Yifei Ye returns to action at Spa as Porsche Carrera Cup Asia gets underway in Malaysia

Ye will compete alongside teammates António Félix Da Costa and Will Stevens for the first time as a trio as the team looks to prepare for the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June.

The Chinese driver has happy memories at the Belgian track, having taken victory there in the European Le Mans Series in 2021 and pole position the following year. The 7.004-kilometre circuit has been on the WEC calendar since the series’ maiden campaign in 2012 and is a driver and fan-favourite thanks to its fast nature, elevation changes and sweeping turns.

Track action gets underway on Thursday, with the six-hour race on Saturday 29 April.

Ye’s Hypercar debut completes a busy week, as the 22-year-old had his first taste of Formula E machinery during the ABB FIA Formula E Rookie Test in Berlin on Monday. Ye adapted quickly to the Porsche 99X Electric, ending the day in the top-10 on the timesheets.

Over in Asia, the 2023 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia campaign begins at Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia. The series returns to Asia following two years racing exclusively in China competing in six countries across seven months, including on the F1 support bill in Singapore.

21 cars are set to take on the opening round, with nine in the Am class, six in Pro-Am and six in Pro. Fan favourites from around the world also make their comebacks to the series. Three-time champion Chris van der Drift and multiple race winner Martin Ragginger headline the returnees and are set to take their place on the grid for the first time since 2019.

In Sepang on Thursday, Absolute Racing revealed a brand-new Year of the Rabbit-inspired livery for their #992 Porsche 911 GT3 R, set to compete in the 2023 Fanatec GT World Challenge Asia Powered by AWS campaign. The striking livery, which features a gold rabbit on a red base, is to mark 2023’s zodiac sign, with both drivers, Bao Jinlong and Alexandre Imperatori born in the Year of the Rabbit, along with the team’s Chinese heritage.

Yifei Ye, #38 Hertz Team JOTA Porsche 963: “The Formula E Rookie Test went extremely well on Monday, it was really fun to drive the Porsche 99X and I was able to give some useful feedback to the team that will hopefully help them for the rest of the season. It was also a brilliant experience to work with the Porsche factory team for the first time. The focus now returns to WEC and it’s going to be an amazing moment in my career to race in the Porsche 963. I’m going to be the youngest driver ever in the Hypercar class and the first Chinese racer, so I’m really excited. We will treat it like a long test weekend to develop the car as much as possible. With this event and more testing before the Le Mans 24 Hours, we’re hoping to be in good shape for the biggest race of the year. For me personally, learning to drive the two highest-level Porsche race cars in a week is really cool and I’m very thankful for these incredible opportunities and can’t wait to get started this weekend.”

Alexandre Gibot, Managing Director Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific Ltd.: “There is a huge buzz surrounding the start of the 2023 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia campaign. We’ve been building up to this for a long time, and to be so close to the first race in Sepang is a great feeling. We’ve got a grid full of talent and a lot of interesting storylines to keep an eye on, so it’s set to be a really big year of racing.

“Yifei has had a great start to the season and he’s been incredibly busy recently. The Formula E Rookie Test was a brilliant opportunity and one he worked really hard for. He performed well in Berlin, which was also amazing to see and now he is in the final stages of preparation to take on Spa in a Porsche 963. We’re all rooting for him and confident he will perform strongly throughout the weekend.

“Finally, Absolute Racing’s new livery for GT World Challenge Asia is a stunner! It was a great idea from Bao and the team to come up with this special design to celebrate the Year of the Rabbit and it will certainly stand out on track.”