Nazim Azman will take on a new motorsport challenge this season, after inking a deal to contest the 2023 Porsche Carrera Cup series with Porsche Malaysia and the Sime Darby Racing Team.

The 21-year-old Malaysian will be making his first serious foray into GT racing, having focused primarily on single-seaters to this point in his career, reaching the heights of the FIA F3 Championship in 2022. With the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia (PCCA) emerging from COVID-induced confinement to Chinese race circuits and returning to its pan-Asian roots for 2023, the decision to switch to sportscars, and head up a new team in Sime Darby Racing, come at the perfect time for the ambitious youngster, who proved to be a racewinner in both British and EuroFormula Open F3.

“It is my pleasure to partner with Porsche Malaysia and Earl Bamber Motorsport to represent the Sime Darby Racing Team in the 2023 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia," Nazim said. "I started in professional karting at an early age and had the opportunity to race in the FIA F3 single-seater series, but it has been a dream to pursue opportunities in GT racing and I was exploring the possibility of racing in Europe before Sime Darby Auto Performance (SDAP) revealed their plan to join PCCA and the PCCA Talent Pool Programme. I feel that this is a great opportunity and stepping stone for me to enter the world of international motor racing under the Porsche umbrella and I could not be more excited."

The Sime Darby Racing Team will also make its PCCA debut this season, operating in partnership with Earl Bamber Motorsport (EBM), the inspiration of double PCCA champion, two-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner and Porsche works driver Earl Bamber. EBM will lend technical support to the Sime Darby Racing Team throughout the 2023 PCCA season, as the one-make series adopts the seventh-generation GT3 Cup race car based on the 992-generation 911. The Sime Darby Racing Team entry will race with a batik-inspired livery to highlight its Malaysian origins, carrying the colours from home soil across five further rounds en route to the season finale at Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific’s home base in Shanghai, China.

"My first time racing a GT car for a full season should broaden my horizons and experiences, and I’d like to thank the team for their support in giving me this opportunity," Nazim, who finished third overall in the recent Sepang 12 Hour race, added. "With the support of EBM, I aim to be as competitive as possible this season. There are many strong contenders and seasoned drivers in the PRO category, and I’m looking forward to both competing with and learning from them."

Nazim remains a part of the Peak Performance Management stable and will continue to receive specialist guidance and training advice as his career takes the turn into GT competition.

"Nazim has long been a part of the PPM family, so it is great to continue to support him on his journey into sportscar racing," PPM director Matt Parry commented. "He has already he has shown potential with his result in the Sepang 12 Hours earlier this year, and we are looking forward to seeing him carry that momentum into the PCCA Championship."

The 2023 PCCA schedule kicks off with the opening two rounds of the championship at Sepang, in Malaysia, over the weekend of 28-30 April.