The field is gathering ahead of this weekend’ start to the 2025/ 2026 Asian Le Mans Series at Sepang, Malaysia, with some cars though still to arrive at the circuit by close of play Tuesday (Update – all cars were on-site by Wednesday morning).
There is plenty to savour in all their classes (LMP2, LMP3 and GT3).
LMP2
Japan’s Ponos Racing make their LMP2 debut here and their #45 Oreca 07 Gibson looks splendid, complete with ‘Battle Cats’ branding (A downloadable ‘Tower Defence’ game from the Ponos company).
After a trying week, the Proton Competition entered a pair of Orecas shield help to refocus the German outfit.
Their #22 Oreca is presented in a matte green livery with the sister #88 car, as revealed by DSC, in the traditional Felbermayr colours for father and son Horst and Horst Felix Felbermayr’s LMP2 debuts.
#22 sees a driver change with Stefan Aust still unfit after his monster shunt at Portimao in the Le Mans Cup. A rapid fire driver search then took place over the past few days with the allegedly retired Christian Ried ready to stand in if necessary, instead though last minute super sub and LMP2 rookie, full season WEC Mustang LMGT3 racer Bernardo Sousa is en route to Malaysia.
Race winners here last year, Roman Dumas’s RD Limited squad, return with their #30 Oreca.
Also returnees here, this time to the class as a whole, are ex ELMS and IMSA class contenders High Class Racing with a car in both LMP2 and LMP3.
The LMP2 Oreca fields the intriguing line-up of veteran Jens Reno Moller, ELMS LMP3 Champ Theo Jensen and the return to a prototype seat for ex Peugeot and Glickenhaus Hypercar driver Gustavo Menezes.
Cetilar Racing make their return to LMP2, and their first appearance with an Oreca in an Asian LMS-only season.
Algarve Pro Racing fields a pair of Orecas under their name and a third under the Crowdstrike Racing by APR banner; unusually, the trio are separated on the pit lane by the Team Virage garage housing their pair of LMP3 Ligiers. That, though, makes more sense when looking at plans for future programmes with the two teams developing a mutually beneficial alliance across LMP2 and LMP3.
United Autosports has entered three cars here – including a GT3 McLaren, with one of the pair of Orecas in a revised livery
And it’s a welcome return for Asian LMS regulars ARC Bratislava with their familiar, and familiarly liveried, Oreca.
LMP3
The entry with the biggest public impact there is, undoubtedly, the appearance of the #1 Team Virage car for the Indian duo, Narain Karthikeyan and Tamil film superstar Ajith Kumar.
There are already signs that Kumar’s appearance will bring a significant following to proceedings, with the Sama Sama Hotel reception hall already packed with 2-300 fans yesterday (Though it is possible that some were waiting for the arrival of Oliver Gavin).
Signs requesting that fans gather at a designated area at the circuit were widely ignored all evening!
Team Virage boss Julien Gerbi has been added to the driver line-up for the #1.
