Origine’s Yuan and Ye on top in season opener

Reigning champions Bob Yuan and Leo Ye Hongli made the perfect start to their GT World Challenge Asia powered by AWS title defence by claiming victory in the season opener at Sepang.

Origine’s Porsche started third but took the chequered flag eight seconds ahead of Phantom’s 911 GT3 R shared by Dorian Boccolacci and 2023 title winner Anthony Liu after both of Audi’s front row starting Silver crews suffered misfortune of some sort. Tony Ruan and Maxime Oosten (Team KRC, BMW) completed the overall podium and claimed Silver-Am victory.

Pole winners Franky Cheng and James Yu slipped to fifth overall behind JMR’s Prince Jefri Ibrahim and Alexander Sims but did at least bag maximum Silver points, while AMAC’s solo driver Ben Porter finished an impressive ninth en route to Am class top spot.

Victory extended Origine’s streak at Sepang – this was its third win in as many years – while its drivers picked up where they left off last season in Shanghai where victory saw them become GT World Challenge Asia champions.

Safety Car thwarts Silver contenders

Two Silver Audi crews locked out the front row. But Shaun Thong’s spin at Turn 2, which then triggered contact between several more cars, also ultimately prevented FAW Audi Sport Asia Phantom’s entry from mounting a serious victory bid.

A poor getaway dropped Uno’s R8 from second to fifth before contact sent Thong around at the apex. He was collected side-on by Prince Abu Bakar Ibrahim’s Corvette, which continued to the pits with damage, while Origine’s #86 Porsche and EBM’s 911 lost time in the incident.

But it also had repercussions for the #2 Climax Mercedes-AMG which picked up damage in a side-on collision with Absolute’s #321 Porsche. It and Uno’s Audi, which attempted to limp back before parking up, triggered the Safety Car period that prevented Cheng, who had made a great start, from gapping the field – an essential requirement if FAW/Phantom’s entry was to overcome its additional eight seconds of pitstop time.

Instead, the window opened with Cheng only three seconds ahead of Yuan. Origine’s Porsche, which started third but was up to second by halfway down the start-finish straight, duly took full advantage of its shorter pitstop time.

Yuan’s co-driver Ye emerged ahead of Boccolacci, who also benefitted from Harmony’s Silver Ferrari – initially driven by Andy Deng and later David Chen – serving extra time. Three seconds separated the two Porsches before Origine’s example edged clear over the second half to record a comfortable victory.

Yu, meanwhile, ran third until Oosten and then Sims passed his Audi, which claimed Silver honours by five seconds from Deng/Cheng. The latter’s battle with Akash Nandy (Absolute Corse) proved a highlight of the second stint.

Another decent scrap behind involved five cars at one point. But it was Nico Menzel in GTO’s Porsche that managed to break clear of the squabbling pack en route to eighth overall in the car he shares with Brian Lee. The final position came at Porter’s expense, but the Australian’s Am class win was already assured.

Results are HERE