48 Cars Confirmed for Sepang Curtain-Raiser

Photo: Asian Le Mans Series

An entry list featuring 48 cars has been released for next month’s opening round of the new Asian Le Mans Series season at Sepang.

Published on Friday, the list features the same roster of 16 LMP2s, 10 LMP3s and 22 GT cars that were listed when the full-season entry was revealed in September, and marks an increase of six cars compared to last year’s grid at the Malaysian track.

While most lineups for the two four-hour races on Dec. 13-14 in the headline LMP2 class were already revealed by their respective teams, the list fills some notable gaps.

DKR Engineering has recruited Mathias Beche and Australian rising star Griffin Peebles to pilot its No. 3 Oreca 07 Gibson alongside Alexander Mattschull, with Peebles having contest the two Middle Eastern rounds in LMP3 for Bretton Racing last season.

Proton Competition meanwhile has signed European Le Mans Series race winner Lorenzo Fluxa to join Horst Felbermayr Jr and Horst Felix Felbermayr in its No. 88 car.

The sister No. 22 car features the only TBA in the LMP2 class with one seat still open next to Jonas Ried and Felipe Fernandez Laser.

In LMP3, Team Virage has opted for two driver lineups at Sepang, meaning that Indian cinema icon Ajith Kumar will share the squad’s No. 1 Ligier JS P325 Toyota with ex-Formula 1 racer Narain Karthikeyan as a duo.

Nick Adcock, who finished runner-up in the class in 2024/25 driving for RLR MSport, shares the No. 29 Forestier Racing by VPS Ligier with Lucas Fecury and Luciano Murano.

Meanwhile, 23Events Racing can boast Matteo Quintarelli, a two-time race winner for Ultimate last term, as part of its two-car stable, with the Italian driver reuniting with Louis Stern aboard the No. 23 Ligier in a lineup completed by Isaac Barashi.

FIA Formula 3 convert Callum Voisin will share High Class Racing’s No. 94 Ligier alongside fellow Briton Tim Whale and Phillip Lindberg.

Bretton Racing’s lineup features Lenny Ried, the younger son of Proton owner Christian, as well as Lucas Fluxa — younger brother of Lorenzo — in its No. 26 Ligier.

Michelin Le Mans Cup LMP3 champion Hugo Schwarze pilots the sole Duqueine D09 Toyota in the field along with Fabian Michel and Pierre-Alexandre Provost.

Notable names in the GT class include factory BMW driver Augusto Farfus, who joins UNX Racing by Team WRT; Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific Selected Driver Dorian Boccolacci, who will be on the grid for Phantom Global Racing; Laurin Heinrich in the Origine Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 R; and factory Ferrari drivers Davide Rigon and Alessandro Pier Guidi in the No. 51 and No. 54 AF Corse 296 GT3s respectively.

Bronze-rated Darren Leung is a notable addition to the No. 21 AF Corse Ferrari, a lineup that also features Simon Mann and factory driver Alessio Rovera.

The second of the WRT BMW M4 GT3 EVOs, the No. 69 car, features Anthony McIntosh, Parker Thompson and Dan Harper in a possible preview of that car’s lineup for the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship campaign.

Riccardo Pera has been confirmed as the Silver-rated driver in the No. 92 Manthey Porsche together with team newcomer Francois Heriau and Richard Lietz.

Steve Jans’ place in the GetSpeed Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo has been taken by Shigekazu Wakisaka, the former SUPER GT racer who has recently competed for Ferrari squad LM Corsa in GT World Challenge Asia powered by AWS.

Further Japanese representation is provided by the No. 77 Proton Competition Porsche that features Seven x Seven Racing owner ‘Bankcy’ and two of the three drivers that raced for the team in SUPER GT this year, Kiyoto Fujinami and Harry King.

Only the No. 59 United Autosports McLaren 720S GT3 Evo and the No. 89 EBM Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo do not have complete lineups at this stage.

Wayne Boyd is the only driver listed in the No. 59, while Anderson Tanoto has dropped out of the EBM car having been due to share with Marco Sorensen and Jamie Day.

Source: Sports Car 365