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.

Featured collections