KUALA LUMPUR: Represented by Sime Darby Auto Performance, Porsche Malaysia has unveiled the Sime Darby Racing Team which will make its debut at the upcoming 2023 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia (PCCA) at the Sepang International Circuit.
The team is in partnership with Earl Bamber Motorsport (EBM) and features young Malaysian race driver Nazim Azman at the wheel.
(From left) Gibot, Nazim and Hunter with the 911 GT3 race car.
The team is built by double PCCA champion Earl Bamber, a renowned name in global motorsports who is also an accomplished Porsche Works driver and two-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner.
It will compete in the PCCA PRO category with the latest 992-generation 911 GT3 Cup car wearing a red batik-inspired livery.
The 2023 one-make race calendar starts in Malaysia at the end of the month and will continue through Korea, Japan, Thailand and Singapore before finishing up at Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific’s home base in Shanghai, China.
The 20th Porsche Carrera Cup Asia season spans the continent once again in 2023, after two seasons of being confined to China.
At the introduction of the team, Sime Darby Auto Performance chief executive officer Christopher Hunter said the company's participation in Porsche Carrera Cup Asia this year underlined its long-standing commitment to Porsche’s motorsport DNA.
“Porsche Malaysia has been at the forefront in customer track driving programmes, and we have had a long history with Earl Bamber Motorsport on track. We are confident about our performance in the upcoming season together with our strong partners, Earl Bamber Motorsport and Nazim,” he said.
Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific managing director Alexandre Gibot said they are excited to bring passionate Porsche race drivers from different regions together for the new season of Porsche Carrera Cup Asia.
“It is truly exciting to see a Malaysia race team represented by Porsche Malaysia as part of this season’s race. We are pleased to have Nazim Azman as part of the PCCA Talent Pool development programme, and we look forward to his training with Porsche racing champions as he embarks on his racing journey,” he said.
Nazim, a former FIA Formula 3 race driver, said it was his first time racing a GT car for a full season and believed this opportunity would widen his horizons and experiences in GT racing.
Nazim also said he had previously raced in single-seaters and hoped to secure a few podium wins this time in a GT car.
