The 2024/25 Asian Le Mans Series at Sepang: A Global Racing Extravaganza

Nov 21, 2024 at 4:39 PM
The entry list for the opening two races of the 2024/25 Asian Le Mans Series at Sepang (6 - 8 December) is a sight to behold. With 42 cars set to take to the track, including 10 LMP2, 7 LMP3, and 25 GT3s, this event promises to be a thrilling spectacle. The grid for the 4 Hours of Sepang is truly international, with 125 drivers and 29 teams representing 36 different nations from all corners of the world.

Unparalleled International Representation

The Asian Le Mans Series at Sepang showcases the best of global racing. Drivers and teams from around the world converge here, bringing with them a wealth of experience and talent. This international flavor adds a unique dimension to the event, making it a must-watch for racing enthusiasts worldwide.

The diversity of nations represented is a testament to the growing popularity of the Asian Le Mans Series. It's not just about the speed on the track but also about the cultural exchange and camaraderie that unfolds during the event. From Europe to Asia and beyond, the 4 Hours of Sepang is a melting pot of racing excellence.

LMP2: A Battle of Champions

The LMP2 category is set to be a hotbed of competition. With Inter Europol focusing on LMP3, the entry in the top category remains strong with 10 cars. Reigning LMP2 Team Champions Algarve Pro Racing return with two cars, while newly crowned European Le Mans Series LMP3 champion Michael Jensen joins forces with Malthe Jakobsen and Valerio Rinicella in the #25 Oreca. The sister #20 car sees ELMS racer Kriton Lentoudis team up with Olli Caldwell and Alex Quinn.

DKR Engineering, the 2023 ALMS LMP2 Team Champions, also return with a single car entry. Laurents Horr and Job Van Uitert join Greek driver Georgios Kolovos in the #3 Oreca-Gibson. Nielsen Racing, the 2022 ALMS LMP2 Champions, enter a single car with Matt Bell joined by Nicky Catsburg and Naveen Rao in the #24 entry. Reigning ELMS LMP2 Pro/Am Champions Francois Perrodo, Matthieu Vaxiviere, and Alessio Rovera will be looking to add another title to their resume with AF Corse, running two cars in LMP2. Platinum rated Olivier Pla is joined by Americans Patrick Byrne and Jeremy Clarke.Daytona 24 and ELMS LMP2 race winners Proton Competition field a two-car effort, with Jonas Ried and Mathias Beche in the #11 Oreca and Giorgio Roda, Vlad Lomko, and Tom Dillmann in the #22 entry. RD Limited, owned by former 24 Hours of Le Mans winners and FIA World Champion Romain Dumas, makes its LMP2 debut with James Allen teaming up with Fred Poordad and Tristan Vautier in the #30 Oreca-Gibson. Reigning ALMS GT Champions Pure Rxcing move up to LMP2 this season with the #91 Oreca-Gibson run by TF Sport. Alex Malykhin, the 2023/24 ALMS GT Champion and newly crowned FIA WEC LMGT3 Champion, races with British driver Harry King and three-time ELMS LMP2 Champion Louis Deletraz.

LMP3: The Junior Le Mans Prototype Class

With Inter Europol Competition switching their LMP2 entry to LMP3, the junior Le Mans Prototype class features seven entries in Malaysia. 2023 LMP3 Champions Graff Racing return with a single entry, with reigning ALMS LMP3 Champion Alexander Bukhantsov joined by James Winslow and Danial Frost in the #7 Ligier JS P320-Nissan.

Newly crowned ELMS LMP3 Team Champions RLR MSport enter a single Ligier, with 2024 ELMS LMP3 Champion Nick Adcock sharing the driving with Mexican Ian Aguilera and Canadian James Dayson. Michelin Le Mans Cup LMP3 race winners Bretton Racing finished the 2023/24 Asian Le Mans Series with a win in Abu Dhabi and will be looking to improve on their third place in last season's championship standings. The Czech team will run a single Ligier for race winners Dan Skocdopole and Theodor Jensen, with their teammate still to be named.Inter Europol Competition will run two cars in LMP3 this season, with 16-year-old Belgian driver Douwe Dedecker joined by Daniel Ali and Tim Creswick in the #34 Ligier. The sister #43 car sees three Series newcomers combine: Historic racer Steve Brooks joined by Kevin Rabin and Mikkel Kristensen. French team Ultimate and Danish outfit High Class Racing will each run a single car to bring the LMP3 entry up to seven cars. Ultimate have named Matteo Quintarelli and Hungarian racer Bence Valint, while High Class Racing see Team Owner Anders Fjordbach listed with 2024 Michelin Le Mans Cup racer Seth Lucas. Completing the trio is the welcome return of Mark Patterson.

