Podium Finish for HZO Fortis Racing Team by Absolute Racing in the Shanghai 8 Hours

The HZO Fortis Racing Team by Absolute Racing Audi R8 LMS GT3 evo II driven by Haziq Oh, Aaron Lim and Akash Nandy finished second in the GT3 Silver-Am class and fourth place overall in the Shanghai 8 Hours race at the Shanghai International Circuit.

The all-Malaysian trio took the motorsport highlight of the ‘Golden Week’ China National holidays with seriousness and willing to perform, even knowing that the opposition was much more familiar with the FIA Grade 1 track. With Pirelli introducing its new DHG tyre compound this season, this marked the team’s first appearance at the Shanghai International Circuit using the new specification. Unlike several opponents with prior China GT Championship experience, Absolute Racing trio had limited data to reference. However, drawing on its familiarity with the tyre from the GT World Challenge Asia and its extensive technical expertise with the Audi racing platform, the team quickly adapted after analysing Friday’s data and made decisive setup adjustments ahead of today’s opening free practice session.

In the second qualifying segment (Q2), Haziq Oh delivered a composed performance, setting a personal best of 2:03.153, which placed the team near the front of the AM category. Following a brief interval, Aaron Lim maintained the momentum in Q3, posting a 2:01.456 to move into second in class. Finally, in the closing session, Akash Nandy continued his strong form, recording a 2:00.846 to further strengthen the team’s combined average.

As a result, based on the aggregate times of all three drivers, the HZO Fortis Racing by Absolute Racing Audi R8 LMS GT3 evo II lined up eighth overall and fourth in the AM class on the grid.

It was anything but an easy eight-hour race, marked by several on-track scrapes and multiple Full Course Yellow (FCY) periods. The No. 5 Audi R8 LMS evo II was among the casualties, but some quick thinking, duct tape, and skilled handiwork from the team’s crew kept the front of the car in running condition.

Starting from inside the top ten, Haziq Oh took the opening stint for the Malaysian trio and immediately showed strong pace, running as high as P5 before being clipped by a rival and forced to pit. Despite the early setback, Oh fought back with determination before handing over to Akash Nandy, who wasted no time carving through the field with a series of decisive overtakes. The Malaysian Silver ranked driver’s first stint saw the team climb into podium contention, and by the third hour, he was up to P2 overall, setting a blistering pace that underlined both the car’s performance and his skill under pressure. The lead changed hands several times as strategies played out, but HZO Fortis Racing by Absolute Racing remained consistently within the top five throughout the middle stages of the race.

Aaron Lim took over for the fourth hour, continuing the charge and briefly leading the Audi contingent as he pushed for the overall race lead. A composed and consistent drive saw Lim hold firm in P3 and later P4, keeping the car well within reach of an overall podium despite fierce competition, a puncture, and multiple FCY periods disrupting the race rhythm, with the final one ultimately costing a shot at the overall podium.

With the race entering its decisive final stages, Akash Nandy returned to the cockpit for the closing stints, maintaining the team’s strong pace and defending P4 against mounting pressure. Despite a late-race FCY that bunched up the field, the Malaysian kept his cool to bring the car home fourth overall, narrowly missing an overall podium but securing an impressive second place in the GT3 Silver Am class.

I’m really happy to be back here once again. This is our second year racing in China for the Shanghai 8 Hours, and we’re also the only Malaysian crew on the grid. The race was full of incidents right from the start, and our car also suffered some damage. However, a few FCY periods later in the race helped us regain some positions. I’d like to thank Absolute Racing and my two teammates for all their support.

It was great to be back in Shanghai. It was an eventful race with a lot of incidents, but we’re happy to finish P2. We gave it everything, and I think Akash really showed us that we need to step up to the next level. We learned a lot from him, and I’d like to thank the team, HZO Fortis Racing Team and Absolute Racing for preparing such a great car for us. We were quite competitive throughout the week, so it was a bit unlucky to have so many incidents, but overall, we’re still very happy to be back here.

It was a good result for us, considering where we started, P8 overall. It was a very eventful race. Some moments went in our favour, while others didn’t, especially during the last FCY. Our car took quite a beating throughout the race – if you watched, we had a lot of duct tape on the front bumper, lost part of the rear bumper, and suffered some suspension damage, so we were lacking a bit of pace towards the end. That said, I’m really grateful to be here with HZO Fortis Racing Team and Absolute Racing and to be part of this team, helping them achieve this result. Both my teammates, Haziq and Aaron, did a tremendous job over the last three days, improving constantly, and the team – mechanics and engineers alike – did not put a foot wrong. I’m really happy with where we finished, although I believe there was potential for more; we could have been on the overall podium, but in the end, it was still a good race.

We are really pleased to finish the Shanghai 8 Hours on the podium with the HZO Fortis Racing Team crew. It was far from an easy race, but Haziq, Aaron, and Akash gave their all, and we were in contention for an overall podium for much of the event. The team executed an excellent strategy to optimise race performance, and the drivers were happy with the car. We take encouragement from this result and aim to carry this momentum into the upcoming races.