The GT World Challenge Asia championship roared into new territory for Round 3, making history at Indonesia’s Mandalika International Street Circuit.
Known for its MotoGP pedigree, the 4.3km, 17-turn venue welcomed its first international car race with a jaw-dropping spectacle that had everything from heartbreak to heroics, chaos to comeback.
First Blood: Qualifying Shakeups and Class Warfare:
History was already being written before the lights went out. Mandalika became the 12th venue to host Asia’s premier GT3 series, and it wasted no time delivering shocks.
The FAW Audi Sport Asia duo, Congfu Cheng and Kuai Yu, threw down the gauntlet, securing overall pole and leading a Silver class front-row lockout with Craft-Bamboo Racing’s Danial Frost and Jiatong Liang close behind.
Phantom Global Racing’s Anthony Liu and Dorian Boccolacci flew the Pro-Am flag in third, ready to pounce.
Further down the order, misfortune struck Earl Bamber Motorsport (EBM) hard. Pro-Am duo Adrian D’Silva and Chris van der Drift were buried deep in the pack, starting 34th after a spin from D’Silva in qualifying.
Things weren’t much better for EBM’s AM-class entry, with Setiawan Santoso and Andrew Bentley only managing 31st.
But what unfolded on race day proved that grid position is only one chapter in the story.
Race 1: A War of Attrition and Audacity:
As the green flag dropped, Cheng launched into Turn 1 like a missile, holding firm as a Silver 1-2-3 emerged at the front. The field of 34 GT3 machines thundered into the opening laps—until disaster struck.
On Lap 1, EBM’s weekend of woes deepened when Santoso suffered a catastrophic component failure, forcing a retirement. Minutes later, Silver-AM driver Yaqi Zhang lost control and slammed his Mercedes-AMG into the barriers between Turns 7 and 9, triggering the first safety car of the race.
But out of the chaos came a spark of resurgence. From the back of the grid, D’Silva began carving through the field with steely determination, gaining four spots in the opening laps and dragging the #911 Porsche up to 30th before handing over to Van Der Drift.
A puncture for WH Racing’s Hangcheng Liu caused another twist, bringing out a full-course yellow just as the pit window opened. Strategic chaos ensued as teams scrambled to time their stops.
D’Silva delayed his entry, gaining vital track position before diving in, setting up Van Der Drift for a thrilling second stint.
Van Der Drift Unleashed: From Last to Fighting Class:
Back under green with 20 minutes to go, the gloves came off.
The top six duked it out in a relentless, often three- and four-wide brawl that had fans holding their breath. Van Der Drift, now behind the wheel of the #911 EBM Porsche, was on a mission.
He scythed through traffic, dispatching Silver and Silver-AM rivals with calculated aggression—Arrow, Thong, Fong—nothing would stand in his way. The Kiwi ace powered his way up to 18th and 9th in Pro-Am, with a staggering 16 positions gained since the start.
Meanwhile, tensions flared elsewhere. Pro-Am driver Harry King drew the ire of the paddock after running wide and rejoining unsafely, punting Markus Winkelhock off the track. A post-race investigation loomed.
Final Minutes: Leaders Settle the Score:
At the sharp end, Leo Ye emerged from the pit cycle with clean air and clean hands, pulling clear of the chaos to clinch victory for Origine Motorsport with a commanding 5.194-second margin over Ralf Aron.
Dorian Boccolacci rounded out the podium, crossing the line third.
Behind them, class fights went down to the wire. Yi Deng fended off relentless pressure from Jiatong Liang to take the Silver class win and fifth overall.
Maxime Oosten dominated Silver-AM, cruising home ahead of Anders Fjordbach.
In AM, Reinhold Renger took the win for Elegant Racing Team after a gritty drive up from 33rd.
Post-Race Drama: Penalties Reshuffle the Pack:
Post-race penalties altered the final results: Harry King and Alessio Picariello were both penalized—King for the Winkelhock incident, Picariello for an infringement that dropped him from fourth to 23rd.
This reshuffled the order and handed Van Der Drift and D’Silva a well-earned boost to 16th overall, 9th in Pro-Am—a stunning recovery from last on the grid.
Yi Deng was promoted to 4th overall with the Silver class win, Oosten to 5th as top Silver-AM, and Renger to 24th as the AM class victor.
Mandalika delivered a debut to remember, blending tropical heat with intense competition. The race had it all—mechanical failures, wheel-to-wheel combat, controversial moves, and gritty comebacks.
For EBM’s D’Silva and Van Der Drift, it was a masterclass in recovery. For Leo Ye, a statement win. And for GT World Challenge Asia, a thunderous arrival on Indonesia’s motorsport stage.
The series now turns its attention to Round 4 for Race 2 of the weekend, where redemption, revenge, and more racing theatre await.
Header Image: Earl Bamber Motorsport
