Following a dramatic opening event in Shanghai, where the series raced on the Chinese Grand Prix support bill, Porsche Carrera Cup Asia headed to the Tochigi prefecture to compete on the same weekend as Super Formula.

Dylan Yip took his maiden Porsche Carrera Cup Asia pole position for Race 1 with a fantastic lap for Phantom Global Racing, but it was Hugo Ellis who had the best getaway. The British driver, competing for Sime Motors Racing, leapt from third to first on the run down to Turn 1.

Team Shanghai Yonda BWT’s Dylan Pereira passed Yip later on the opening lap, and then put pressure on leader Ellis. The Luxembourger’s efforts soon led to another overtake, snatching first after an intense battle, before building a strong gap to those behind, taking a comfortable win.

Ellis clinched second for his first podium in the series, while Yip held off TORO Racing’s Enzo Trulli for third.

Five-time Pro-Am champion Bao Jinlong crossed the line first for BWT Phantom Global Racing, but a 10 second penalty for being out of position on the starting grid saw Li Xuanyu add a victory to his double podium from Shanghai. Bao’s gap to those behind was enough to retain second, while Team Betterlife’s Li Chao became the sixth Pro-Am driver to pick up a podium in three races, as he came home third.

Munkong Sathienthirakul kept up his perfect start to the season with another dominant performance in the Am class for EBM. The impressive Thai driver also managed to score overall points in 10th as he continues to impress. Henry Kwong put in a strong showing to take second for TRIPLE ACE RACING, while Xu Zhefeng claimed third on his first appearance of the campaign.

In the Masters class, it was Jacky Wu who clinched victory, with the Porsche Own Retail 69 Team driver bouncing back superbly from a pair of fourth-placed finishes at his home event in Shanghai last month. EBM’s Adrian D’Silva was second, with OpenRoad Racing’s Christian Chia taking third.

Sunday’s event saw more action, with Ellis again getting a good launch, this time from second on the grid. He challenged polesitter Pereira into the opening turns, but the 2022 Mobil 1 SuperCup champion held the lead.

A late Safety Car when 610 Racing’s Hu Bo found the gravel gave the chasing pack a chance to challenge Pereira, but a strong restart meant he extended his championship advantage with a third victory of the season. Ellis and Yip were once again second and third, while Trulli held off Team WeTrade x PGR’s Josh Rowledge for fourth after a race long battle.

Bao bounced back from his Saturday disappointment with a typically strong showing in Round 4, pressuring the rear of the Pro field and taking Pro-Am victory. Another good performance from Xuanyu saw him cross the line second, with Francis Tjia third for OpenRoad Racing.

The best battle across the field was for the Am victory, which lasted several laps between reigning champion Eric Kwong (Bergwerk Motorsport) and current class leader Sathienthirakul. Kwong withstood pressure from behind for multiple laps, only for Sathienthirakul to make a superb move down the inside at Turn 3 after the late Safety Car restart. Origine Motorsport’s Wu Jiaxin joined the duo on the podium in third.

D'Silva returned to the top step for his third Masters win of the year, with Chia and Modena Motorsport’s John Shen second and third respectively.

Porsche Carrera Cup Asia now heads to Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia for Rounds 5-7 on 6-8 June, which includes the return of the Endurance Cup for the first time in 2025.

Dylan Pereira, Team Shanghai Yonda BWT: “We had issues on the car throughout Free Practice so I wasn’t able to do any laps until qualifying, so I have to thank the team for their superb work to get the car ready and give me a good setup. I really enjoyed the track, in Race 1 I had a great battle with Hugo, we ran side by-side for a while and I was pleased to get by. Today I had to handle the Safety Car restart, my tyres were cold but I managed it well to secure the win. It’s a big weekend for my title hopes and I’m now excited for the next round.”

Li Xuanyu, Z.SPEED Motorsport: “I need to keep working, I had good pace this weekend but I’m always looking for more. It’s great for me to be competing with Bao, this season has shown that the Pro-Am class is closer than in previous years, so I’m looking forward to being back on track soon.”

Munkong Sathienthirakul, EBM: “First of all a huge thanks to my team for the amazing work to give me a balanced and fast car. I’m really happy with my performance, yesterday I got a great start and was able to follow faster drivers and learn from them. Today I was working really hard to get past Eric, I noticed him sliding but I thought the chance might have gone when the Safety Car came out. Luckily we got going again and I made the move at Turn 3. I’m pleased with my start to the season and hoping it can continue at Sepang!”

Jacky Wu, Porsche Own Retail 69 Team: “I really enjoyed the track even though it’s my first time at Motegi. I found it similar to Suzuka, which I have driven a few times before. In Shanghai I started on pole but wasn’t able to make it onto the podium, so this weekend I’m delighted to have taken my first victory in the Masters class and I can’t wait for Sepang.”

Alexandre Imperatori, Porsche Carrera Cup Asia Manager: “Porsche Carrera Cup Asia’s first trip to Mobility Resort Motegi was a huge success, with two entertaining races on track. We love coming to Japan, the fans are incredible and the circuits are great for our drivers to experience. It was fantastic to see battles across all four classes, with fights for victory throughout the field. Our next event is huge for the championship, with three races at Sepang, including the return of the Endurance Cup, which was popular last year. Looking forward to being out in Malaysia and to watch the next chapter of the season unfold!”