Latest news with #AutobacsSuperGTChampionship
The Star
28-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Star
Alesi, Sasahara steer Toyota to dominant Super GT victory
SEPANG: Deloitte Tom's Toyota GR Supra duo Ukyo Sasahara and Giuliano Alesi executed a flawless race strategy to claim victory in the GT500 class at the Autobacs Super GT Championship, which returned to Sepang after a 12-year hiatus. Alesi sealed the win with a best lap time of 1:54.601s after 55 laps, finishing 19 seconds ahead of the Arta Mugen Civic Type R-GT pair Tomoki Nojiri and Nobuharu Matsushita.
New Straits Times
28-06-2025
- Automotive
- New Straits Times
Sasahara and Alesi power to Autobacs Super GT title
SEPANG: TGR Team Deloitte TOM'S duo Ukyo Sasahara and Giuliano Alesi are hoping to build on their victory in Round 3 of the Autobacs Super GT Championship at the Sepang International Circuit today. The duo claimed the chequered flag with a comfortable 1:56.750 win over the ARTA Honda Civic Type R-GT shared by Tomoki Nojiri and Nobuharu Matsushita who timed 1:59.420. Completing the podium was the Impul Nissan Z NISMO of Bertrand Baguette and Kazuki Hiramine who clocked 1:59.003, after a penalty for the Team Kunimitsu Honda who crossed the line third. Sasahara said the result boosts their overall title hopes, but noted the competition will intensify over the remaining six rounds. "Our target is to win the championship for both drivers. Super GT is very important to be consistent, to get consistent points, and as you can see the leader also finished a decent race, so that's how it should be," said Sasahara in the post-race press conference. "But the next round is a two-phase format, so I'm really looking forward to facing the Fuji Speedway, because I think we're going to have a good chance to race, I mean, with no heavy weight. "I think the next round should be very, very important for us and the championship, so, yeah, keep it active, keep on going. Hope to hang on." Sasahara's fast stint with the No. 37 Toyota GR Supra and quick pit work helped Alesi rejoin just ahead of Nojiri, who challenged him through Turn 14, but Alesi held on and pulled away to clinch their third GT500 win together. Defending champions Sho Tsuboi and Kenta Yamashita recovered from a first-lap spin to finish seventh in the No. 1 TOM'S Toyota, retaining their lead in the standings with 39 points. Sasahara and Alesi are now second with 30. In GT300, Team UpGarage's Takashi Kobayashi and Yuto Nomura took victory in their Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo after a close fight with the Saitama Green Brave Toyota GR Supra GT. Kobayashi held off Hiroki Yoshida by just 0.933 seconds, having lost most of an earlier eight-second lead late in the race. The Saitama car had led early through Seita Nonaka, but a slow stop handed the lead back to UpGarage. Goodsmile Racing's Yuhki Nakayama and Shunji Okumoto completed the podium. Points leaders Naoya Gamou and Togo Suganami were eighth in the LEON Racing Mercedes-AMG, maintaining a 12-point lead over Inging Toyota's Yuui Tsutsumi and Hibiki Taira, who finished sixth. EBM wildcards struggled, with Adrian D'Silva and Dorian Boccolacci 17th in their Porsche 911 GT3 R, while Jazeman Jaafar and Kerong Li came home 19th in the Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo. All 19 cars finished the race.
