GT World Challenge Asia Powered by AWS – Rounds 1 and 2, Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia

The opening weekend of the GT World Challenge Asia saw the new-look Johor Motorsports Racing Team take a memorable home victory at the Sepang International Circuit, attended by His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia and Her Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah, Queen of Malaysia.

In front of the Sepang crowd, His Highness Tunku Abdul Rahman Al-Haj Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, Tunku Panglima of Johor (HH Prince Jefri Ibrahim) and Alex Sims steered their Corvette Z06 GT3.R to victory in Sunday’s second Pro-Am race.

After qualifying third-fastest for Race 2 of the championship, the Englishman Sims put in a consistent performance in the opening stunt before Prince Jefri Ibrahim got behind the wheel.

An incident at the front of the field saw both the top two contenders eliminated from the fight, enabling the 99 car to charge to a memorable race victory.

The win capped off a near-perfect weekend for the duo, having already raced to a hard- fought podium in Saturday’s opening round.

It was a much more difficult weekend for HH Tunku Abu Bakar Al-Haj Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, Tunku Putera of Johor (HH Prince Abu Bakar Ibrahim) and Australian Jordan Love in the 66 car.

In Saturday’s race Prince Abu Bakar Ibrahim was caught in an incident on the opening lap, but quick work from the team got the Corvette back on track for a P11 finish.

Sunday’s race saw Love caught up in another on-track incident that damaged the rear of the car and forced the team to retire. Rounds three and four of the GT World Challenge Asia will be held at the Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit in Indonesia on May 9-11.

HH Prince Jefri Ibrahim: “There’s no better way to start the championship than to win my home race in front of my home crowd. This is a feeling I will never forget and I’m so glad my parents were there to watch. This was a debut race for the Corvette and I’m so proud of the team for the hard work they’ve done over the past few months. It’s been very rewarding and I want to give a big thank-you to my parents for their support, to our family, friends, sponsors, supporters, and everyone else.”

Alex Sims: “This has been a fantastic weekend. The JMR team did all the right preparation with the new car, and I’m so happy to be able to execute a good race straight off the bat. The car felt great, and Jefri did an excellent job to bring the 99 car home for a race win. You can’t ask for much more than that.”

Jordan Love: “While it was a difficult weekend for us, I’m so pleased for the guys on the other side of the garage and I offer a huge congratulations to them. Sepang is a special place for the team it means a lot for everyone involved. Yesterday, the team did a great job to get the 66 car fixed and back on track, but unfortunately we experienced some more bad luck today.”

Results – 2025 GT World Challenge Australia, Sepang International Circuit

Qualifying:
Alex Sims – P3
HH Prince Abu Bakar Ibrahim – P3
HH Prince Jefri Ibrahim – P6
Jordan Love – P7

Race 1:
HH Prince Jefri Ibrahim/Alex Sims – P3
HH Prince Abu Bakar Ibrahim /Jordan Love – P11

Race 2:
Alex Sims/HH Prince Jefri Ibrahim – P1
Jordan Love/HH Prince Abu Bakar Ibrahim – DNF