This year’s GR GT Cup Asia saw a change in race format where all regional finalists participated in a total of three races on Gran Turismo 7. The first race, played on Mount Panorama with GT Supra Gr.4 cars, began with a 5-minute time attack as a qualifying round to determine grid positions, followed by a 15-minute race. The second race on the Tokyo Expressway – East Clockwise track was played with Race 1’s grid positions reversed using GR Corolla cars over a 25-minute race time. The third and final race, played on the legendary Spa Francorchamps racetrack with GR010 Hybrid Hypercars, once again began with a 5-minute time attack qualifying round, before concluding with a 35-minute race amidst dynamic weather. The championship was determined from cumulative points earned through finishing positions in all three races, the first five positions in qualifying rounds, and bonus points for the fastest laps in each of the three races. At the end of the competition, the two highest scoring finalists will proceed to the Global Finals, slated for November in Barcelona, Spain.

Indonesia’s Andika Rama came out tops with a total of 65 points throughout the competition. Slow and steady won Rama the race, with the seasoned racer clocking 4th and 5th places in Race 1 and 2 before boldly claiming pole position in Race 3 by maximizing his time on track against increasingly bad weather. The Philippines’ Luis Moreno similarly bided his time, securing 6th and 4th place in earlier races before scorching to pole position in Race 3’s qualifying round, and maintaining his podium spot in the race to come out overall second in the championship with 52 points. Singapore’s Fadtris Isa and Malaysia’s Dhanesh Wigneswaran also performed remarkably, although several misjudgments in weather and pitting put them further down on the championship table.

“I knew that my pace in the final race was not as good as Luis and Dhanesh, so even though it started to rain, the wetness on track was low, I gambled on another two laps with hard tires while everyone went to pit. I tried to manage my pace after pitting, and it paid off,” Rama recounted elatedly. “I’m thankful to my family, friends, and fans who are here watching me live or online at home, and of course grateful to Toyota Indonesia for supporting us all the way. I look forward to racing with Luis at the Global Finals against our Italian and Japanese peers.”

Prizes were awarded to the top three racers (by individual cumulative points earned) and top three country teams (by total points earned per country). Andika Rama (Indonesia) earned USD 6,000 with a final tally of 65 points, Luis Moreno (Philippines) earned USD 3,000 with 52 points, while Fadtris Isa (Singapore) earned USD 1,500 with 49 points. In the team championship, Team Indonesia secured USD 6,000 with an impressive total of 122 points, Team Malaysia settled with USD 3,000 with a total of 105 points, followed closely by Team Singapore on 98 points to get the final cash prize of USD 1,500.

Aside from the revised race format keeping things fresh for spectators, the fourth season of the GR GT Cup Asia in 2023 continues to underscore Toyota’s commitment in making e-motorsports accessible across generations, by enabling racing enthusiasts from around the region to experience the thrill and joy of competitive racing. Fans and participants were also treated to a visual feast of fascinating livery designs inspired by each participating country’s national colors.