Origine Motorsport Clinches Victory in Inaugural 12H Malaysia
Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia – In a surprising turn of events, Origine Motorsport emerged victorious in the inaugural 12H Malaysia, part of the 2025/26 24H Series Middle East Trophy season opener. The triumph came after Herberth Motorsport’s #91 Porsche 911 GT3 R faced a significant setback due to a four-lap penalty.
Race Summary
Robert Renauer, behind the wheel of Herberth’s #91 car, crossed the finish line first; however, a late penalty for not adhering to the minimum driving time of its amateur drivers overshadowed their strong performance. The penalty was assessed within the final 15 minutes, relinquishing victory to Origine Motorsport’s #87 GT3 AM crew.
Renauer’s team had initiated a stellar comeback after starting at the back of the GT3 field due to prior electrical issues in qualifying. Throughout the 12-hour race, excellent performances from Origine and Absolute Racing created a dynamic competition, with lead changes frequent as teams managed various driver line-ups and pit stop strategies.
Final Standings
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Origine Motorsport – #87 GT3 AM
- Drivers: Bo Yuan, Ye Hongli, Lu Wei, Liu Hangcheng
- Finish Time: 33.214 seconds ahead of second place.
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Absolute Racing – #10 GT3
- Drivers: Antares Au, Loek Hartog, Patric Niederhauser.
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Continental Racing by Simpson Motorsport – #69 Audi R8 LMS
- Drivers: Vasily Vladykin, Alexander Bukhantsov, Damian Ciosek, James Winslow.
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Herberth Motorsport – #91 Porsche 911 GT3 R (GT3 Pro/Am victory).
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Climax Racing – #999 Mercedes-AMG GT3.
Key Quotes
Bo Yuan reflected on the unexpected nature of their victory: “It’s very lucky to be honest as we finished second [on the road], but I’m happy for the team, they put in a lot of effort for this race.”
Lu Wei added: “My teammates did a really good job. We didn’t tell Leo [Ye Hongli] we had won until he hit the finish line.”
Class Highlights
- The 992 class was dominated by the #909 Red Camel-Jordans.nl Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, while Mühlner Motorsport, which suffered a driveshaft issue, finished fourth.
- GT4 went to the #445 Cerny Motorsport BMW M4 GT4, and the TCE-TCX honor went to the #102 asBest Racing Cupra TCR DSG.
The event was marred for the lone GTX entry, the #701 Vortex 2.0, which encountered multiple technical issues, preventing it from finishing.
The 2025/26 24H Series Middle East Trophy will continue with the Michelin 6H Abu Dhabi, scheduled for January 9-10, 2026.