GT3: A Gallery of Supercars

Twenty-five GT3 cars will compete in the two 4 Hour of Sepang races, representing Aston-Martin, Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, Mercedes-AMG, and Porsche. There are several changes to the provisional entry, with the addition of a third Manthey-entered Porsche for Manthey EMA but the withdrawal of one of the AF Corse Ferraris and both Triple Eight-entered Mercedes AMG GT3 Evos.

There will be no less than eight Porsche 911 GT3 Rs on the track, with reigning FIA WEC and 24 Hours of Le Mans champions Manthey running two 911s. Klaus Bachler and Joel Sturm will race the #10 Porsche, joined by Antares Au. Multiple 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Richard Lietz will race with ELMS LMGTE Champion Ryan Hardwick and race winner Riccardo Pera in the #92 Manthey EMA entry.Origine Motorsport, one of two Chinese teams, fields the #87 Porsche driven by Bo Yuan and Hongli Ye with Laurin Heinrich. The Iron Dames make their ALMS debut with the #85 Porsche 911 GT3 R, featuring WEC and ELMS race winners Michelle Gatting and Sarah Bovy joined by MLMC front runner Celia Martin. Proton Competition runs a second car under their own team name, with Alessio Picariello and Matteo Cressoni joined by Claudio Schiavoni.German team Car Collection runs a two-car effort with a pair of 911s, while San Marino based Tsunami RT will run one car. There will be six Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVOs on track, with Chinese team Climax Racing and German outfit Winward Racing each running a two-car effort. China's Bihaung Zhou races with Finland's Elias Seppanen and Estian Ralf Aron in the #2 Mercedes-AMG, while Lu Wei, Ling Kang, and Lucas Auer race the #14 entry for the Chinese team. Winward Racing's drivers are Maro Engel, the winner of 2024 FIA GT World Cup in Macau, alongside Viktor Shaytar and Sergey Stolyarov in the #16 Mercedes-AMG, and Jules Gounon joins Gabriele Piana and Rinat Salikhov in the #81 entry for the German team. Bahraini team 2 Seas Motorsport enters a single Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO with Ben Barnicoat, Anthony Mcintosh, and Parker Thompson driving the #96 entry. Getspeed runs the final Mercedes-AMG on the grid with Fabian Schiller and Anthony Bartone, completed by Steve Jans.There will also be six Ferrari 296 GT3s in Sepang, three of which will be run by AF Corse. The #28 AF Corse 296 features Ferrari works driver Davide Rigon alongside Manuel Franco and Massimiliano (Max) Wiser. The #51 entry sees 2024 MLMC GT3 Runners-up Custodio Toledo and Riccardo Agostini joined by Cedric Sbirrazzouli. The final AF Corse entry is the #82 296 GT3 driven by 2023 FIA WEC LMGTE AM Champion Nicolas Varrone, with ELMS race winner Conrad Laursen and French driver Charles-Henri Samani sharing the driving duties. Swiss team Kessel Racing runs two Ferrari 296 GT3s, the #74 under their own banner and #57 under the distinctive livery of Car Guy, with Yudai Uchida standing in for Takeshi Kimura. He's joined by Esteban Masson and Daniel Serra. The #74 sees American racer Dustin Scott Blattner joined by Ben Tuck and Dennis Marschall. The final Ferrari 296 GT3 will be run by Hong Kong based team Absolute Racing, with Carl Bennett joining forces with his father Gregory and Chris van der Drift completing the trio.There will be two Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3s on the grid, with New Zealand team EBM running one for former FIA WEC and 24 Hours of Le Mans champion Marco Sorensen, Kiwi Brendon Leitch, and Indonesian Anderson Tanoto. The second Vantage is entered by British team Blackthorn, with David McDonald, Claude Bovet, and Jason Ambrose forming the driver lineup.The two McLaren 720S GT3s will both be run by British team Optimum Motorsport. Benji Goethe, Fran Rueda, and Andrew Gilbert will race the #27 720S, while Tom Gamble, Tom Ikin, and Morgan Tillbrook will be in the #77 McLaren.

The 4 Hours of Sepang: A Double Header of Racing Action

The 4 Hours of Sepang is Round 1 of the 2024/25 Asian Le Mans Series and will feature two 4-hour races. The first race takes place on Saturday 7 December at 14h00 (local), followed by the second race on Sunday 8 December at the same time. This double header format ensures that fans get to witness non-stop racing action over the weekend.

The races at Sepang are known for their high-speed thrills and intense competition. Drivers and teams will push their limits to secure the top spots on the podium. With such a diverse field of cars and drivers, anything can happen on the track. It's a battle for supremacy that will keep fans on the edge of their seats.