academy award despite previously occupying second place in the standings.
The programme’s regulations require drivers to contest every championship event unless they qualify for a force majeure exemption. Miyake missed the Mandalika round because of a scheduling clash with his Super GT commitments, which officials did not consider sufficient grounds for an exemption.
Consequently, the remaining eligible drivers will compete for the opportunity to progress into one of international GT racing’s most prestigious endurance events.
Shanghai entry list features 19 cars and several driver changes
The official Shanghai entry list, published on 26 October, confirms 19 GT3 entries across the Pro-Am, Silver, Silver-Am and Am categories.
Several teams have adjusted their driver combinations ahead of the championship finale.
Alongside Heinrich’s return to Origine Motorsport and Hartog’s reunion with Anthony Liu, Absolute Racing will field Akash Nandy as the sole driver of its No. 29 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 after he shared the car with Sandy Stuvik during the previous two events.
Meanwhile, BMW’s youngest factory driver, Tim Tramnitz, will make his GTWC Asia debut alongside Ruan Cun Fan in Team KRC’s No. 89 BMW M4 GT3 EVO.
Craft-Bamboo Racing has also introduced Melvin Moh alongside Liang Jiatong in the No. 77 Mercedes-AMG, strengthening its Silver-Am entry for the title decider.
Furthermore, Absolute Racing will pair Kevin Tse with Alessio Picariello in its No. 918 Porsche, while Huang and Ghiretti continue their championship challenge in the No. 911 entry.
These changes add another dimension to the finale, with several teams introducing experienced drivers as they attempt to maximise their final results of the season.
Shanghai weekend timetable: 30 October – 1 November
Shanghai International Circuit will host the final two rounds of the 2026 GTWC Asia championship, with Friday dedicated to testing and practice before qualifying and racing take place across the weekend.
All times below follow local Shanghai time (China Standard Time, UTC+8).
Friday, 30 October
- 08:30–09:30 – Test session
- 10:38–11:38 – Official Practice
- 11:45–12:15 – Bronze Test
- 14:55–15:55 – Pre-Qualifying
Saturday, 31 October
- 09:35–09:50 – Qualifying 1
- 09:57–10:12 – Qualifying 2
- 12:50–13:50 – Race 1
Sunday, 1 November
- 13:05–14:10 – Race 2 session
Fans can follow both championship-deciding races live through the official GT World YouTube channel.
Shanghai prepares to crown the 2026 GTWC Asia champions
After ten races across five events, the 2026 GTWC Asia championship has developed into a closely contested battle involving several manufacturers, teams and drivers.
Lu Wei retains the advantage heading into Shanghai, but Huang Ruohan and Alessandro Ghiretti have demonstrated their determination with a dramatic comeback in Beijing.
Meanwhile, Cheng Congfu, Yu Kuai, Anthony Liu and Liu Kaishun remain positioned to capitalise on any setbacks for the two leading Porsche entries.
The remaining class championships also promise competitive racing, particularly in Pro-Am and Silver, where narrow points margins leave little room for error.
With multiple championship titles, the SRO GT Academy prize and a full weekend of racing still ahead, Shanghai will provide the final opportunity for the leading contenders to convert their season-long performances into championship success.
