Audi Sport Asia Team Absolute Unveils 2024 Plans

Audi Sport Asia rising stars Akash Nandy from Malaysia and James Yu Kuai from China will join forces to drive what is expected to be a very competitive Silver Cup entry.

After taking part in the season finale of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Asia Powered by AWS in Sepang last season with B-Quik Absolute Racing, Bin Zhaid supported driver Nandy returns to the series this time to compete in full after two seasons in Thailand’s The Super Series, where he finished as the GT3 class runner-up in 2023 and champion in 2022.

Audi Sport Asia Junior James Yu was one of the biggest surprises of last year’s Fanatec GT Asia season. Driving for Audi Sport Asia Team Absolute, the Chinese youngster scored two impressive wins in Motegi and Sepang in his first-ever international GT3 season. Consistently scoring points in every event, he secured a 6th place finish in the Pro-Am class and attained 8th place in the GT3 Overall standings.

The second Audi Sport Asia Team Absolute Audi R8 LMS GT3 evo II car will be driven by German GT legend and Audi Sport driver Markus Winkelhock. The one-off Formula One driver returns for his first full season in Asia after being a regular in The Super Series last year with Absolute Racing. The 2011 FIA GT1 World Champion, 2017 Intercontinental GT Challenge drivers’ Champion, Spa-Francorchamps, and the Nürburgring 24 Hour winner will share the wheel of the second Audi R8 LMS Evo II with a rotating teammate.

Chinese amateur driver Huang Ruohan, who made a couple of appearances with B-Quik Absolute Racing in The Super Series last season, is joining Winkelhock for the first two rounds of the season at Sepang (Malaysia) and Buriram (Thailand).

The 2024 Fanatec GT World Challenge Asia by AWS season kicks off at Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia on April 19-21 before moving to the Chang International Circuit in Thailand a month later. The series then heads to Fuji, Suzuka, and Okayama for the three-round Japan summer journey, with Shanghai in China closing out the campaign in September.

TEAM QUOTES:   

Ingo Matter (Team Principal): “We are eagerly looking forward to coming back even stronger this year in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Asia by AWS. We thank Audi for trusting us and are pleased to have two very competitive cars on the grid with four drivers we've known for a long time. We are as prepared as we can be and can't wait to fight for the championships.”

Akash Nandy (Driver): “I am really looking forward to competing in my first full season of GT World Challenge Asia Championship this year alongside Jame Yu. Together with Audi Sport Asia and Absolute Racing, I believe we have a very competitive package put together and we will be pushing for strong results.”

James Yu (Driver): “I would like to thank Audi Sport Asia and Absolute racing for continuing their support for me this year. I think we have a good chance of getting great results with our lineup. The competition will be stiff as always, and I hope to utilize what I learned last year and keep growing and improving as a racing driver.”

Markus Winkelhock (Driver): “I am super happy to be back with Absolute Racing this year and competing in a strong championship like the Fanatec GT Asia. I am very motivated and looking forward to the fight for good results. I have known the team for a long time; they have great people and a nice atmosphere. We had a P2 in Suzuka 10 Hours and a won the 12 Hours of Sepang last year.”