The Asian Le Mans Series didn't just return to Malaysia for its 2025/26 season opener; it practically flooded the place. Held December 12–14 at the Sepang International Circuit, this double-header kicked off with a record-breaking 48-car grid, the largest in series history. With the debut of the Gen 3 LMP3 machinery and Le Mans invitations on the line, the paddock buzzed with the kind of nervous energy usually reserved for a season finale, not a curtain-raiser.

Expectations vs. Reality

Everyone expected the usual Sepang scorcher: 90% humidity, track temps cooking the Michelins, and LMP2s slicing through a dense thicket of GT3s. The technical talk focused on how the new LMP3 aero packages would handle the "dirty air" in such a congested field and whether the GT teams could keep their thermal windows open long enough to double-stint tires.

While Saturday started dry, the weekend quickly dissolved into a chaotic mix of tropical storms, Safety Cars, and race-ending red flags. Instead of managing heat, teams were managing hydroplaning. The sheer volume of incidents, including a controversial last-lap collision in GT during Race 1, shredded the "clean endurance race" script. It wasn't a test of pure pace; it was a survival test of who could tiptoe through standing water without binning it.

Race 1 was a thriller. In GT, the #10 Manthey Porsche crossed the line first after a muscular last-corner move on the #9 GetSpeed Mercedes-AMG, only to be stripped of the win post-race for the contact; handing victory to GetSpeed. Meanwhile, Cetilar Racing's #47 LMP2 kept its nose clean to take the overall win.

Sunday's Race 2 was even more dramatic, ultimately cut short by a deluge with 13 minutes remaining. Cetilar Racing proved their Saturday form wasn't a fluke, mastering the wet-dry-wet conditions to complete a weekend sweep. The real shocker came from Kessel Racing in GT; starting 15th, they gambled correctly on tires and sliced through the field to take a massive win when the red flag finally fell.

All in all, early expectations of a hot, rhythmic endurance test were washed away by a chaotic, rain-shortened sprint where strategy trumped speed.

Box Score:

  • LMP2: Cetilar Racing (#47) swept the weekend (Race 1 & 2 wins)
  • GT Race 1: GetSpeed (#9) (Promoted to P1 after Manthey penalty).
  • GT Race 2: Kessel Racing (#74) (Won from P15 on grid).
  • LMP3: A chaotic debut for the Gen 3 cars saw CLX Motorsport claim top honors in a class defined by high attrition.

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Wessen Char is UPPF’s petrolhead who still mourns the loss of Saab (and drove her 9-5 NG till 2025). She travels between US and Europe to cover auto events. She acknowledges the chic tech of EVs but wonders if the inexorable move to everything digital is ultimately all-better. Analogue had more soul somehow :)

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