Home hero and Absolute Racing driver Akash Nandy kicked off his GT World Challenge Asia Powered by AWS campaign by claiming a Silver class win at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia.
Driving solo in the Absolute Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2, Nandy was a class apart in Q1, taking the top spot by half a second. After setting an initial banker lap, his following three laps would all have been quick enough for pole. But it was his final effort – 2m04.093s – that ultimately secured the ideal starting position for Race 1 for the Malaysian on home soil. He also managed to qualify ninth overall for Race 2 on Sunday.
In the scorching heat at Sepang, Nandy managed to defend the lead at the start, maintaining a strong pace during the opening laps. Nevertheless, a Full Course Yellow period halted his opportunity to build a gap. The Silver Cup entries’ additional three seconds of pit stop time also played a part in the outcome of the race, with the home hero dropping to second after the pit window.
Nandy’s focus then turned to preserving second place and securing the Silver Cup victory, finishing 6.8s behind the winning Absolute Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R (992). Despite this, he still scored maximum Silver class points after withstanding pressure from a rival.
At the end of the race, Nandy admitted: “It was a really hard effort to achieve this. I am a bit disappointed not to get the overall win due to the extra time deficit, but it’s a good start.”
The SRO GT Academy Asia contender also explained how driving solo presented a challenge: “Driving alone wasn’t an issue for me, as I could keep good focus and consistency throughout. However, getting in and out of the car during the pit stop adds extra difficulty, raising the heart rate and making the second half of the race much more physically demanding, mainly in my chest area. We also don’t have any cooling systems in the car except for air ventilation,” he said.
The second 60-minute race took place on Sunday morning, with the sole Lamborghini on the grid lining up ninth overall and third in the Silver class. The race was always going to be complicated, as Nandy had to serve a considerable additional pit-stop time, which restricted the Absolute Racing Lamborghini from the outset. Nevertheless, the local driver maintained a strong pace throughout the race, finishing 10th overall and second in the Silver Cup.
“It was a really positive first race weekend for us at Sepang. Securing pole position for Race 1 and coming away with P1 in the Silver Cup and P2 overall, followed by another podium in the Silver Cup in Race 2, is a strong way to start the season,” said the Malaysian driver.
“I’m very grateful to Provident and Absolute Racing for their support and hard work in making this possible. It definitely wasn’t easy managing the race solo, especially with the extreme heat in the car, but the team did a great job reacting quickly to help keep things under control,” he continued.
With a first and second place, Nandy now leads the Silver Cup standings with a 13-point advantage and sits fourth in the overall standings.
“This is an encouraging start for us, and we’ll look to build on this momentum, because consistency will be key to staying in the fight for the championship,” he added.
Team Principal Ingo Matter commented: “It was a great weekend for Akash and the team. We just missed out on the overall win due to the hefty pit-stop handicap for Silver Cup solo drivers, but that’s part of the game. We’ll keep working hard because every point counts, and the championship won’t be decided until the final race of the season.”
The GT World Challenge Asia season continues on 2–3 May at the Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit in Indonesia.
