10th Overall Finish Keeps Malaysian Squad Firmly in GT3-AM Title Contention
France – The 12 Hours of Paul Ricard delivered everything endurance racing is known for — strategy, consistency, drama, and a cruel twist of fate in the closing stages.
For Malaysia’s Viper Niza Racing Team, the French endurance classic looked set to reward a near-flawless performance with a GT3-AM podium finish. Instead, a sequence of late-race Code 60 interruptions reshuffled the order and left the team wondering what might have been.
Despite crossing the line 10th overall and 5th in the GT3-AM class, the result still yielded valuable championship points that keep the Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO squad firmly in the hunt for the 2025 GT3-AM title with two rounds remaining.
Throughout the 12-hour contest at the 5.822km Circuit Paul Ricard, Viper Niza Racing executed one of its cleanest races of the season. Driver changes, fuel strategy, tyre management and pitstop execution all unfolded according to plan as the trio of Douglas Khoo, Dominic Ang and Melvin Moh steadily worked their way through the 32-car field.
However, endurance racing often has a way of rewriting the script.
Three separate Code 60 periods during the final 90 minutes dramatically altered the fuel calculations for several rivals. Cars that were expected to make a final fuel stop were suddenly able to pit under caution conditions, reducing the time loss and effectively overturning the strategic advantage Viper Niza Racing had built over the preceding hours.
The first interruption came with 1 hour and 20 minutes remaining when a stranded car needed recovery. A second Code 60 was triggered with 35 minutes to go following a car fire, while a final neutralisation occurred just three minutes before the chequered flag due to debris on the racing surface.
“We did not face any issues during the race. We were good to go to the chequered flag with three other cars requiring to stop for fuel but under the Code 60, they saved time and came in for unscheduled refuelling,” explained Team Principal and lead driver Douglas Khoo.
“We were just unlucky with the Code 60 in the last hour, but this is the unpredictability of endurance racing and it is what it is.”
The race eventually went to Hofor Racing after 306 laps, ahead of GetSpeed Team PCX Racing and Sainteloc Junior Team. Viper Niza Racing completed 303 laps to secure 10th overall and 5th in GT3-AM.
While a podium slipped away, the Malaysian outfit can take confidence from its pace throughout the weekend.
Starting 13th overall and 7th in GT3-AM, Dominic Ang immediately charged forward during the opening stint, climbing into the overall top ten within the first half-hour before reaching as high as sixth position before the first round of pitstops.
Khoo took over next, followed by Melvin Moh, as the team maintained a relentless rhythm through Saturday’s opening six hours. By the overnight break, Viper Niza Racing sat 10th overall and sixth in class, perfectly positioned for a Sunday charge.
That charge came early on Day Two.
Moh surged up the order during the opening stages of Sunday’s six-hour segment, running as high as third overall at one point before handing the car over. The #65 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO consistently hovered inside the overall top ten throughout the day, underlining the team’s competitiveness against some of Europe’s strongest GT3 outfits.
As the final hour approached, a class podium remained a realistic objective until the late-race caution periods ultimately reshaped the outcome.
The championship picture remains far from settled.
Having arrived at Paul Ricard tied for the GT3-AM championship lead, Viper Niza Racing now sits third overall on 80 points. Hofor Racing leads the standings with 96 points, while GetSpeed Team PCX Racing moves into second with 90 points.
“We came to Paul Ricard hopeful for a podium in the GT3-AM class but with how things unfolded over the past two days, we are still able to come away with valuable championship points,” said Khoo.
“From being joint first in the overall standings, we are now third — still very much within our original target this year. It will all depend on consistently finishing high up in the points to stay in contention with another two races to go.”
With the Paul Ricard challenge behind them, attention now shifts to one of endurance racing’s most demanding venues — the Nürburgring. The next round, the 12 Hours of Nürburgring, takes place from July 3-5 and could prove pivotal in deciding the GT3-AM championship battle.
If Paul Ricard demonstrated anything, it is that Viper Niza Racing has the pace, preparation and consistency to fight at the front. Now the team heads to Germany determined to turn that potential into another podium result and reignite its title charge.
