GT World Challenge Asia: Race 2 Summary from Chang International Circuit
Prince Jefri Ibrahim and Ben Green’s Stellar Performance
Prince Jefri Ibrahim secured his position in the GT World Challenge Asia powered by AWS title race with a dominant lights-to-flag victory in Race 2 at Chang International Circuit, Thailand. Partnering with Ben Green, Ibrahim executed a flawless race strategy, culminating in a narrow 0.3-second margin over Ruan Cunfan of Team KRC, who finished second.
Green also recorded the fastest lap, solidifying the Corvette team’s commanding performance. Following consistent setbacks, former championship leaders Bob Yuan and Leo Ye faced their second non-score of the weekend, allowing Ibrahim to take the top spot in the standings, now leading by six points at the season’s midpoint.
Race Highlights and Incidents
The race started with significant turmoil when Deng Yi’s attempt to overtake closed abruptly, resulting in a collision that sent Harmony’s Ferrari spinning. This incident prompted a safety car deployment, adding further complications. Following the initial chaos, the top three—Green, Maxime Oosten, and Daniel Morad—maintained their positions throughout the early laps.
Key battles unfolded in the midfield, notably between Elias Seppanen and Leo Ye, which culminated in contact that left Ye needing to pit for grass clearance from his radiator. A drive-through penalty for the incident compounded his challenges.
Podium Finishes and Class Victors
Climax Racing’s Mercedes-AMG, shared by Mike Zhou and Ralf Aron, finished third, recovering from a disappointing Saturday. Uno Racing achieved its first Silver class victory of the season, with drivers Rio Ma and Shaun Thong leading the charge after a challenging start.
In the Am category, David Tjiptobiantoro outpaced William Ben Porter to claim victory alongside co-driver Christian Colombo.
Final Standings and Future Events
The race concluded with Ibrahim, Cunfan, Zhou, and Aron finishing within a tight 2.6-second gap. Phantom Global’s Anthony Liu and Dorian Boccolacci secured fifth, maintaining their joint second position in the standings.
With the Southeast Asia leg complete, teams will now prepare for the next series of events at Fuji Speedway from July 11-13, marking the beginning of consecutive races in Japan.
Race 2 Results Overview:
- Prince Jefri Ibrahim / Ben Green (Corvette)
- Ruan Cunfan / Maxime Oosten (BMW)
- Mike Zhou / Ralf Aron (Mercedes-AMG)
This event underscores the competitive landscape of the GT World Challenge Asia, setting an exciting stage for the upcoming races.
