> Seven points separate top four title contenders
> Provisional entry list: Fuji Speedway
Following three events and six races across the continent’s southeast, part two of the 2025 GT World Challenge Asia powered by AWS campaign begins this weekend at Fuji Speedway where Prince Jefri Ibrahim leads a top four covered by just seven points.
Rounds seven and eight also form one-third of this year’s first SRO GT PowerTour event, which is co-headlined by the organiser’s multi-class Japan Cup. 56 GT cars are now confirmed to be competing across the two championships, with yet more appearing courtesy of Ferrari Challenge Japan.
For many, however, attention will primarily focus on GT World Challenge Asia and its host of international stars, as well as the ultra-competitive scrap for 2025’s drivers’ title that has swung back and forth in Ibrahim’s favour.
The 2022 Pro-Am champion topped the overall table after winning on home soil with Alexander Sims but then scored just one point at Mandalika, before a second victory – this time alongside Ben Green – helped him vault back into prime position last time out.
That feast or famine approach is in stark contrast to Team KRC’s Ruan Cun Fan and Maxime Oosten who are the only duo to have scored in all six races so far. Two podiums, including second place last time out, leaves their BMW joint second in the standings alongside Anthony Liu and Dorian Boccolacci whose Phantom Porsche has one more rostrum to its name.
But all three entries also owe their positions, in some part at least, to Bob Yuan and Leo Ye’s nightmare weekend in Thailand where zero points across both races dropped them from first to fourth. Racing without a success penalty on Saturday, unlike two of those ahead, does at least afford an opportunity to hit back immediately at a circuit where Origine’s #87 911 also won last year.
Silver line-ups should have the upper hand in Q1 so expect the likes of Cheng Congfu and Yu Kuai to be a factor. That was the case at Chang where the Phantom-run FAW Audi Sport Asia R8 ended Porsche’s early domination. This combination tops their class standings by 29 points but could also become an overall contender with another strong run.
Further back, the battle for Am honours now appears to be a straight fight between reigning champion David Tjiptobiantoro, his Garage 75 co-driver Christian Colombo, and AMAC’s Ben Porter. 13 points separate them at the hallway stage.
As well as mounting an overall title challenge, Cun Fan and Oosten have also been the standout Silver-Am pairing so far in 2025. Indeed, their 100% record was only interrupted in Chang’s first race by 5ZIGEN’s Hirobon and Yu Kanamaru, while their nearest class rivals – Huang Ruohan and Akash Nandy (Absolute Corse) – already trail by 60 points.
Elsewhere, Craft-Bamboo team owner Darryl O’Young will make his first GT World Challenge Asia start since 2019 when he partners Liang Jiatong. The outing comes hot on the heels of a SRO GT Cup podium in Pingtan.
Former Am champion Hiroshi Hamaguchi joins Absolute Corse, and Porsche Center Okazaki’s Hiroaki Nagai and Kazuto Kotaka make their second appearance of the year.
Qualifying and both races are live with a choice of English and Japanese commentary on SRO’s GT World YouTube channel this Saturday and Sunday.
