GAZOO Racing GT Cup Asia 2023: Indonesia, Philippine reps advance to Global Finals

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — The GAZOO Racing (GR) GT Cup Asia 2023 played out across three heart-thumping races last September 24.

E-motorsports enthusiasts saw 15 local qualifiers—from Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand—pit their driving skills, dexterity, and wits against one another, as they battled for the regional championship title and a spot in the Global Finals.

Indonesia’s Andika Rama came out tops with a total of 65 points throughout the competition. Slow and steady won Rama the race, with the seasoned racer clocking 4th and 5th places in Race 1 and 2 before boldly claiming pole position in Race 3 by maximizing his time on track against increasingly bad weather.

The Philippines’ Luis Moreno similarly bided his time, securing 6th and 4th place in earlier races before scorching to pole position in Race 3’s qualifying round, and maintaining his podium spot in the race to come out overall second in the championship with 52 points.

Singapore’s Fadtris Isa and Malaysia’s Dhanesh Wigneswaran also performed remarkably, although several misjudgments in weather and pitting put them further down on the championship table.

“I knew that my pace in the final race was not as good as Luis and Dhanesh, so even though it started to rain, the wetness on track was low, I gambled on another two laps with hard tires while everyone went to pit. I tried to manage my pace after pitting, and it paid off,” Rama recounted elatedly.

“I’m thankful to my family, friends, and fans who are here watching me live or online at home, and of course grateful to Toyota Indonesia for supporting us all the way. I look forward to racing with Luis at the Global Finals against our Italian and Japanese peers.”

Rama and Moreno will