Porsche takes Asian Le Mans Series victory in Dubai ahead of Abu Dhabi finale

Porsche customer team Pure Rxcing took the 2023/24 Asian Le Mans Series GT championship lead with an excellent performance at the 4 Hours of Dubai, clinching class victory. The line-up of Klaus Bachler, Joel Sturm and Alex Malykhin holds a one-point lead over their nearest rivals heading into this weekend’s season-ending double header event in Abu Dhabi.

Having qualified on the front row, the trio expertly dealt with the challenging Dubai Autodrome to take the lead, with Bachler successfully defending the position in the closing laps to secure the team’s second victory in three races, following their success at Sepang before Christmas.

Hong Kong-based racer Antares Au and the #33 Herberth Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 R had a solid weekend. Au qualified the car in 12th, and alongside Tim Heinemann and Laurin Heinrich, claimed points with a ninth-placed finish.

Meanwhile, Earl Bamber Motorsport’s Tanart Sathienthirakul, Setiawan Santoso and Bastian Buus took 12th in the #8 car, with the sister #84 machine of Earl Bamber, Adrian D’Silva and Kerong Li crossing the line 15th.

The series now moves on to Abu Dhabi and the world-famous Yas Marina Circuit. Two four-hour races will be held, one on Saturday and one on Sunday as the 2023/24 championship comes to a close.

The 5.281-kilometre layout challenges all aspect of a driver and car combination, with sweeping fast turns in the early part of the track leading to long straights and heavy braking zones. The final sector is twisty and narrow, testing a driver’s concentration as they come to the end of the lap. 

Alexandre Gibot, Managing Director Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific Ltd.: “It’s always great to see a Porsche win and this was no exception. The Pure Rxcing team and driver crew performed superbly all weekend and were excellent value for their victory and subsequent championship lead. Great job to Antares for putting in another strong showing for Herberth Motorsport to take points, and the EBM entries showed positive signs they can build on for strong results in Abu Dhabi. With two races to come at the season finale, hopefully more success is on its way!”