2026-11-10
China GT 2026 Round 5 — Sepang Race Report (Season Finale)
Team SX83 signed off the 2026 Xiaomi China GT Championship with two second places from three races at the Sepang season finale. After fourth in Saturday's opener, Su Yen-Ming and Jackson Chuang brought the #26 Audi R8 LMS Evo II home second in the GT3 AM class in both of Sunday's races, the last of them on a wet track as the Malaysian rain rolled in.Setting the Scene: A Tropical FinaleFor only the second time in its history, China GT left home soil, and it chose one of Asia's toughest venues to crown its 2026 champions. The 5.543 km Sepang International Circuit, with its two long straights, heavy braking zones and fast sweepers, hosted Round 5 on 7–8 November.The format made it a marathon. Because the typhoon-hit Zhuhai round had lost a race in July, the GT3 class ran three races in Malaysia instead of the usual two: Race 1 on Saturday, then Race 2 at 10:50 and Race 3 at 16:35 on Sunday.Sepang in November is never just hot. Saturday peaked around 33°C with heavy humidity, and Malaysia had thunderstorm warnings out for Selangor through the weekend. That evening, rain at Turns 4 and 6 and a damaged tyre barrier stopped the GTC/GTS night race for good. On Sunday, the rain returned for the final GT3 race, which started behind the safety car on a wet track.It also made for a spectacular stage. Sepang's signature leaf-canopy grandstands, the lush tropical greenery and palm plantations that ring the circuit, and towering monsoon clouds building over the back straight gave every lap a striking backdrop. As the rain eased late on Sunday, the final laps of the season ran under a golden Malaysian sunset, a fitting picture to close the year.For Team SX83, Su Yen-Ming and Jackson Chuang again shared the #26 Audi R8 LMS Evo II in the GT3 AM class, arriving on the back of a win and a second place in Shanghai.Race by RaceRaceDayConditions#26 AM class resultOverall winnerRace 1Sat 7 NovHot, humid, dryP4#96 Winhere Origine PorscheRace 2Sun 8 Nov, 10:50Dry morning heatP2#66 Phantom Global PorscheRace 3Sun 8 Nov, 16:35Wet, safety-car startP2#96 Winhere Origine PorscheRace 1: Finding the RhythmSaturday's opener ran in sapping heat and humidity, with Winhere Origine's #96 Porsche taking the overall win. Su and Chuang kept the #26 Audi clean and brought it home fourth in the AM class, just off the podium. It was a solid baseline and a clear read on where the car needed to be for Sunday's double.Race 2: Back on the PodiumSunday morning's race was the busiest of the weekend up front, with the championship being settled around the field. Su and Chuang built on Saturday's baseline and took the chequered flag second in the AM class. It put Team SX83 back on the Sepang podium.Race 3: Second Again, in the RainThe last race of the 2026 season, and of the weekend, arrived with the rain. The start was given behind the safety car on a wet track, and from there it was about control rather than outright speed: managing grip and staying out of trouble in changing conditions. The #26 crew did exactly that, finishing second in the AM class again to sign off the season with back-to-back podiums.Team PerspectiveThree races in two days, in heat that punishes tyres, brakes and drivers alike, left no room for wasted laps. The #26 crew turned the car around between Saturday evening and Sunday morning, then again between Sunday's two races, and the Audi finished every race. Ending the year with two second places, one of them in the wet, is exactly the kind of consistency the team set out to build in 2026.Our thanks go to Jimmy and Jackson, to every mechanic and engineer who worked through the Sepang heat, and to our partners and fans who followed us from Taiwan and across Asia.Season in ReviewThe 2026 season started with heartbreak and finished with silverware. In April at Shanghai, the pair were leading the AM class when an electronic failure after the pit stop ended their race. Ningbo answered with a double podium, Zhuhai brought the season's first win after a brave wet-tyre call under the red flag, and the return to Shanghai in September delivered a second and a win. Sepang added two more podiums to close the year.Team SX83 will now regroup for 2027, with more news on the team's plans to come.
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