TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Asia Esports GT Championship 2026 Returns to Kuala Lumpur for a High-Stakes Showdown

15 drivers from across Asia will compete for regional honours and a USD$31,000 prize pool.  

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Nov. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The TOYOTA GAZOO Racing (TGR) Asia Esports GT Championship 2026 Asia Finals will return to Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, 15 November, marking Malaysia's third time hosting the event. Bringing together 15 drivers from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand, the event will see established names and emerging talent go head-to-head across three races for individual and team honours and a share of the USD$31,000 prize pool.

Indonesia's Andika Rama will defend his title following victories in 2023 and 2025, while Malaysia's Taj Aiman, the 2024 champion, will race on home ground in pursuit of another win. Singapore's Ar Muhammad Aleef, the 2020 champion, completes the trio of former winners returning to challenge for the title.

Following last year's Finals in Bangkok, the championship continues TGR Asia's commitment to growing the regional e-Motorsports community. TGR's philosophy of making ever-better motorsports-bred cars is rooted in the belief that roads build people, and people build cars. The championship brings this spirit of learning through racing to the virtual track, giving more drivers the opportunity to compete, learn and showcase their skills. By bringing drivers and fans together through a shared passion for motorsport, it also extends Toyota's belief in Mobility for All to the racing community.

"The Asia Finals bring together talented drivers from across the region, united by their passion for racing," said Preston Tan, Vice-President, Toyota Motor Asia. "We are thrilled to bring the competition back to Malaysia, where former champions and emerging talent will compete alongside one another. We have also been especially encouraged to see drivers from previous editions go on to compete in real-world motorsport, and even on bigger stages such as the Asian Games, a testament to how the championship can be a genuine pathway into the sport. Through e-Motorsports, we hope to continue creating more opportunities for people to experience the excitement of racing and inspire the next generation of motorsport fans."

Former Champions Meet New Contenders

Joining the three former champions are five newcomers ready to make their mark on the Asia Finals stage: Michael Velasquez of the Philippines, Jirat Pakjilayuwat of Thailand, Stanislas Yuveardhitra of Indonesia, and Malaysia's Nabil Azlan and Ethen Low.

Each market will also field one driver aged 18 or under, giving younger competitors the opportunity to test their skills against experienced regional contenders.

Three Races to Decide Regional Honours

All 15 drivers will compete across three races, beginning at Grand Valley – Highway 1 in the GR Supra Racing Concept '18 – Gr.3, followed by Nürburgring GP in the GR Yaris RZ "High performance" '20. The final race will see drivers take on Fuji Speedway in the SF23 Super Formula/Toyota '23, with each change of circuit and car challenging competitors to adapt as they pursue the regional titles.

Drivers will earn points based on their finishing positions, with 25 points awarded for first place, 20 for second and 16 for third, with points awarded down to 15^th place. A two-point fastest-lap bonus offers a further opportunity for drivers to gain an edge.

USD$31,000 in Prizes and Additional Honours

A total prize pool of USD$31,000 will be awarded across the individual and team categories, retaining the same prize structure as last year.

	Individual	Team
Champion	USD$8,000	USD$8,000
1st Runner-up	USD$4,500	USD$4,500
2nd Runner-up	USD$3,000	USD$3,000

Individual 

Team 

Champion 

USD$8,000 

USD$8,000 

1^st Runner-up 

USD$4,500 

USD$4,500 

2^nd Runner-up 

USD$3,000 

USD$3,000 

Alongside the championship prizes, additional trophies will be presented for Best Race Craft, Rookie of the Day and Driver of the Day.

Join the Action in Kuala Lumpur

Beyond the main championship, a series of exhibition races will bring Toyota representatives, media and esports drivers into the action. The GR Asia Race on 14 November will see representatives from Toyota Motor Asia and participating regional companies take to the virtual track. On 15 November, the Media Pro-Am Race will pair media representatives with Asia Finalists, with teammates sharing driving duties during the race. An Esports Team Race featuring teams from Thailand will add to the weekend's excitement.

Fans across the region can also follow the 2026 Finals live on TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Asia's Facebook page, as well as selected market-specific X and YouTube channels.

