PH team secures 4th spot anew in 2025 Toyota Gazoo Racing Asia eSports GT Championship

MANILA: The Philippine team went home with a fourth-place finish anew for the 2025 Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) Asia eSports GT Championship.

Three-driver team composed of Enzo Ison, Matthew Ang, and Victor Ancheta had the cumulative score that nearly gave them a place at the podium after ending the three-race competition at the following spots:

Name	Position
Enzo Ison	8th
Matthew Ang	13th
Victor Ancheta	14th

On the other hand, those who had the top three rankings as a team were:

Position	Points	Country
Champion	169	Indonesia
First runner-up	151	Malaysia
Second runner-up	93	Singapore

In the individual category, 2023 champion Andika Rama from Indonesia reclaimed his throne after gaining a total of 74 points followed by teammate Moreno Pratama with 62. Taking the final spot at the stage is Malaysia’s Chong Kai Chang who got 59 points.

The aforementioned names bested their rivals at the regional tilt held last weekend across three races that took place in Bangkok, Thailand using the in Gran Turismo 7 platform.

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The positions were determined from cumulative points earned through finishing positions across all three races, with bonus points for the fastest laps in each of the three races. The top three individuals and teams each received a cash prize of $8,000, $4,500 and $3,000 respectively.

Race Highlights

For the first race, drivers used the Toyota GR Yaris to best each other at the virtual Suzuka Circuit. Race difficulty was elevated as it is the only stage in the race that had a wet race.

Malaysian frontrunner Taj Aiman had an early lead, but a three-way battle ensued with Rama, Chang, and Iqbal Suji fought for their positions at the podium.  During the final lap, Rama went ahead to claim victory. Following closely behind were Pratama and Chang.

Amid leading six out of seven laps, Aiman slipped to fourth position after experiencing tire issues — marking a dramatic Malaysian-to-Indonesian shift at the top of the results.

The second race took place at Interlagos — the longest circuit among the three locations, almost thrice the length of Suzuka — which had an endurance-style complexity.

Three drivers for each team raced using a Toyota GR010 Hybrid and had to execute two driver swaps — employing a full team race format for the first time in the Championship’s history.

The open format put pressure on real-time calls: pitstop strategies, tire management, energy conservation, and maintaining pace as track conditions shifted.

Aiman had the early advantage — with Singapore’s Fadtris Isa and the Indonesian team trailing close behind.

Both Indonesia and Singapore teams demonstrated exceptional tire management, stretching their stints and minimizing pitstops, while Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand cycled through more sets of tires — a choice that would shape the race’s mid-section.

By Lap 15 at the Interlagos race, Malaysia took advantage of the pit-stop window: Iqbal Suji rejoined the track just as Singapore and Indonesia pitted, regaining the lead. By Lap 16, the differing strategies had created a 17-second gap between Singapore and Malaysia.

As they crossed the finish line, Malaysia secured the first place, Indonesia at second, and Singapore on third.

The final competition was the 14-lap race at Watkins Glen on a 2019 Toyota GR Supra race car — with Indonesia and Malaysia setting the pace early.

The field remained with almost all the competitors separated by less than second from each other.

Malaysia took advantage of an early pit that landed them into the top three by the ninth lap. However, this move forced them to do an addition stop — opening the door for Indonesia to fight their way back to leading positions.

Isa delivered one of the race’s standout moments, climbing into second place and closing in on race leader Rama. This move reshuffled the leaderboard and kept both Indonesia and Malaysia on alert.

Despite the rival’s aggressiveness, Rama secured his second individual win of the night, with teammate Pratama crossing the line in second. Chang showcased an impressive comeback of his own, climbing four spots up from seventh to third after his second pit stop.

“This year’s Toyota Gazoo Racing Asia eSports GT Championship showcased exactly what the TGR philosophy stands for,” Toyota Motor Asia General Manager Jaja Ishibashi said.

“Every racer pushed their limits, refined their approach, and demonstrated remarkable composure across changing conditions. Beyond the results, what stood out most was the collective commitment to improvement and teamwork. These are values that continue to drive Gazoo Racing forward.”

For his part, Rama said that winning his second TGR Asia eSports GT Championship title since 2023 is the result of months of preparation and sticking to our race strategies, even as other teams pushed hard and made aggressive pit calls.

“We focused on refining our approach lap by lap, adjusting in real time while remaining true to our plan. Each corner, each tire change, and each overtaking decision was an opportunity to improve. Seeing our strategy pay off and being crowned Asia’s champion again gives us an incredible sense of pride,” he explained.

Sharing his teammate’s sentiments, Pratama said, "Competing against the top drivers in Asia was definitely a challenge. Every race tested my focus, adaptability, and determination. Teamwork was evident in every lap for every one of us. In such races, it is not just about speed but about evolving and supporting one another. I’m proud to have pushed myself to the limit and to have earned a podium finish at the Asia Finals.”

Meanwhile, Chang shared that his first podium finish at the Asia Finals is bittersweet as he came aiming for the championship. “Racing against Asia’s best pushes me to keep improving, and I look forward to better accomplishments in my next races.”

Special awards

Special awards were also given in recognition of drivers’ exceptional performances. They are:

Special Awards
Driver of the Day	Andika Rama Maulana (Indonesia)
Best Race Craft	Chong Kai Chang (Malaysia)
Fastest Race Pace	Fadtris Isa (Singapore)

Driver-competitors

Here are the participants in this year’s regional finals:

Country	Drivers
Thailand	Thanaphat Pungphat
	Chaiyapat Lipikornkosol
	Akkaparon Meesanthea
Malaysia	Taj Izrin Aiman
	Iqbal Suji
	Chong Kai Chang
Singapore	Muhammad Fadtris Bin Isa
	Ethan Yoh
	Jarod Yikai Zulkifly
Indonesia	Moreno Pratama
	Farizi Pramaditya
	Andika Rama Maulana
Philippines	Victor Ancheta
	Enzo Ison
	Matthew Ang

The Toyota Gazoo Racing Asia eSports GT Championship 2025 is a regional online race aligned with the global vision of the brand’s motorsport division. This event also serves as a platform to make motorsports more accessible, inclusive, and engaging for a broader audience, allowing fans and aspiring racers alike to experience the thrill, discipline, and Kaizen-driven mindset that define Gazoo Racing.

Also read:

Toyota Motor PH extends TGR Philippines eSports GT Championship 2025 qualifiers

Toyota Motor PH looking for top 3 candidates for GR eSports GT Championship Asia Finals

Toyota Motor PH renames virtual racing tilt for 2025

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