Origine Porsche Pair Ye, Yuan Claim Title in Shanghai

Leo Ye Hongli and Yuan Bo were crowned Fanatec GT World Challenge Asia powered by AWS champions after a dramatic final double-header in Shanghai, as they eclipsed Origine Motorsport stablemate Lu Wei to seal top honors.

Lu, joined in the cockpit of the No. 4 Origine Porsche 911 GT3 R by Laurin Heinrich for the season finale, went into the opening race on Saturday with a 16-point margin over Ye and Yuan in the sister No. 87 machine.

However, the pendulum swung dramatically in the first race when Lu was forced to retire following Turn 1 contact with the No. 296 Absolute Corse of Ferrari 296 GT3 of Andre Canard during the opening stint, for which Canard was penalized.

Victory went to another Porsche, the No. 1 Absolute Racing car of defending champion Anthony Liu and Alessio Picariello, as the latter went on a charge from fourth place to first, denying Absolute stablemates Akash Nandy and James Yu victory in the No. 41 Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II with a last-ditch move on Nandy.

Completing the podium was another Audi, the Phantom Global Racing-run FAW Audi Sport car of Franky Cheng and Adderly Fong.

With Ye and Yuan finishing fourth, it meant Liu and Picariello went into Sunday’s decider with a six-point advantage at the head of the standings over Lu, with the No. 87 Origine crew trailing by ten points.

Picariello initially jumped from fourth to second in the opening stint of the second race, behind Ralf Aron’s Climax Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo, but the Belgian couldn’t keep up the pace and slipped back behind Daniel Morad’s Craft-Bamboo Mercedes and Ye.

After the mandatory pitstops, Yuan was able to pass his opposite numbers in both of the two Mercedes-AMGs ahead, Cao Qi and Wang Zhonghei, to claim he and Ye’s second victory of the season and propel themselves to championship glory.

With a success penalty to serve during the pitstops for its Saturday win, Liu and Picariello could only manage sixth, leaving them seven points shy in the final standings.

Finishing fifth in the final race together with Heinrich, Lu had to be content with third in the standings, 11 points behind Ye and Yuan.

Rounding out the top five crews overall were the No. 36 Audi of Cheng and Fong, despite failing to score in the final race, and the No. 888 Triple Eight Mercedes-AMG in which Prince Abu Bakar Ibrahaim and Mikael Grenier managed only one point in Shanghai.

Liu and Picariello could take some solace with the Pro-Am Cup title, with Ye and Yuan having already wrapped up the Silver-Am crown in the previous round at Okayama.

Cheng and Fong came away with Silver Cup honors, while Indonesia’s David Tjiptobiantoro won the Am category in his Garage 75 Ferrari 296 GT3.

RESULTS: Race 1/Race 2