Returning host Victoria Cheng will lead the action, joined by Dez Corkhill and Amir Haziq on English-language commentary, with Amir also covering Bahasa Malaysia. James Laohongthong and Kulachart Oat Rhuvatana will provide Thai commentary, while Ari Saputra and Mike Denaldi return for Bahasa Indonesia coverage.

Together, the commentary team will bring fans closer to the competition, covering the overtakes, race strategies and decisive moments as the drivers battle for regional honours.

End 

Appendix  

Outline of TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Asia Esports GT Championship 2026 

Event Name	TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Asia Esports GT Championship 2026
Event Date	Sunday, 15 November 2026
Event Location	Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Participation Requirement	Owner of PS4 or PS5, with Gran Turismo 7 installed.

Event Name 

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Asia Esports GT Championship 2026

Event Date

Sunday, 15 November 2026 

Event Location 

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 

Participation Requirement

Owner of PS4 or PS5, with Gran Turismo 7 installed. 

 Drivers

Country	Drivers
Thailand	Thanaphat Pungphat
	Maijukkree Areekijseree
	Jirat Pakjilayuwat – Asia Finals debut
Malaysia	Taj Aiman – 2024 champion
	Nabil Azlan – Asia Finals debut
	Ethen Low – Asia Finals debut
Singapore	Ar Muhammad Aleef – 2020 champion
	Fadtris Isa
	Jayden Liaw
Indonesia	Moreno Pratama
	Stanislas Yuveardhitra – Asia Finals debut
	Andika Rama – 2023 and 2025 champion
Philippines	Russel Reyes
	Enzo Ison
	Michael Velasquez – Asia Finals debut

Country 

Drivers 

Thailand 

Thanaphat Pungphat

Maijukkree Areekijseree

Jirat Pakjilayuwat – Asia Finals debut

Malaysia 

Taj Aiman – 2024 champion

Nabil Azlan – Asia Finals debut

Ethen Low – Asia Finals debut

Singapore 

Ar Muhammad Aleef – 2020 champion

Fadtris Isa

Jayden Liaw

Indonesia 

Moreno Pratama 

Stanislas Yuveardhitra – Asia Finals debut

Andika Rama – 2023 and 2025 champion

Philippines 

Russel Reyes

Enzo Ison 

Michael Velasquez – Asia Finals debut

 Point System of TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Asia Esports GT Championship 2026

Award
Individual	Cumulative points of each race participated
Country	Total of all (3) individual participants representing the country

Award 

Individual

Cumulative points of each race participated

Country

Total of all (3) individual participants representing the country

Exhibition Races 

1. GR Asia Exhibition Race  

Circuit: Fuji Speedway

Car: Super Formula

The GR Asia Race will bring Toyota representatives together for an exhibition race, providing an opportunity to experience competitive sim racing and connect with colleagues from across the region. Trophies will be awarded to the top three finishers.

2. Pro-Am Exhibition Race (Media & Asia Finalists)  

Circuit: Nürburgring GP

Car: GR Yaris  

Media representatives will partner with Asia Finalists, with each pair sharing driving duties. Media participants will set the qualifying times, while the race will include one mandatory pit stop and a driver change. Trophies will be awarded to the top three pairings.

3. Asia Esports Team Exhibition Race   

Circuit: Grand Valley Highway-1

Car: GR Supra Racing Concept '18 – Gr.3

The Esports Team Race will bring together 15 racers for an exhibition contest, with trophies awarded to the top three finishers.

About the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Asia Esports GT Championship 2026

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Asia Esports GT Championship 2026 is the regional online race, which will bring together the top gamers from each of the participating countries in Asia to pit their skills against each other. 

Players will race in "Gran Turismo 7" on their PlayStation®4^*1 (PS4®) or PlayStation^®5^*1 (PS5^®) in a selected Toyota GR line-up.  

Under the global vision of TOYOTA GAZOO Racing, e-Motorsports has evolved to be one of the key pillars of TGR motorsport activities and is an exclusive platform to engage with the increasing motorsport-lovers around the world. 

About TOYOTA GAZOO Racing (TGR) 

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing (TGR) is TOYOTA's racing company where motorsports activities are a key pursuit of product development. Its ethos builds on a heritage of more than 60 years of excellence in "making ever-better motorsports bred cars". With this aim, the company takes into account feedback and learnings gained on tough racing roads under harsh environments to create the thrill and joy of racing Toyota GR cars for everyone. 

