Audi Sport Asia takes double overall race win

Audi Sport Asia secured a double overall victory at the fourth round of the GT World Challenge Asia powered by AWS at Japan’s Okayama International Circuit. FAW Audi Sport Asia Team Phantom’s Cheng Congfu and Yu Kuai claimed victory in the opening race, while Pro-Am pairing Andrés Pato and Jaxon Evans delivered a spectacular overall win in race two aboard the sister Audi R8 LMS GT3 evo II, starting from pole after an all-Audi front-row lock-out.

Cheng and Yu were in excellent form throughout the weekend and began race one from the front row. Despite constantly changing track conditions, the agility of the Audi R8 LMS GT3 evo II was ideally suited to Okayama’s technical 3.703-kilometre layout. FAW Audi Sport Asia Team Phantom’s choice to remain on slick tyres during the driver change proved decisive, with Yu Kuai taking over at the head of the field and going on to secure a commanding overall victory.

The 33-lap opening race also featured an impressive recovery from Jaxon Evans. Following a strong opening stint from Pro-Am team-mate Andrés Pato, the team opted for wet-weather tyres midway through the race. When the weather suddenly cleared, Evans was called back into the pits during a Full Course Yellow period to switch back to slicks, losing three positions in the process.

During the remaining 20 minutes, Evans produced a rapid comeback, gaining six places to move into the overall top nine. The pair ultimately finished just short of a Pro-Am podium.

Race two saw Evans and Pato make history for Audi Sport Asia with a second successive overall victory. The pair led all 37 laps, with Pato holding off relentless pressure and the added challenge of rain arriving late in the race to take the chequered flag first. Cheng and Yu, meanwhile, overcame a substantial 26-second success penalty to finish eighth overall and claim second place on the GT3 Silver podium.

The outstanding results keep Cheng and Yu firmly in the fight for the overall GT3 Drivers’ title. They are now only 23 points away from the championship lead and have returned to the top of the Silver standings with a 13-point advantage. Pato and Evans currently sit sixth in the overall standings and fifth in the Pro-Am championship with two rounds remaining. Audi Sport Asia Team Phantom therefore remains in contention for the 2026 GT3 Drivers’, Teams’, Silver and China Cup titles.

Race 1

In hot and humid conditions, Cheng Congfu made a strong launch from the front row, avoiding early contact while negotiating a chaotic opening lap. The FAW Audi Sport Asia Team Phantom driver resisted repeated attacks during the opening laps and had opened a lead of more than two seconds when light rain began to fall at Okayama.

Andrés Pato had initially lost one position from the team’s P13 starting position, but quickly recovered two places. As the rain dramatically reduced grip levels, two cars ended up in the barriers and the race was placed under Full Course Yellow conditions.

The pit window opened and closed under FCY, leaving teams to gamble between wet-weather tyres and slicks as the weather remained uncertain. When Cheng brought the FAW Audi Sport Asia Team Phantom Audi R8 LMS GT3 evo II into the pits in second overall, the team chose slick tyres for Yu Kuai’s stint.

The rapidly changing weather meant Yu emerged from the pits in the race lead. The sister car had initially opted for wets, but it soon became clear that the shower had passed. Audi Sport Asia immediately recalled Jaxon Evans to change back to slick tyres. The lost time dropped Evans to 15th overall and seventh among the Pro-Am runners as the field prepared for the restart behind the safety car.

Yu handled the restart perfectly, immediately creating a gap to his Silver-class rival before charging towards the chequered flag. He also set the fastest lap of the race on his way to his second career Okayama victory with Audi Sport Asia.

Once the track returned to green-flag racing, Evans launched a determined attack through the field. He climbed from 15th to ninth overall during the remaining 20 minutes. Despite another spell of rain in the closing stages increasing the difficulty, the New Zealand driver maintained his focus to bring the Audi into the overall points, narrowly missing out on a Pro-Am podium.

Cheng and Yu took the victory at the flag, securing their second overall win of the season as a pairing. The result returned them to the top of the Silver championship standings and lifted them to third in the GT3 Drivers’ standings, just nine points behind the leader. Pato and Evans also moved up one position to fifth in the Pro-Am standings.

Race 2

Jaxon Evans made his intentions clear from pole position in race two, making a strong getaway and immediately establishing himself at the front. Yu Kuai initially followed Evans in second before losing one place during the early battles.

Several incidents on the opening lap resulted in a Full Course Yellow while debris was cleared from the track. Evans again made a quick getaway at the restart, while Yu dropped to fifth amid the ensuing action.

Evans continued to set a blistering pace as he looked to maximise his advantage before the driver change. He also set the fastest lap of the race before diving into the pits to hand the Audi over to team-mate Andrés Pato. At that point, Jaxon had built an advantage of more than 2.5 seconds.

Yu was meanwhile fighting for fourth overall at the halfway point after previously leading the Silver class. However, the additional 26 seconds of success penalties resulting from the team’s race-one overall and Silver-class victories meant that Cheng Congfu would have a major challenge during his stint.

As Pato returned to the race lead, Cheng took over from P11 and immediately began attacking. A perfectly timed move down the inside put Cheng into the overall top ten and the points, after which he began closing the five-second gap to the next car ahead.

At the front, Pato remained intensely focused on keeping his pursuer behind. He worked his way through traffic while maintaining his advantage, but the pressure increased as the minutes counted down. Rain beginning to appear on the windscreen added further drama to the closing stages.

As Pato entered the final lap, his rival made one final attempt to take the victory. The two cars made contact during the final metres before the chequered flag, but Pato held firm. He pushed the Audi R8 LMS GT3 evo II across the line to give Audi Sport Asia its second consecutive GT World Challenge Asia victory, winning by only 0.089 seconds.

Cheng also enjoyed a dramatic finish to race two, gaining two positions during the final minutes to cross the line eighth overall and take second place in the Silver class. Considering the handicap created by the heavy success penalties, it was a strong result.

GT World Challenge Asia powered by AWS – Round 4 Results

Race 1

1. Cheng Congfu / Yu Kuai / Silver / FAW Audi Sport Asia Team Phantom
2. Jaxon Evans / Andrés Pato / Pro-Am / Audi Sport Asia Team Phantom

Race 2

1. Jaxon Evans / Andrés Pato / Pro-Am / Audi Sport Asia Team Phantom
2. Cheng Congfu / Yu Kuai / Silver / FAW Audi Sport Asia Team Phantom