> Cost control prioritised for Season 9
> Mandalika opens 2028 campaign following one-year hiatus
> Japan Cup schedule also confirmed
Suzuka and Chang are both returning to the GT World Challenge Asia powered by AWS calendar in 2027.
Season 9 will also feature several cost cutting measures, such as fewer official test sessions and a smaller weekend tyre allocation.
The schedule, revealed during SRO Motorsports Group's annual CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa press conference earlier today, continues to comprise 12 one-hour races spread equally across six events in four countries between April and October.
Official testing will be limited to Sepang and a Japanese meeting, which will be confirmed in due course, while the other four events switch to a three-day format.
Sepang and Chang, which returns after a one-year hiatus, comprise the Southeast Asia leg in early April and May before GT World Asia visits Suzuka – a popular circuit amongst teams and drivers – for the first time since 2024 in mid-June.
It's then on to Fuji four weeks later before several teams return east for the Suzuka 1000km, which becomes a joint Intercontinental GT Challenge / Super GT300 event from next year.
Two Chinese tracks, the Beijing Street Circuit and Shanghai's Formula 1 venue, then close out the campaign within three weeks of each other in October. 2027’s calendar reveal coincides with a separate announcement in China overnight that Beijing will remain on the calendar for at least another 10 years.
Chang and Suzuka's dates leave no room for either Mandalika or Okayama. Both, however, remain part of SRO's plans: the latter continues to host a round of the domestic Japan Cup, while GT World Asia's 2028 season will begin beachside in Indonesia.
Japan Cup's provisional calendar was also announced today. Mobility Resort Motegi – appearing for the first time since 2023 – kicks off the season with a standalone event in mid-May before the domestic series joins GT World Asia at Fuji. Okayama then follows in August ahead of the Suzuka 1000km-supporting finale.
Benjamin Franassovici, SRO Motorsports Asia General Manager: “Asia’s 2027 calendar reflects our dedication to reducing costs where possible next season, as well as listening to our teams who were eager to return to Suzuka. But our commitment to racing at Mandalika also remains as strong as ever, hence announcing its inclusion on the 2028 schedule well ahead of time. It’s one of Asia’s best circuits, and quite possibly the most picturesque, so we are very much looking forward to GT World Challenge Asia’s return two years from now.”
PROVISIONAL 2027 GT WORLD CHALLENGE ASIA CALENDAR
April 3/4: Sepang International Circuit (2x 1-hour races)
May 1/2: Chang International Circuit (2x 1-hour races)
June 12/13: Suzuka Circuit (2x 1-hour races)
July 10/11: Fuji Speedway (2x 1-hour races)
October 2/3: Beijing Street Circuit (2x 1-hour races)
October 23/24: Shanghai International Circuit (2x 1-hour races)
PROVISIONAL 2027 JAPAN CUP CALENDAR
May 15/16: Mobility Resort Motegi (2x 1-hour races)
July 10/11: Fuji Speedway (2x 1-hour races)
August 7-8: Okayama International Circuit (2x 1-hour races)
September 4/5: Suzuka Circuit (2x 1-hour races)