About Toyota Motor Asia 

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Asia is the motorsports arm at Toyota Motor Asia [TMA], the regional corporate headquarters and subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation. TMA leads and supports the Asia Pacific region in sales and marketing activities, service parts, accessories and customer services, thus contributing to the overall development of auto industry and the growing economies in the region. 

Toyota envisions the future mobility society to bring freedom of movement to all. Moving forward, Toyota will provide a diverse range of mobility services and transportation solutions to people around the world as we transform Toyota into a mobility company. 

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TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Asia Esports GT Championship 2026 Returns to Kuala Lumpur for a High-Stakes Showdown

Why fraud prevention in B2B payments starts with understanding the business, not just the transaction

BANGKOK, Nov. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Recently, in response to the growing threat of cyber-enabled fraud, Bill Deng, Founder & CEO of XTransfer, has shared Three Lessons from the Front Line. Financial inclusion has been a quiet success: the World Bank's Global Findex 2025 puts account ownership at 79% of adults, up 28 points in a decade. But the Global Anti-Scam Alliance reports nearly 60% of adults encountered a scam in 2025, and a quarter lost money. Faster rails speed up legitimate and fraudulent payments alike. The Bangkok Blueprint, launched by the IMF, World Bank Group and Bank of Thailand at the 2026 Annual Meetings, frames the response correctly: cyber-enabled fraud is an ecosystem problem no single institution can solve alone.

A framework sets the direction; it does not tell an operator what to do when a payment looks unusual. Three lessons from the front line.

Speed is not the same as judgement

Automation has transformed screening. It absorbs volume no team could handle and flags anomalies in seconds. But consistency is not understanding. A model can say a transaction deviates; it cannot say whether that reflects a new customer, a seasonal order-book shift, or a fraud typology never seen in training. In B2B payments, the payment message carries almost none of the commercial history behind it: the inquiry, purchase order, shipment, invoice. Reading the underlying trade is often what separates an unusual but legitimate payment from a suspicious one. Frontline teams who know how a small exporter operates belong inside the control environment.

Share the principles; calibrate the controls

Asia-Pacific is the best test bed precisely because it is heterogeneous: regulation, rails, customer behaviour and fraud patterns differ sharply across markets. Exporting one operating model is a category error. What travels is a common language, shared risk principles and typology frameworks describing how schemes are structured, not one prescribed technical response. Controls must be calibrated locally. A multi-market compliance footprint earns its keep here: operating under several regulators forces you to separate what is universal from what is merely habitual.

Intelligence should move as fast as fraud

Fraud techniques migrate; a pattern seen in one corridor reappears, adapted, in another. If every institution treats detection as a private asset, everyone downstream starts late. Regulator-supervised, privacy-protecting sharing can turn one market's signal into another's early warning, without identical rules everywhere. More connected SME payment infrastructure helps too: today it is fragmented among banks, providers and jurisdictions, each seeing a narrow slice. The chain rarely starts in finance at all; it may begin on a social platform, marketplace or telecom network. Institutions, platforms, regulators and law enforcement each hold a fragment, which is why public-private engagement is not a courtesy but the mechanism of trust.

Access will keep expanding; whether it endures depends on trust, the cumulative result of fast technology, experienced people, controls that fit their market, and institutions willing to share what they learn. For those building infrastructure for small traders, the obligation is simple: make the safe path the easy path. Security that excludes legitimate users defeats the inclusion it protects.

The author first set out related views in a WEF Financial and Monetary Systems discussion (23 October 2026). https://www.weforum.org/stories/financial-and-monetary-systems/two-ceos-discuss-technology-enable-financial-inclusion-preventing-fraud

This is an original expansion for XTransfer's own channels; it does not reproduce or adapt the WEF text. Views are the author's own, not those of the WEF, IMF, World Bank Group or Bank of Thailand. XTransfer contributed private-sector experience to the Annual Meetings' digital safety discussions; no endorsement is implied.

** This press release is distributed by PR Newswire through automated distribution system, for which the client assumes full responsibility. **

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