Lu Wei Sets New Record at GT World Challenge Asia
Sepang, Malaysia — Lu Wei achieved a historic milestone in the GT World Challenge Asia powered by AWS, securing his seventh career victory alongside co-driver Alessio Picariello in Race 2 at Sepang. This win marks a new record in the series.
The #4 Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo, driven by Picariello, executed a brilliant start, overtaking pole-sitter Bastian Buus and maintaining a commanding lead throughout the race. Anthony Liu Xu, in the #37 Phantom Global Racing Porsche, managed to close the gap to Lu but ultimately finished four seconds behind the winners.
Lu’s victory puts him ahead of fellow competitors Liu, Bob Yuan, and Leo Ye Hongli—who each hold six wins—as well as Picariello. The race featured a full Porsche podium, with Alessandro Ghiretti and Huang Ruohan in the #911 Absolute Racing Porsche finishing in third place after a dramatic final-lap overtaking maneuver on Tony Ruan Cunfan.
In the Silver-Am category, KRC’s #10 BMW, driven by Brian Lee and Maxime Oosten, claimed a solid fifth place overall. Winhere Harmony’s #96 Ferrari, driven by Liu Kaishun and Andy Deng Yi, made a notable comeback, rising ten positions to secure the Silver class victory. The Am category was won by Setiawan Santoso and Mike Zhou Bihuang in the #8 Climax Racing Mercedes-AMG.
Despite Buus’s strong qualifying performance, he faltered at the start, allowing Picariello to swiftly pass. During the race, Ghiretti and Huang faced a 15-second penalty that ultimately placed them behind Phantom’s challenge. In a critical moment, Lu extended his lead to ten seconds over Liu, who could not mount a sufficient challenge before the checkered flag.
Post-race, Huang praised the teamwork and performance throughout the weekend, stating, “We executed our strategy perfectly, but we need to keep pushing now that the title fight is so close.”
The results continue to tighten the championship standings, with Absolute Racing now leading by seven points over Lu and Picariello. The GT World Challenge Asia series will continue with the next events scheduled for May 2-3 in Mandalika, Indonesia.
Race 2 Results Snapshot:
- Lu Wei / Alessio Picariello (#4 Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo)
- Anthony Liu Xu / Dorian Boccolacci (#37 Phantom Global Racing Porsche)
- Alessandro Ghiretti / Huang Ruohan (#911 Absolute Racing Porsche)
- Tony Ruan Cunfan
- Brian Lee / Maxime Oosten (#10 KRC BMW)
For comprehensive race details and points standings, stay tuned for further updates as the season progresses.
