Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific Selected Driver Yifei Ye put in a brilliant performance at the wheel of the #33 Herberth Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 R, claiming his first podium finish with the marque in the final race of the 2022 Asian Le Mans Series (Asian LMS) in Abu Dhabi,.

Following Porsche Driver Klaus Bachler’s sensational qualifying performance on Saturday, where he claimed pole position for the second race of the weekend, Ye took over from Hong Kong-based racer Antares Au after the first hour, and consistently recorded strong lap times, gaining positions along the way.

Austrian Bachler finished the race, making moves in the latter stages to ensure a 1-2 finish for Herberth Motorsport, with the #91 car winning both races at the Yas Marina Circuit.

The Asian LMS was Ye’s first championship in his new role, and the 21-year-old Chinese driver built on an impressive debut a week earlier in Dubai to claim his maiden podium in GT racing.

Ye’s next challenge sees him take on the European Le Mans Series alongside Swiss team COOL Racing, with the first race of the season set to take place at Circuit Paul Ricard on 15-17 April.

Yifei Ye, #33 Porsche 911 GT3 R: “It’s been a great two weeks of learning for me, so to finish the championship with this result feels brilliant. In the end we were half a second off the lead, so it could have been even more, but we are really happy to take P2. I’ve learned a lot in the past two weeks from the team and my teammates, it’s been an amazing experience and will help me going forwards in both GT and prototype cars. Thanks to the support from Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific, I’ve enjoyed this new challenge and it’s the perfect end to have a trophy in the final race. I’ve become more confident and comfortable on track, today I did one and a half stints and I felt really good in the car, making some important moves to help the team. We had great strategy and Klaus finished it off, so we can all go home happy.”

Antares Au, #33 Porsche 911 GT3 R: “We’ve had a long journey over the last two weeks, but right now it feels superb. I’m very tired but really happy with our performance today. We gave everything over the season, we had plenty of ups and downs but to have the result today was amazing. We were capable of going one better and taking P1 but at the end of the day it’s important to recognise the progress we’ve made. It’s great for to drive alongside Klaus and Yifei. I raced with Klaus last year and I always learn so much from him. Yifei is a very talented young driver and I really enjoyed working together, he’s got a big future ahead of him.”

Klaus Bachler, #33 Porsche 911 GT3 R: “It was a crazy race today and we fully deserved to finish on the podium. The team gave everything for us, the car felt great and the strategy was incredible. It’s a really good way to end the championship, we had some difficult moments, but this is the perfect reward for the team after all their hard work and late nights. Thanks to Herberth Motorsport and to Antares and Yifei, both did a great job today.”

Sascha Maassen, Porsche Junior Coach: “In two weeks we had an intense schedule of four races, but Yifei handled it well and developed a lot in the car. The whole team had a strong race today, they kept it clean, which is the most important thing in motorsport. I was impressed with Yifei, it’s his first championship in the Porsche 911 GT3 R so I’m very happy with his progress.”

Alexandre Gibot, Managing Director Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific: “What a brilliant end to the championship! We knew it would be a challenge for Yifei, but he put his head down and worked really hard, so it’s great for him to finish with a strong result. His performances across both weekends have been fantastic, so we’re very happy with his development. We’re now looking forward to his prototype campaign in the European Le Mans Series and we wish him all the best for the season.”