Following a second consecutive year of supporting the Chinese Grand Prix, Porsche Carrera Cup Asia is all set for a first trip to Mobility Resort Motegi this weekend for Rounds 3 and 4 of the 2025 season.

A dramatic opening event in Shanghai saw Porsche Carrera Cup Asia Talent Pool Presented by Michelin member Enzo Trulli (TORO Racing) and Team Shanghai Yonda BWT’s Dylan Pereira take overall race victories, with the latter heading to Japan leading the championship.

Team Porsche New Zealand’s Brock Gilchrist enjoyed two trips to the podium during the season opener, but will unfortunately miss the visit to Motegi due to having surgery after a bout of appendicitis. Amer Harris Jefry (Z.SPEED Motorsport) and Rodrigo Dias Almeida (Team Jebsen) both also picked up silverware at the Shanghai International Circuit.

In the Pro-Am category, TORO Racing’s Eric Zang and debutant Wang Zhongwei (Origine Motorsport) took a win apiece in the opening two races, while reigning Pro-Am champion Bao Jinlong (BWT Phantom Global Racing) will be looking to get back to winning ways.

Francis Tjia (OpenRoad Racing) and Z.SPEED Motorsport’s Li Xuanyu also showed strong pace throughout the event to claim a top three finish each, with both aiming to build on their solid performances this weekend.

Last year’s Am-class runner-up Munkong Sathienthirakul (EBM) made the perfect start to his 2025 campaign as he secured victory in both races, showing excellent pace to beat 2024 champion Eric Kwong (Bergwerk Motorsport), who joined the Thai driver on the podium on both occasions.

A tight and competitive title battle could be on the cards again with Hu Bo (610 Racing) and Yan Chuang (Phantom Global Racing) both picking up podiums in Shanghai. The Am-category looks like it will continue to provide top quality racing again throughout 2025.

The brand-new Masters class saw Adrian D’Silva (EBM) take double victory as the category for drivers over 50 got underway, with John Shen (Modena Motorsports) and OpenRoad Racing’s Christian Chia aiming for victory after both claimed a pair of top three finishes in Shanghai.

Hendrik Jaya Soewatdy returns to the championship to replace Eric Zang for TORO Racing for the Motegi event, while Xu Zhefeng steps into the #610 610 Racing in place of Li Zhicong. Finally, Wu Jiaxin comes in for Wang Zhongwei in the #222 Origine Motorsport car.

Mobility Resort Motegi is the first of two brand-new venues for the series this season, with the championship also set to visit Mandalika International Circuit later in the year. The championship has been travelling to Japan since 2014, and Motegi will be the third track visited in Japan, joining Suzuka and Fuji Speedway.

The venue will challenge the field, with the majority having never driven around Motegi. 19-year-old Italian racer Trulli is one of the very few to have previously experienced the track, picking up a pair of top-six finishes during his 2023 Super Formula Lights campaign.

A brilliant atmosphere is expected this weekend, with Super Formula also in attendance. Japan’s leading single-seater championship always brings a large audience of dedicated fans at what promises to be an action-packed event.

The 4.8-kilometre heavy braking-focused track is designed to challenge the drivers with long looping corners, two tunnels and several elevation changes, as overtaking opportunities are likely to appear into Turns 1 and 11.

Track action gets underway with practice on Friday, before qualifying begins at 08:20 local time on Saturday. Race 1 starts later that day at 12:45 and lights out for the second event is at 10:30 on Sunday, with races being streamed on the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia website.

Enzo Trulli, TORO Racing: “I’m pleased to have taken pole position and a win during my first ever Porsche Carrera Cup Asia weekend and it was great to fight with an experienced driver like Dylan. I’m continuing to learn more about the car and the championship every time I’m out on track. The battle at the front of the field is extremely close this season so I know how important it is to work closely with the team, as the smallest details will count massively. I’ve driven at Motegi in Super Formula Lights which will help me a bit this weekend, but my sole focus will be continuing to find the limit of the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.”

Li Xuanyu, Z.SPEED Motorsport: “I’m happy to have picked up a couple of Pro-Am podiums last time out in Shanghai, but I know there are still some factors I can improve on such as my qualifying. It’s exciting to be heading to a new track this weekend and we know how crucial the practice sessions will be to find the correct set up. My goal for this event is to be more consistent in qualifying and I’m sure that this will lead to even better results.”

Eric Kwong, Bergwerk Motorsport: “The opening round was tricky even though I took a podium, as I made a couple of mistakes in qualifying which cost me, but I’m confident that I’ll learn from this going forward this season. Motegi is a new track for lots of us and I’m excited to drive at such a world-famous venue. It will be important to get up to speed quickly and I’m aiming for the Am-class win this weekend.”

Christian Chia, OpenRoad Racing: “The Masters class is a brilliant opportunity to continue racing hard alongside fellow experienced drivers who share the same passion for motorsport. The fire to compete is very much still alive and I’m aiming to continue this podium scoring streak this weekend. Motegi will be a great test, and I’m looking forward to contributing to what promises to be another incredible year for the series.”

Alexandre Imperatori, Porsche Carrera Cup Asia Manager: “After an excellent and dramatic opening round in support of the Chinese Grand Prix, we’re delighted to be heading off to Mobility Resort Motegi for the first time! It’s a testament to the championship’s commitment to continue innovating as we visit the first of two new tracks this season. The series has been coming to Japan since 2014 so we can’t wait to get to Motegi, especially with Super Formula in attendance, adding to the great atmosphere that will be around throughout the event. Having driven here myself, it’s a circuit that demands heavy braking, which will challenge our drivers, considering the fact that the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup does not have ABS assistance. Additionally, we would like to send our best wishes to Brock after having surgery and we look forward to welcoming him back in Sepang. I’m sure we’ll see some brilliant on-track action like in Shanghai and I can’t wait for the cars to hit the track!”