Sepang, Malaysia – 6 December 2025:
China’s Origine Motorsport emerged as the surprise overall winner of the inaugural Michelin 12H MALAYSIA at PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit on Saturday night, after a dramatic post-race twist saw Herberth Motorsport handed a four-lap penalty in the closing minutes.
Herberth’s Robert Renauer had taken the chequered flag first in the No.91 Porsche 911 GT3 R (992), but moments earlier the timing screens lit up with a penalty for failing to meet minimum drive-time requirements for amateur drivers Ralf Bohn and Constantin Dressler. The infraction dropped the German squad down the order and handed Origine Motorsport a remarkable victory.
The quartet of Bo Yuan, Ye Hongli, Lu Wei and Liu Hangcheng not only secured the overall win but also topped the GT3-AM class in Round 1 of the 2025/2026 Michelin 24H SERIES Middle East Trophy. They finished just over half a minute ahead of the Absolute Racing Porsche shared by Antares Au, Loek Hartog and Patric Niederhauser.
“It’s very lucky to be honest,” said Bo Yuan. “We finished second on track, but the team worked so hard for this result. Everyone trained and pushed with everything they had.”
Lu Wei added: “My teammates did a great job. Bob [Yuan] drove four stints, I only drove two. We didn’t even tell Leo [Ye Hongli] we had won until he crossed the line!”
Continental Racing Shines From Pitlane Start
A fairytale result unfolded for Continental Racing by Simpson Motorsport, whose No.69 Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVO II stormed to third overall after starting from the pitlane due to a gearbox change that forced them to miss qualifying. Drivers Vasily Vladykin, Alexander Bukhantsov, Damian Ciosek and James Winslow fought through the field with disciplined pace and strategy.
Herberth Motorsport ultimately finished fourth overall, but still claimed victory in the GT3 PRO-AM category with the line-up of Alfred & Robert Renauer, Bohn, and Dressler.
992 Category: Red Camel-Jordans.nl Prevails After Mühlner’s Heartbreak
The 992 class saw an initially tight battle between Red Camel-Jordans.nl and Mühlner Motorsport, with Rik Breukers leading early but chased closely by Mühlner’s Paul Meijer.
Mühlner briefly took control after Valters Zviedris overtook Adrian Flack into Turn 1 on lap 43. But disaster struck before Hour 4 when the No.921 Porsche suffered a driveshaft failure, costing the team nearly 20 laps and ending their victory hopes.
Red Camel-Jordans.nl — Luc, Rik and Ivo Breukers plus Flack — managed a troubled but ultimately successful run to win the class despite multiple front-splitter replacements.
Modena Motorsports claimed the 992-AM victory and finished second in class overall with Benny Simonsen, Francis Tjia, John Shen and Christian Chia, followed by 610 Racing in third.
GT4, GTX and TCE-TCX: Cerny, Vortex and asBest Claim Class Honours
GT4
After an all-night repair effort following a practice crash, Cerny Motorsport’s BMW M4 GT4 overcame a mid-race wheel bearing failure and limp-mode scare. Fast repairs allowed Bryce Fullwood, Spencer Propper, Alec Udell and Damien John Hamilton to storm back and win the GT4 category.
TCE-TCX
asBest Racing delivered a near-flawless run in the No.102 Cupra TCR DSG, undergoing only a late brake change to secure victory with drivers Pia Ohlsson, Lutz Obermann, Junichi Umemoto and Sebastian Schemmann.
GTX
The Vortex 2.0 effort suffered a difficult race, stopping early on with clutch and gearbox issues. Despite determined repairs from the team of Lionel Amrouche, Philippe Bonnel and Victor Moutinho, the car remained in the pits when the flag fell, though still classified as GTX class winner.
GT3 Race Recap: Porsche Dominance and Late-Race Tension
Pole-sitter Tanart Sathienthirakul (Climax Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO) made a strong start, but it was Absolute Racing’s Loek Hartog who surged into the lead with a clean move through Turns 1 and 2.
Herberth Motorsport, starting from the back after electrical problems in qualifying, climbed through the field quickly, with Robert Renauer reaching the podium within 30 minutes.
As strategies diverged, Porsche teams took command of the race, with Absolute Racing, Herberth, and Origine trading the lead throughout mid-distance. Meanwhile, Continental Racing’s Audi quietly climbed into contention, showcasing strong tyre management on Sepang’s notoriously low-grip surface.
The final pit stop sequence saw:
- Origine pit with 80 minutes remaining
- Absolute stop 10 minutes later
- Herberth make their final stop inside the last hour, emerging 46 seconds ahead
Herberth appeared on course for victory — until the late penalty dramatically reshaped the result, handing Origine Motorsport a historic win in only the second-ever race for their Porsche 911 GT3 R (992).
Next Round
The 2025/2026 Michelin 24H SERIES Middle East Trophy continues with the Michelin 6H Abu Dhabi at Yas Marina Circuit on 9–10 January.
