Aston Martin Racing Asia (AMRA), a legendary name in world motor racing, is committed to an outstanding season in 2023 in Asia, from the Thai Super Series and more.
“We are delighted with our achievements in 2022, particularly the last quarter. It makes a great foundation for a spectacular 2023,” explained Team Principal Weiron Tan at a recent interview.
Assembling a team and getting a car on the track is an enormously complex business. For the October 2022 race weekend of the Thai Super Series, AMRA was able to put all the pieces together in literally days, including the renowned driver Adam Khalid behind the wheel and the Aston Martin i8 Vantage GT4 on the track for racing.
“For our team at Aston Martin Racing Asia, debuting at the Chang International Circuit in the Thai Super Series in October was an amazing experience and an invaluable gauge of how competitive we are with Adam and the Aston Martin i8 Vantage GT4. Having everyone on board and everything in place is the perfect base to start 2023,” relates Tan.
As implied, securing Adam Khalid as the driver this year was a huge boost for the team. Twenty-four-year-old Adam is a Malaysian who has toured the world in the professional ranks of the sport and, despite his youth, already has more than a decade of experience and over 20 victories or podium finishes at the top levels. This includes winning the Malaysian Speed Festival three years in a row and the Merdeka Endurance Race twice.
“It’s a great team,” says Adam. “We all have similar chemistry and I enjoy working closely with the Aston Martin Racing Asia team alongside Weiron Tan to bring out the true potential of the car. Right now, we are honing everything from the tires on up to gain milliseconds of time.”
Growing up Adam’s racing heroes were Daniel Ricciardo, Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton. “I have watched all of them in person or on film. I not only learn from their driving techniques, but I am inspired by their love of the sport.”
“The Aston Martin i8 Vantage GT4 is no stranger to me, with my first time getting behind the wheel in the UK. With its enlarged 4.0-litre V8 engine and improved suspension, combined with all the fine tuning we’ve been able to put in to customize it for me as the driver, it has really given the team huge confidence going forward.”
The Aston Martin i8 Vantage GT4 is a special beast indeed. Its powerplant is the 4.0 litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine, producing 475 PS and over 550 Nm of torque. This awesome engine is matched with a six-speed paddle shift-operated transmission and a mechanical plate and ramp differential. It has a straight through exhaust system and a special hot climate cooling package – essential in this part of the world. The brakes are race spec Alcon with 6 piston callipers in the front and 4 piston callipers at the rear. They are two-piece ventilated brake discs – with a massive 380mm front and 343mm rear.
The i8 Vantage GT4, is the Official Car of Aston Martin Racing Asia and is supported by the Manufacturer. That support includes R&D, the latest technology, engineering and mechanical backing that is available only to Aston Martin Racing Asia.
Motorsports Services Aston Martin Racing Asia (MSAA) is the company behind Aston Martin Racing Asia and it is the official representative and distributor for Aston Martin Racing in Asia. Aston Martin Racing has an adrenaline-lifting array of Vantage GT variants, including the Vantage GT3, the GT8R and the GT4. It operates in China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and South Korea in the north, through to all of South East Asia. Aston Martin Racing Asia also provides on-site support for parts, engineering and technical support to teams and individuals competing across its region.
With the terrific start provided in 2022, the team’s ambition is to lead the way in 2023. Both Adam and Weiron expressed how positively they felt about the upcoming races and when asked where they expect to finish, they both answered, “Number One”.