GT World Challenge Asia: Kitano and Kanamaru Claim Victory in Beijing
The GT World Challenge Asia powered by AWS saw a thrilling race in Beijing, where Hiromasa “Hirobon” Kitano and Yu Kanamaru from 5Zigen secured a pivotal victory in the first of two hour-long races. Starting from seventh position, the Nissan duo capitalized on the misfortunes of key championship contenders, securing their spot as front-runners.
Brian Lee and Nico Menzel, driving a GTO Porsche, finished a close second, just 0.280 seconds behind, despite starting 19th. This race outcome solidified Kitano and Kanamaru’s overall triumph but did not prevent Ruan Cunfan and Maxime Oosten from clinching the Silver-Am title, as their Team KRC BMW managed to complete the podium after a solid recovery from a poor starting grid.
David Tjiptobiantoro and Christian Colombo of Garage 75 retained the Am class title by finishing third, even as fellow competitors Setiawan Santoso and Liam Talbot achieved class honors with their victory in EBM.
As the series progresses towards its hour-long finale, Lu Wei finds himself six points behind teammates Bob Yuan and Leo Ye, who faced a setback in Race 1 due to a stop-go penalty that dropped them from contention for a clear title defense. JMR’s Jefri Ibrahim, sitting in third place, trails the leading Porsche by 15 points.
The race itself commenced cleanly; all 24 cars navigated the challenging new street circuit without incident through the first turn. Early on, Deng Yi took the lead from pole position, but incidents soon unfolded. A collision involving Liu’s Porsche and the leading Ferrari necessitated a Safety Car deployment, reshaping the race dynamics.
Subsequent pit stops, conducted under the caution period, led to various penalties as teams struggled to meet minimum time requirements. Notably, championship leader Yuan and co-driver Ye incurred a penalty that cost them crucial positions. This incident ultimately allowed Kitano and Kanamaru, who had been running ninth, to emerge in the lead during the closing stages of the race.
Despite pressure from Menzel’s Porsche, Kanamaru successfully defended the lead, crossing the finish line first. The top positions shifted rapidly as incidents and penalties reshuffled competitors, highlighting the intensity of the race.
Lu Wei’s late race retirement unexpectedly benefited the Silver class championship, but Tjiptobiantoro and Colombo’s consistent performance kept them at the top.
Race 1 Results:
- Hiromasa Kitano / Yu Kanamaru (5Zigen Nissan)
- Brian Lee / Nico Menzel (GTO Porsche)
- Ruan Cunfan / Maxime Oosten (Team KRC BMW)
- Tjiptobiantoro / Colombo (Garage 75 Ferrari)
- Santoso / Talbot (EBM)
The championship now turns its focus towards the finale, where tactical precision and skill will be paramount for drivers aiming to secure their titles amid fierce competition.
