GTWC Asia | Origine Motorsport sends a three-car lineup for the 2025 season

The 2025 GT World Challenge Asia (GTWC Asia) season is about to kick off, and Origine Motorsport will once again compete in this top sports car event in Asia Pacific as the defending champion. This season, the team will return to the field with a strong lineup of three Porsche 911 GT3 R (992), and bring six powerful drivers to once again challenge for the championship title!

Champion combination Ye Hongli and Yuan Bo will continue to fight side by side in the new season, driving the No. 87 Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) to participate in the Pro-Am category competition and fully defend the championship honor. As the "ace partner" of Origine Motorsport, Ye Hongli and Yuan Bo have helped the team achieve great results in international competitions many times since the team was founded with their strong speed.

Looking back at the 2024 season, Ye Hongli and Yuan Bo won two overall championships and four podiums, and made a strong comeback at home in Shanghai, winning the annual driver championship and the Silver-Am category annual driver championship. In addition, the two powerful drivers also actively expanded the competition map, representing the team in the GT category of the Asian Le Mans Series 2024-2025 season, further accumulating experience in international competitions.

For the No. 4 Pro-Am team, Origine Motorsport's long-term partner driver Lv Wei will also return to the team in the new season to continue challenging for the championship title. Lv Wei also showed extremely outstanding performance in the 2024 season, winning the overall championship twice in 12 rounds of 6 races throughout the year, and at the same time, he appeared on the stage many times with excellent stability, contributing greatly to the team's defense.

Bastian Buus, a young Porsche driver, will return to the No. 4 car this year. The Danish driver participated in the Okayama race in Japan last season with Lu Wei, successfully won the pole position in the qualifying race, and showed excellent single-lap speed and race rhythm in the two rounds of competition, twice advancing into the top five of the whole field, and gaining key points for the team to hit the annual championship.

At the same time, Alessio Picariello, a regular in the Asia-Pacific GT event, will also join Origine Motorsport in the new season. This powerful driver, known as the "Belgian Bullet", has been deeply involved in the GT race for many years and has participated in top events such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 24 Hours of Daytona. In last year's GTWC Asia, Alessio performed well and won the Pro-Am category annual driver championship with two wins and four podiums. Alessio Picariello will serve as the designated professional driver of the No. 4 car group with Bastian Buus to assist Lu Wei in challenging the front!

Origine Motorsport will also welcome a new partner in the new season. Chinese driver Li Kerong will lead the No. 86 car group and compete in the Silver-Am category with Danish professional driver Anders Fjordbach, who has rich experience in sports car racing. In recent years, Li Kerong has been actively involved in the IMSA Guardiola Sportscar Championship. In 2023, Li Kerong made his debut in the Daytona 24 Hours, becoming the first Chinese driver to participate in this major North American endurance event.

Li Kerong then partnered with Anders Fjordbach in the 2024 season, participated in the IMSA competition throughout the year, and repeatedly stood out in the fiercely competitive GTD category, showing great potential. This time, the two drivers will join hands to represent Origine Motorsport in the GT World Challenge Asia Cup and go all out to compete for good results.

The new season of the GT World Challenge Asia Cup will kick off at the Sepang Circuit in Malaysia in mid-April, followed by the Buriram Circuit in Thailand and the Mandalika Circuit in Indonesia. From July to August, Origine Motorsport will have the "Japan Double Race" at the Fuji and Okayama Circuits. In October, the team will have its home battle at the Beijing Yizhuang Street Circuit, where it will have the final battle with a number of strong teams.

Three cars are driving together, aiming for the top. Origine Motorsport will officially sound the charge for the 2025 season with a strong lineup of three Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) and the ambitions of six powerful drivers!

Driver’s comments

** Ye Hongli (Car No. 87): ** This year is my fourth year representing Origine Motorsport, and I will continue to fight side by side with my good partner Bob. We have cooperated well in the past few seasons, and I believe he will help me win more races. This season, we will not only strive for the championship, but also explore new tracks together, complete some riding after the race, and deeply experience the local natural landscape and food customs.

Yuan Bo (Car No. 87): I am very happy to be back in the GT World Challenge Asia Cup. This year, I hope to continue to improve my driving skills while enjoying the unique experience and pure fun of racing.

Lv Wei (Car No. 4): I am very happy to be able to participate in the GT World Challenge Asia Cup with Origine Motorsport again. We have experienced many ups and downs in the past two seasons, so the goal of the new season is to finish the race stably and have fun.

Bastian Buus (Car 4): After a great race with Origine Motorsport last year, I am very happy to be back again and challenge the whole year. The team has fully proved its strength and Lu Wei is also recognized as a strong contender for the championship. Alessio and I will go all out throughout the season to create the most favorable conditions for Lu Wei to win the championship. It will be a competitive season and I am ready for the challenge!

Alessio Picariello (Car No. 4): I am very happy to join Origine Motorsport. This is my first time to represent the team in a race. Last season, Lyu Wei and the entire team showed strong competitiveness, so I am looking forward to the competition in the new season. At the same time, I will support Lyu Wei together with Bastian to help him hit the championship again in the new season.

Li Kerong (Car No. 86): I am very happy to join Origine Motorsport this year. This is my first time to represent our Chinese team in a race, and it will also be my first season in Asia. Although I will face new tracks and unfamiliar faces, the ultimate goal will never change, that is, to hit the championship. We also have two top gentleman drivers in our team, and I look forward to learning from them. I believe I will enjoy this year's journey very much.

Anders Fjordbach (Car No. 86): This is my second year of cooperation with Kron, and this year we will challenge the Asian arena. I am very proud to have participated in the development of his racing career in the past two years. His driving level has improved a lot, and Origine Motorsport has always been a top team in this event. I am very much looking forward to starting this new journey next week!