The 26-year old will be fielding the #17 Sime Motors-liveried Porsche 911 GT3 Cup in this upcoming season.
Porsche Malaysia has recently reaffirmed its commitment to motorsport and local talent development with the announcement that Malaysian driver Naquib Azlan will compete in the 2026 season of the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia under Team Porsche Malaysia. Fielded by Sime Darby Auto Performance in collaboration with Earl Bamber Motorsport and Axle Motorsports, the 26-year-old will contest the full championship in the PRO category, marking a significant milestone for both the driver and the Stuttgart Stallion’s ever-growing motorsport presence in Malaysia.
Representing the local arm of the German sports car brand, Sime Darby Auto Performance continues to reinforce its strategy of nurturing Malaysian racing talent through structured programmes that bridge the gap between esports and professional motorsport. The initiative reflects the brand’s broader philosophy that motorsport remains central to Porsche’s identity, shaped by more than 75 years of global racing heritage.
According to Christopher Hunter, Chief Executive Officer of Sime Darby Auto Performance, the brand remains committed to creating meaningful platforms for aspiring drivers to pursue their ambitions, whether their journey begins on a virtual circuit or a physical racetrack. The remark is particularly fitting in Naquib’s case, given that his own path to the grid began in competitive sim racing before culminating in a full-season campaign in one of Asia’s most competitive one-make championships.
Naquib’s journey into racing began relatively recently in 2020 through competitive sim racing. Developing his racecraft and technical understanding in the virtual environment, he quickly established himself as a standout performer before transitioning to on-track competition. His breakthrough moment came in 2025 when he emerged champion in the Driven Dreamers category at the inaugural Porsche Esports Sprint Challenge Malaysia.
That victory earned him a place in the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia Talent Pool Programme, a development initiative designed to identify promising drivers across the region and support them through professional coaching, performance training camps and structured driver development. Through this programme, Naquib secured the opportunity to step into the highly competitive world of GT racing with a full-season entry in the Carrera Cup Asia championship.
For the 2026 campaign, Team Porsche Malaysia will field the latest 911 GT3 Cup (992.2) race car, finished in a distinctive blue livery accented with orange highlights inspired by the Sime Motors brand colours. The car will also feature a graphic of the planned Porsche Experience Centre Singapore on its roof, referencing the upcoming facility that is expected to open in 2027 as the first Porsche Experience Centre in Southeast Asia and the 11th globally. Naquib will compete throughout the season using car number 17.
Preparations for the season have already begun strongly, with Naquib setting the overall fastest lap during the official test at Zhuhai International Circuit with a time of 1:35.391. The championship itself kicks off in Shanghai on 14–15 March before visiting several major circuits across the region, including a highly anticipated return to Sepang International Circuit later in the season for rounds nine to eleven.
