2024 Porsche Junior Alessandro Ghiretti kept up his outstanding form in his maiden Porsche Carrera Cup Asia campaign, taking two lights-to-flag victories for Team Jebsen as the series tackled Rounds 5 and 6 of the 2024 season at Chang International Circuit.

Following his dominant performance at Suzuka last month, the Frenchman came into this weekend high on confidence. Ghiretti got a perfect getaway from pole in Race 1, while Dylan Pereira (Team Shanghai Yonda BWT) and Mathys Jaubert (TORO Racing) battled behind, twice swapping positions with the Luxembourger coming out on top.

The top three pulled away, before Jaubert eventually re-passed Pereira late on to earn second. Nazim Azman (Sime Darby Racing Team) and Martin Ragginger (Porsche Holding) engaged in an exciting duel for fourth, with the Malaysian taking the position, although a time penalty, for track limits, would drop him back down to fifth in the final classification.

Four-time Pro-Am champion Bao Jinlong (Phantom Global Racing) fought through the field, completing several overtakes, including the decisive pass for victory on debutant Li Zhi Cong (Trans-China Automotive Racing), making the move stick at Turn 8 in the final few laps. The duo was joined on the podium by Yaqi Zhang (Phantom Global Racing), who clinched his second podium finish of the season.

Home hero Munkong Sathienthirakul (EBM Giga Racing) put his Buriram knowledge to excellent use to claim his maiden victory in the Am category, battling with the Pro-Am leaders and the lower end of the Pro class throughout the 30-minute race. Championship leader Eric Kwong (Bergwerk Motorsport) finished second, with Lu Zhiwei (R&B Racing) on the podium for the first time since Round 1 in Shanghai.

Ghiretti once again led away from pole position in Race 2, although this time he was more closely followed by 2022 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup champion Pereira, who made the overtake for the lead with a superb move around the outside of Turn 4. However, Ghiretti fought back and re-passed his rival less than a lap later. The Frenchman was kept under intense pressure from behind, and was allowed some breathing space under the safety car before converting the restart into the race victory. Jaubert completed the podium in third, keeping up his 100% top-three finish record this season, following a strong early move on Ragginger, who would later drop out of the race with tyre issues.

A slow start from Bao stacked the odds against him if he wanted to secure a sixth consecutive victory in 2024, although the Chinese driver took up the task, making several passes to close in on the Pro-Am leaders. On Lap 12, he went for a move on Li and was set to take the place, before contact from Zac Stichbury (Team Porsche New Zealand) sent him into a spin, allowing Li to race clear for a debut victory. Close behind, Li Xuanyu (Z.SPEED Motorsport) took second, while Li Chao (Team Betterlife) picked up third.

Sathienthirakul once again dominated the Am class, finishing an incredible eighth overall, ahead of Pro-Am winner Li and moving up to second in the class standings. Cao Qikuan (Phantom Global Racing) and Eric Kwong endured a race-long battle, exchanging positions with Cao eventually coming out on top, clinching his second podium of the season.

This weekend also saw the first event of the year for Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific’s initiative with Technology Transfer Apprenticeship Programme (TTAP), which welcomes students to work and observe various roles in race control courtesy of technical partner EKS Motorsports. The programme helps to develop young interest for mechanics and engineers of the future thanks to the partnership with PMAP which allows them to gain vital hands-on experience.

Porsche Carrera Cup Asia remains in Thailand for Rounds 7 and 8, heading to the stunning coastal Bangsaen Street Circuit on 5-7 July.

Alessandro Ghiretti, Team Jebsen: “The team did a great job this weekend, it’s not easy to prepare for two races in one day, so a huge thanks to the whole crew. It makes such a difference to have a car that is both fast and easy to drive, especially when it’s so hot like it was here! I’m really happy with my performance, Race 2 was a lot of fun, fighting for the win with Dylan and I’m looking forward to more battles. I can’t wait to get to Le Mans now for the race and to cheer on Porsche Penske Motorsport, a massive thanks to PCCA for this incredible opportunity!”

Li Zhi Cong, Trans-China Automotive Racing: “I really enjoyed being out there racing and I’m delighted to come out with a win. I think we were lucky not to get caught up in any incidents today, it wasn’t the cleanest start and then Bao was unfortunate to be spun around while we were fighting for the lead. We had some great battles, the car felt good and a big thanks to the team for welcoming me in!”

Munkong Sathienthirakul, EBM Giga Racing: “It’s an incredible feeling to take my first Porsche Carrera Cup Asia victories, particularly in my home country. Knowing the track so well definitely gave me an advantage, but we still had to work hard to win twice in one day. Bangsaen is another track I know well, so I can’t wait to get out there and hopefully take two more strong results.”

Alexandre Imperatori, Porsche Carrera Cup Asia Manager: “It was a really busy day here in Buriram with two races, but everything went smoothly and we enjoyed some great entertainment on track. Congratulations to all our winners, Alessandro showed exactly why he is the championship leader, coming out on top after a great battle with Dylan in Race 2, and we hope he enjoys his time at the 24 Hours of Le Mans! The racing in all three classes was exceptional and I’m really excited to hit the halfway mark for the 2024 season at Bangsaen in a few weeks’ time.”