From 15-17 September, the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia 2023 season will make its long-awaited return to Marina Bay Street Circuit for the Singapore Grand Prix. With just four races left in the season, and a tight battle for the overall championship, the Singapore stop is sure to be a decisive one.

Asia’s most prestigious motorsport event

The first ever Singapore Grand Prix was held all the way back in 1966. Having been discontinued in 1973, Singapore didn’t see another Grand Prix until 35 years later in 2008, where the Grand Prix returned on the brand new Marina Bay Street Circuit. The Porsche Carrera Cup Asia made its first debut in Singapore as a support race for the inaugural 2008 Marina Bay Street Circuit event, and the series returned every year but one until the pandemic hit in 2020 causing the global cessation of all motorsport activities. The last time the series visited Singapore was in 2019 when the 18-year-old Daniel Lu Wenlong became the youngest ever Carrera Cup Asia race winner in Race 1, and eventual season-champion Philip Hamprecht took home the victory in Race 2. With 19 turns and several fast straights this year, Marina Bay Street Circuit passes by some of Singapore’s most famous landmarks and even passes beneath one of the spectator grandstands.

Significant shift in season points table following Sepang

Rounds 9 and 10 at Sepang International Circuit saw the championship blown wide open as former three-time Carrera Cup Asia champion Team Shanghai Yonda’s Chris van der Drift finally found his footing after half-a-season waiting in the wings and took home a double victory, catapulting him into second place in the season points table. With Meidong Racing’s Florian Latorre still topping the table, and TORO Racing’s Luo Kailuo in third, van der Drift is now wedged in between the two rivals, four points ahead of Luo Kailuo and 15 points behind Latorre.

Zheng Tong Auto’s Bao Jinlong is still dominating the Pro-Am category. Having already won a total of six races, and having come second in three races, Bao Jinlong is currently 26 points ahead of his nearest rival Porsche Beijing Central & Goldenport’s Zhou Bihuang, who himself is a daunting 54 points ahead of TORO Racing’s Eric Zang in third place. With the final two stops and four races of the season being in Singapore and Shanghai – both circuits being very familiar to Bao Jinlong – it begins to seem an almost certainty that the Chinese driver will add a fourth Carrera Cup Asia Pro-Am championship to his glittering career record. However, with just over 100 points still remaining in the season, there is still plenty of scope for late comebacks and unexpected winners to emerge.

The Am category is also being dominated by a single name this year. Having made his debut this season, BD Group’s Yang Ruoyu has a hefty 54-point lead over R&B Racing’s Wu Jiaxin in second place, with Z.SPEED Motorsport’s Li Xuanyu in third place with a gap of only 6 points. Besides two DNF results, Yang Ruoyu has seen a podium in every race, and has taken home five outright wins already this season.

The tightest clash of the season however can be found in the Porsche Dealer Trophy. Meidong Racing is still sitting pretty at the top of the table, with Latorre’s steady performance throughout the season keeping them in first. Thanks to van der Drift’s stunning performance in Sepang, Team Shanghai Yonda is now in second, and TORO Racing is in third. A mere 5 points separates the top three teams, meaning that this order will likely change every single race until the finale, promising a nail-biting finish for the Porsche Dealer Trophy.

Thrilling 2024 season calendar announced

The 2024 season kicks off at Porsche China’s home track, Shanghai International Circuit, as a support race for the long-awaited return of the China Grand Prix. Next up, the series heads to Suzuka Circuit for the third time in series history, before spending the next two stops in Thailand at Chang International Circuit and then at the always-exciting Bangsaen Street Circuit. The series stays in South East Asia for the next two stops, with a trip to Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit and then a return to Marina Bay for the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix. The season wraps up back home in Shanghai with a final set of races on Shanghai International Circuit before crowning the season champions. Seven stops, two F1 support races, and the finest competitors in Asia make it certain that the Carrera Cup Asia 2024 will be another unmissable season of premium motorsport.

Top motorsport talents emerge in the Carrera Cup Asia Talent Pool

Porsche maintains a keen global interest in nurturing and developing new talents. The Porsche Carrera Cup Asia Talent Pool is a long-running programme which has typically been available to drivers under the age of 26. In 2021, former Porsche China Junior Daniel Lu Wenlong became the youngest ever Porsche Carrera Cup Asia season champion, further proving the success of the Talent Pool programme.

The Talent Pool returns in 2024, with the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia Talent Pool Assessment being held at Sepang International Circuit from 5-7 December, 2023. The three-day programme consists of a series of on- and off-the-track sessions and includes complimentary accommodation. The Talent Pool is open to all drivers born after 28 February 1998, who must be a current FIA International Competition (C) licence holder, and must have at least 1-2 years GT racing experience or be currently in Formula racing. Entrants will need to apply by 13 October, 2023 to be in with a chance of being selected, with the full list of entrants being announced on 20 October, and the final Talent Pool line-up being announced by March 2024. Contact mailto:pcca@topspeed.com to register for entry.