The Sepang International Circuit hosted the first two races of the Asian Le Mans Series 2024-2025 season. This Asian series is organised by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO, also responsible for the prestigious Le Mans 24 Hours. Alex Fontana will take part in the entire championship together with his team-mates Yannick Mettler and “Hash”, an American driver from the AF Academy, driving the #21 Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) entered by the Car Collection team. The team will be competing in the GT3 category, with Fontana enjoying Gold driver status, which entails a maximum driving time of 75 minutes.
RThe series rules state that qualifying must be given to the crews’ bronze drivers (that is to say, the non-professional amateurs), with US driver Hash therefore taking the wheel on Saturday morning. The Car Collection team managed to secure 22nd place in the GT class for Race 1, with a time of 2:08.091, and 24th place in class for Race 2, with a time of 2:08.518, as the starting grids are determined using the best two laps of the single official practice session.
Saturday saw the first 4-hour Sepang race. Hash was first behind the wheel, completing a stint marked by numerous neutralisation phases. Unfortunately, the American was involved in an accident that caused him to lose two laps, forcing the team to attempt a fightback that was as difficult as it was exhausting. Alex finished the first race of the Asian Le Mans Series 2024-2025 in 17th place in the GT class.
The next day, the Car Collection team tried to make up for the previous race in the second Sepang 4-hour race of the championship by starting Mettler. The team decided to change the driver order due to the threat of rain expected a few minutes after the start. The rain did not come in that first stint and Mettler managed to climb through the field to 10th place before handing the car over to Hash. Alex Fontana then took to the track shortly before torrential rain hit the Malaysian circuit, allowing the Swiss driver to complete only seven laps. The race directors decided bring the action to an end 45 minutes ahead of schedule, when the Car Collection team was lying in 22ndposition and unable to exploit the potential of the Swiss driver in the final hour.
Alex Fontana will be starting his engine again in the Asian Le Mans Series 2024-2025 on 8 February with the Dubai 4 Hours.
Alex Fontana
“I have to say it was a complicated weekend, not only from the point of view of the weather conditions, but also physically. In Race 1 we were unlucky with the collision that sent Hash into a spin, while in Race 2 the rain prevented us from recovering precious positions. However, we did gain experience in this championship, which was important both for me and for my teammates Yannick and Hash, whom I would like to thank for this weekend together. In Malaysia, we recorded heartbeats of over 200 per minute during the race, which shows how demanding this trip was. Having more than 40 cars on the track also meant that we had to deal with traffic, which often led to contacts and neutralisations. We have now earned somea winter rest, but we’re looking forward to being back in action next year.”