Former title contender HubAuto Racing reveals 2x Porsche GT3 entries

HubAuto Racing will make its Fanatec GT World Challenge Asia Powered by AWS return this season after revealing a two-car GT3 entry for drivers Morris Chen and Alvaro Parente, and Brian Lee and Hideto Yasuoka.

The team contested all three pre-covid campaigns in 2017-19 and was a GT3 title contender during those final two seasons with Ferrari. Now, four years on, it has switched to the new 992-spec Porsche 911 GT3 R ahead of a full-season regional programme with two Pro-Am entries.

Team owner and principal Chen made his final Fanatec GT World Challenge Asia appearance with HubAuto in 2019 after also racing throughout the previous season. Parente, meanwhile, represented the team two years ago at Le Mans where the Portuguese beat factory competition to secure LMGTE Pro pole position.

“I’m ecstatic to be back behind the wheel,” said Chen. “The thrill of being on track is unbeatable. I’ve missed the rush of adrenaline that comes with racing, and I can’t wait to push myself to new limits.

“I am immensely pleased to announce Alvaro Parente as my co-driver in Fanatec GT World Challenge Asia. Alvaro is highly talented in GT cars and it’s sensational to welcome him back into the HubAuto Racing team.

“We have always been impressed with Alvaro and his experience. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans we saw that he was particularly fast. What’s more, Alvaro is familiar with the team. We’ve had a long relationship with Alvaro, though this is only the second opportunity for him to be racing with us.”

Parente is considered one of the world’s fastest GT drivers. His junior single-seater career includes titles in the prestigious Formula Renault 3.5 and British F3 series as well as GT3 championships in Pirelli World Challenge (now Fanatec GT World Challenge America) and International GT Open. He also won the LIQUI MOLY Bathurst 12 Hour in 2016.

“I'm really looking forward to being back with this incredible group of people and driving the new Porsche 911 GT3 R 992,” he said. “I know we will be extremely competitive and achieve great things with Morris and the team.”

HubAuto’s second new Porsche features last season’s GT4 champions Lee and Yasuoka. Their entry is run in partnership with GTO Racing, which oversaw the drivers’ title-winning campaign last year.

The duo won three times in 2022, including twice at the season finale, to seal the crown. That final victory is also the narrowest in series history at 0.001s.

However, this year isn’t their first outing in the GT3 class together with HubAuto or Porsche; they shared the team’s 991-spec 911 at Shanghai in 2017.

Chang International Circuit in Thailand hosts the opening round of 2023’s Fanatec GT World Challenge Asia campaign on May 12-14. Further events at Fuji, Suzuka, Motegi, Okayama and Sepang then follow throughout the summer and autumn.