KUALA LUMPUR – It was a perfect start to the 2023 GT World Challenge Asia season for HRH Tunku Abu Bakar Sultan Ibrahim after the GT3 racer clinched a first career pole and race win in Thailand.
At the Chang International Circuit in Buriram, Tunku Abu Bakar claimed his first pole position just hours before the race started behind the safety car due to poor weather.
Racing for Johor Motorsports Racing (JMR) in the Mercedes-AMG GT3, powered by Triple Eight Race Engineering, Tunku Abu Bakar maintained fourth position well until the pit window.
He then handed the car over to partner Luca Stolz, who put in fast laps around the drying track and jumped to the front to cross the line with a 10-second lead.
Meanwhile in the other JMR car, HRH Tunku Abdul Rahman and partner Broc Feeney managed to finish the race in 11th.
However in the second race, things proved difficult for the Johor racing outfit as pro drivers Stolz and Feeney both started from the second row but held good track positions.
On-track incidents and safety car timing hampered the progress of the princes once they took over the wheel after the mandatory pit stop.
An eventual red flag shortened the race, leaving Tunku Abdul Rahman to finish in seventh and Tunku Abu Bakar in 12th.
Tunku Abu Bakar said the first pole and race win was the highlight of his career so far.
“Qualifying on pole was a real highlight in my career and I was very happy to take my first race win.
“Conditions were tricky but I, Luca, and the team did a great job.
“It would’ve been nice to score some points in the second race, but we’re still happy with the weekend and looking forward to Fuji,” he said in a statement.
Tunku Abdul Rahman meanwhile congratulated his brother and the team on their victory.
“I’m so proud to see the achievement of Abu Bakar and Luca this weekend. I’ve been trying to build my brother as a driver and athlete over the past years and I’m happy to see it come together.
“For us in the 888 car, it obviously wasn’t the weekend we wanted. It was tough for everyone but we know what we need to work on.
“We’ll keep moving forward as a team as we head to Fuji,” he said.
The second of the GT World Challenge Asia will take place at the Fuji International Speedway from June 16 to 18. – The Vibes, May 14, 2023
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