• 2025 runner-up Lu Wei heads cast of overall title contenders
• Reigning Silver, Silver-Am and Am class champions all return
• Provisional entry list: Sepang
GT World Challenge Asia powered by AWS 2026 kicks off at Sepang International Circuit next weekend (April 3-5) when a raft of new and returning drivers tackle the first two of this year’s 12 one-hour races.
The entry list features six of the 10 global GT World Challenge manufacturers – Audi, BMW, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche – as well as Nissan, while seven drivers are battling for SRO GT Academy points and a prize drive at the 2027 CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa.
Qualifying and both races are live on SRO’s GT World YouTube channel and several Chinese streaming platforms next Saturday and Sunday.
NEW OVERALL CHAMPIONS GUARANTEED
2026 appears finely poised thanks to a shake-up amongst the previously established front runners.
Out go two-time reigning champions Bob Yuan and Leo Ye, as well as 2025 title contender Prince Jefri Ibrahim whose JMR squad has graduated to Intercontinental GT Challenge.
But Lu Wei, who only lost the title to his team-mates on countback last season, does return with Chinese powerhouse, Origine, whose entries have won the last two teams’ and drivers’ championships. Lu is again joined by two Porsche drivers: Alessio Picariello, with whom he won at Mandalika last season and partners this weekend, plus Laurin Heinrich.
There’s also 2023 champion Anthony Liu. He was the last man to win outright other than Yuan and Ye, and remained a live championship contender alongside Dorian Boccolacci until the final race of 2025. The Frenchman – who officially joined Porsche’s ranks over the winter – again shares the Phantom-run 911 GT3 R at Sepang.
Two more Porsches – both overseen by Absolute – should also feature towards the sharp end thanks to their strong Pro-Am combinations. Former overall runner-up and class champion Vutthikorn Inthraphuvasak returns after a year away, but it’s the duo of Huang Ruohan and reigning Supercup champion Alessandro Ghiretti who could prove this season’s break-out stars.
GT World Australia runner-up Jaxon Evans leads the line for Phantom’s Pro-Am Audi, which is shared with ‘Andrés Pato’, while another New Zealander – Brendon Leitch – headlines Winhere Harmony’s Ferrari.
SILVER CHAMPS GOING FOR GOLD
Reigning Silver champions Cheng Congfu and Yu Kuai return just as they ended 2025: spearheading Audi Sport Asia Team Phantom’s evergreen R8 LMS GT3 programme. They were also one of the seven crews who remained in outright title contention heading into Beijing’s showdown where a double non-score dropped them to eighth in the final reckoning.
However, they undoubtedly have the potential to challenge for outright honours again, and possibly become the first Silver class entry to win the overall title since 2019.
Q1’s favourable format also presents an ideal opportunity for Silver crews to score in each weekend’s first race. And nowhere is that more true than at the season opener where three additional seconds have been added to their mandatory pitstop time in Race 1.
That will also play into the hands of the other three Silver entries, most notable of which is the 5ZIGEN Nissan which has an all-new Japanese crew comprising Takayuki Aoki and Super GT500 ace Atsushi Miyake.
Akash Nandy drives Absolute Racing’s Lamborghini solo (but must exit and climb back aboard during the mandatory pitstop), while SRO GT Cup graduate Liu Kaishun joins overall race winner Andy Deng Yi in another of Harmony’s Ferraris.
The class’ success penalties have been updated for this year. Silver entries finishing first, second or third overall will now serve an additional 26, 21 or 16 seconds during their next race’s pitstop. The existing 15, 10 and five-second handicaps will still apply to all other classes.
OOSTEN EYEING SILVER-AM DEFENCE
Tony Ruan and Maxime Oosten claimed Silver-Am honours last year and were also overall title contenders for much of the season, but are now split across two KRC-run BMWs. Ruan moves to Pro-Am thanks to his new partnership with works ace Neil Verhagen, while Oosten has an opportunity to retain his Silver-Am crown with new co-driver Brian Lee. The latter will maintain his record of contesting at least one round of every GT World Asia season to date after first joining the championship towards the conclusion of its inaugural 2017 campaign. However, this will be the first spent racing something other than a Porsche.
Last year’s Silver runner-up Alex Liang Jiatong remains with Craft-Bamboo and Mercedes-AMG but has swapped classes thanks to a new partnership with Dean Chen. Fellow Merc customers, Climax, also have skin in this particular game along with Porsche Center Okazaki and 33R Harmony Racing.
AM THREE-PEAT FOR GARAGE 75?
Asia’s Am class is something of a hidden gem, and it’s top three drivers from 2025 are all returning with largely the same cars and teams.
David Tjiptobiantoro and Garage 75 could bag an unprecedented third consecutive GT World Asia championship this year after emerging as the Am combination to beat since 2024. One clashing commitment prevented Christian Colombo from sharing the first of those crowns with his Indonesian co-driver, but the Italian is back for more this season with a Ferrari that has been upgraded to Evo spec.
There’s a change of teams for last year’s runner-up Setiawan Santoso who has joined the very capable Zhou Bi Huang at Climax.
AMAC always provide stiff opposition and will finally have parity on the mechanical front after switching to the new 911 GT3 R Evo. Former class champions Andrew Macpherson and Ben Porter share the Porsche.
But that trio will see their dominance tested by Origine’s new crew of Liu Hangcheng and Wang Zhongwei who have previously raced with success outside of the class.
SRO GT ACADEMY CONTENDERS
Open to FIA Silver-graded drivers under the age of 30, SRO GT Academy will take a holistic approach to unearthing new talent. In GT World Asia’s case, the prize is a fully-funded seat (minus crash damage) alongside America, Australia and British GT’s Academy winners at the 2027 CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa.
Points-scoring is based on both a common set of criteria – such as average race pace over 10 laps and fastest individual times – and continent-specific requirements that include but are not limited to qualifying results and the race classification as the pit window opens. Conversely, drivers deemed responsible for incidents by the panel of stewards or race-ending accidents will incur a points deduction.
Ultimately, accurately assessing an individual’s performance regardless of their co-driver’s contribution lies at the very heart of SRO GT Academy’s ethos.
SRO GT Academy contenders – GT World Challenge Asia: Andy Deng Yi (CHN), Liu Kaishun (HKG), Atsushi Miyake (JPN), Akash Nandy (MYS), Maxime Oosten (NLD), Elias Seppanen (FIN), James Yu Kuai (CHN).